A warming climate has led to larger populations of ticks and rodents, and southern ticks have expanded northward. The most prevalent tick-borne disease is Lyme Disease (Lyme borreliosis). But Lyme disease cases originating in Colorado are extremely rare, as the black-legged tick that carries the disease is not established in Colorado. The main dangers from ticks here are that they may be carrying Colorado Tick Fever and Tick-borne Relapsing Fever. Cases of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever are rare in Colorado, but not unheard-of.
Tick season typically begins in April and peaks in spring and early summer. Most ticks on humans are found crawling between the ankle and knee. Apply a natural repellent like ‘Repel’ (a lemon-eucalyptus formula) or ‘No-Bite-Me’ (a multi-herbal cream) to exposed skin and the most vulnerable areas. Wearing tall socks can prevent tick penetration. Tucking pant-legs into
the tops of your socks also helps keep ticks out. Ticks are usually dark, and show up best on light-colored clothing. Ticks can drop down from trees as you pass under them, so wear a hat and long sleeves as well as long pants. Dogs frequently return from walks and hikes with ticks and require thorough inspections before re-entering the house, or your car. Eve, who doesn’t have a dog, once found a tick on her pants-leg while working in her vegetable garden. Garlic-based ‘Mosquito Barrier’ is said to reduce tick populations in the landscape by 50%.
As soon as you get home after a walk or hike in grassy or forested areas, run your clothing in the dryer on the high-heat setting and take a shower, checking for ticks – especially in arm-pits, groin, back, neck and scalp. If you find a tick that has already attached itself, remove it as soon as possible. To remove a tick, use one of our handy ‘Tick Keys’, or use tweezers to gently and slowly pull straight up on the tick. Do not squeeze the tick body in the tweezer or crush the head. If using your fingers, cover them first with a tissue. Do not use alcohol, a hot needle, or gasoline to attempt removal. Save the dislodged tick in a small, closed jar in case you develop symptoms and need to identify the infection.
(Photo courtesy Erik Karits on Unsplash)