Tick & Mosquito Born Illnesses By Connie Hogue, Director of Human Resources and Safety Many of us look forward to Safely remove ticks spending time outside during The best way to remove a tick is to use fine-tipped the summer months. We hike, tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin's surface bike, swim, and boat- enjoying as possible. 1. Pull away from your skin with steady, even the sunshine and warmer pressure. Do not twist or jerk the tick; this can weather. Unfortunately for us, cause the mouth parts to break off and remain ticks and mosquitoes are most in the skin. If this happens, remove the mouth active in Ohio between May and parts with tweezers. If you are unable to remove October. the mouth parts easily with clean tweezers, Connie Hogue leave it alone and let the skin heal. Ticks live in wooded areas, high 2. Dispose of a live tick by putting it in alcohol, grass, or leaf litter. One of the most common tick-borne placing it in a sealed bag/container, wrapping diseases in the U.S. is Lyme disease. Mosquitoes gather it tightly in tape, or flushing it down the toilet. near standing water, in weedy or wooded areas. West Nile Never crush a tick with your fingers. virus infection is one of the most common diseases carried 3. Wash your hands and the bite area with soap by mosquitoes in the U.S. and water. It is important to take action and decrease your risk of tick and mosquito-borne illnesses. Here are some tips for Keep Mosquitoes away dealing with ticks and mosquitoes. 1. Use insect repellents when you go outdoors. Take extra care to use repellents from dusk to dawn. 2. Wear light-colored clothing, long-sleeved shirts and long pants to protect against mosquito bites. 3. Consider avoiding outdoor activities during peak mosquito-biting hours: early morning and late evening hours.
Check for Ticks 1. Check for ticks. After any potential exposure, you should check yourself and your children for ticks. Ticks like to hide under arms, in and around the ears, behind knees, and especially in a person's hair. It is also important to check your pets for ticks daily. Ticks are common in the insides of the ears, on the paws, and under collars. 2. Carefully examine clothes and gear for ticks. Ticks can enter your home on clothing or gear then attach to a person later. If you find a tick, remove it before going indoors. Tumble dry affected clothes in a dyer for 10 minutes in extremely high heat after coming indoors. 3. Bathe or shower as soon as possible after coming indoors. Do this within two hours of exposure to ticks so you can find and remove them.
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Stop Mosquitoes from hanging around 1. Empty standing water from flowerpots, buckets, barrels, tarps, pool covers, toys and wheelbarrows regularly. 2. Replace the water in bird baths weekly. 3. Check and clean clogged roof gutters at least twice annually so they drain properly. 4. Aerate ornamental pools or stock them with mosquito-eating fish. 5. Clean and chlorinate swimming pools. 6. Keep children's wading pools empty when they are not in use. A few simple precautions can protect your family from tick and mosquito-borne illnesses during the warm summer months.
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