How to Reduce Your Risk for Ticks and Lyme Disease
Most pests carry some disease risk or dangers. Our fear and discomfort around these pests is likely due to biological changes that teach us to dislike them, forged through millions of years of evolution and created so that we never have to live around pests comfortably.
Of all of the diseases you can catch from house pests, one of the most problematic is Lyme disease. This bacterial based disease can cause permanent neurological damage if left untreated, including mental health problems and pains. The best way to avoid the dangers of Lyme disease is by avoiding ticks. The following are several strategies to stay safe from ticks and Lyme disease this year.
How to Avoid and Prevent Ticks and Lyme Disease
- Always Cover Your Body – Ticks cannot bite unless you have exposed skin. When playing outdoors, try to cover your body as best you can, so that ticks have nowhere to feed.
- Examine Immediately After Being Outside – After you spend any time outdoors, examine all of the areas of exposed skin on your body. It’s sometimes very hard to avoid ticks, but there is a lot of evidence that the longer a tick stays on your body the more at risk you are for symptoms, so finding a tick and removing it quickly will keep you safer from Lyme Disease.
- Clear Tick Hiding Spots – Ticks only live where they feel safe. If you clear bushes, fallen tree limbs, and mow the lawn, you’re going to give ticks far fewer hiding spots and they’ll be much less likely to live in your yard.
- Consider DEET – Insect repellents have shown some effect on ticks, so consider using some type of insect repellant to keep ticks away from your body.
- Take Advantage of Tick Control – Companies like Green Pest Solutions in Pennsylvania can provide you with tick control services that will decrease the number of ticks in and around your home. Lyme disease is a real issue, so tick control services can be very beneficial.
Staying Safe From Ticks and Lyme Disease
Lyme disease is a scary, potentially devastating disease caused by ticks. The best way to stay safe is to take precautions to avoid ticks, and to remove ticks as quickly as possible. Consider the above strategies to stay safe from Lyme disease all year.