Many of us have had the unpleasant experience of finding a tick attached to some part of our body, especially after a day of working or playing outside. It's a creepy and startling situation that requires some savvy intervention. Here are some facts about ticks, how to avoid them and what to do if you happen to find one stuck on your body.

The Ambush at Tick Pass

Ticks lurk in low lying brush or trees and drop on passing animals or people. They feed off the blood of their hosts like little vampires. Nobody knows for sure how long a tick can wait for a host to wander by. But ticks have been kept in captivity without food for up to three years. They have also endured near freezing temperatures and submersion for 160 days.

Carriers of Disease

So why all the fuss about these little critters? Little ticks can transmit big diseases, including:

• Lyme Disease,
• Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and
• Ehrlichiosis (say "err-lick-ee-o'-sis").

Symptoms of these diseases are much like symptoms of the flu and include fever, chills, headache, muscle and joint pain, nausea and vomiting. A rash may also accompany these symptoms, which can occur between one and 30 days of being bitten. Be sure to see your doctor if you experience any of these symptoms following a tick bite.

Some ticks, such as the Rocky Mountain wood tick and the American dog tick, can cause paralysis in humans and animals. While the tick feeds on the host's blood, it injects a neurotoxin that attacks the nervous system. The only treatment for tick paralysis is the immediate yet careful removal of the insect.

How to Remove a Tick

To minimize the risk of disease transmission, ticks must be removed immediately. But removing a tick is difficult. When a tick starts to feed, its salivary secretions form a sort of chemical glue that will only be removed when the tick is finished feeding and releases another chemical to dissolve this glue.

So how do you remove a tick when it's chemically adhered to your skin?

First, some of the things you should not do:

Vaseline Submersion: It's widely believed that if you somehow smother a tick with petroleum jelly or fingernail polish it will suffocate and let go of its host. But if a tick can survive submersion for 160 days, then trying to smother it is a waste of time.

Burning: Some people also believe that a tick can be burned off your skin by using a hot match head. Don't try it. Not only will you destroy the body of the tick (which you need to grab onto to remove), but you also risk burning yourself.

Here's what you should do to remove a tick from your body:

• Using tweezers, grasp the tick close to the point where the tick is attached to the skin;
• Pull firmly and steadily until the tick is removed;
• Avoid squashing the tick during removal, as infected blood may spread to the victim;
• Apply an antiseptic to the bite area, and wash your hands with soap and water.

Dispose of the dislodged tick by dropping it in alcohol or crushing it with the heel of your shoe or between two rocks. Don't squash the tick between your fingers - this may expose you to the very diseases you're trying to avoid.

Keep 'Em Off

The best way keep ticks from turning you into lunch this summer is to practice methods to avoid them. Here are some tips from Dennis E. Figg , Wildlife Ecologist with the Missouri Department of Conservation:

• Try to avoid areas (long grass, wooded locations) that ticks are likely to inhabit during active months (April through September).
• Wear boots or other proper footwear.
• Wear long pants that cover your legs.
• Cover your arms and leave as little skin exposed as possible.

Another wise tip includes tucking pant legs into high boots and taping the area where pants and socks meet. You should also apply insecticides containing diethyltoluamide (Deet). Remember to apply the insecticide to pant legs and socks since this is where ticks will likely attach themselves.

Personal Inspection

It's important to get into the habit of personal inspection after you spend time outdoors. Once indoors, remove clothing and check your body thoroughly for ticks that are running loose or already attached. Places to check include under your arms, between your legs, behind the knees, around your ears, in your hair, inside your belly button and around your waist. Never allow more than four to eight hours to pass without a thorough tick inspection. Make this a regular habit, particularly when you are in tick-infested areas.

Conclusion

Ticks can be nasty. Follow the simple precautions to keep these bugs off you and your family this summer.

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