1. Expect to See Us This Year
We’ll be be out in full force looking for humans to feast on, especially in Eastern Canada. We can transmit Lyme disease, a bacterial infection that can cause chronic fatigue, joint pain, and other problems if left untreated.
(Photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock)
2. I’m Smaller Than You Think
I may look pretty large and in charge in a photo, but in real life I am very tricky to spot, especially when I’m still a baby.
I go through four developmental stages: egg, larvae, nymph, and then adult. My larvae are about the size of this period. Nymphs are about as big as a poppy seed and adults are roughly the size of a sesame seed. Teeny.
(Photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock)
3. Count My Legs. There Are Eight
It’s important to know what we look like, in case you spot a tick on your body or on your pet. Technically, we’re in the same class as spiders-arachnids-which means we have eight legs compared to insects’ six.
Ticks are also wingless and have a single oval-shaped body that’s usually pretty flat unless it’s engorged with blood after a feeding.
(Photo: Ingram Publishing/Thinkstock )
4. I Carry More Than Just Lyme Disease
It’s admittedly tricky to tell if you’ve been bitten, because symptoms can be vague and easy to confuse with those of other illnesses. Mostly you’ll feel flu-like (fever, chills, aches and pains) and develop a rash. But Lyme disease is often misdiagnosed, and as many as nine out of 10 cases go unreported. So if you think you’ve been bitten, see your doctor right away to reduce the risk of serious complications.
8. Watch Your Ankles!
I’m most likely to transmit Lyme disease to humans as a nymph (typically late spring and early summer), and that’s mainly because I’m small and hard to spot, so people don’t have the chance to remove me before I get them sick.
Although I’m pretty hard to see because of my small size, the best place to look for me is your ankles-we tick nymphs don’t crawl high off the floor.
11. I Can’t Stand Repellents
Unfortunately for us ticks, chemicals can help destroy us. Products with DEET (those that contain 20 percent or more) are good choices. The chemical permethrin, which can be used only on clothing, not skin, is also very effective as a tick repellent. It remains protective through several washings.
You can also treat your property with acaricides (pesticides that kill ticks); many can only be used by licensed commercial pesticide applicators, so ask your landscaper if you’re interested.
(Photo: Hemera/Thinkstock)
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