Tips on Ticks

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What are ticks?

Ticks are small arachnids (related to spiders) that attach themselves to animals or humans and inject a toxin that may cause Lyme disease, a bacterial infection that may cause short-term symptoms or severe, long-lasting complications.

Where does Lyme disease come from?

Black-legged ticks, a species of deer ticks, acquire Lyme disease when, in their larval stage, they first feed on infected deer, western gray squirrels, voles, and mice in California or white-footed mice on the East Coast and then transmit it to other mammals, including humans.

Are there ticks in our area?

Ticks are found in every state except Alaska. They prefer heat and humidity and are more common on the East Coast, where they are found in wooded areas and tall grasses, but they can also occur at lower elevations and coastal ranges, such as along the Pacific Coast and the Pacific Crest Trail. 

This NPR article says ticks have been found on beaches along Northern California from Mendocino County down to Monterey County and even further south. Lyme disease is fairly rare in Contra Costa County, but two to 15% of Western black-legged nymphal ticks in California carry Lyme.

Scientists say Lyme disease is hard to diagnose and cases are vastly underreported, so it’s wise to take measures to avoid undue exposure.

Is climate change a factor?

While some residents of California may be getting infected because they traveled to the East Coast, scientists think tick populations have become more entrenched due to climate change. Studies indicate higher temperatures literally dry out ticks, but shorter winters facilitate more ticks being active for longer periods, which increases opportunities for biting humans and subsequent infections. A tick expert at Michigan State University says when natural habitats are disrupted, “generalist” species like deer and mice thrive because they can survive on a wide range of food and have fewer predators. The Western gray squirrel in California and the white-footed mouse on the East Coast are breeding more quickly and expanding their geographic range.Ticks also hitch rides onto birds whose migration patterns have changed. A Sierra Club article says, “Habitat fragmentation and loss of biodiversity due to human development have made tick-borne pathogens more prevalent. The loss of predators like owls and hawks results in more mice and ticks in concentrated areas.”

How do ticks find their hosts?

Ticks don’t jump or fly but find their hosts through “questing,” which means they dangle from tall grasses, branches, leaves, or other plant parts with front legs outstretched, waiting to latch onto unsuspecting passerby such as hikers or dog-walkers. They are attracted to carbon dioxide and warm, thin-skinned areas, where they burrow with barbed mouthparts, lap up blood, and excrete saliva that may contain Lyme bacteria. Larval ticks are the size of poppy seeds, making them extremely difficult to see. Adult ticks, which are more common in late summer, are larger and therefore easier to detect

Non-toxic methods for preventing tick bites

The best way to repel these parasites is through prevention. Here are some well-known tips:

  • Creating barriers to exposed skin is key. Wear long sleeves, socks pulled over long pants, and close-toed shoes.
  • Lighter colored clothing will help you see any tiny tick nymphs or adults that latch on to you.
  • Stay on designated pathways when hiking.
  • After hiking, jump in the shower, and throw clothes into dryer on high for 15 minutes to kill any ticks that hitched a ride.
  • Inspect your body for ticks. If any have burrowed into your skin, use pointy-nose tweezers to grasp their head area as close to the skin as possible (so you don’t squeeze the bacteria into your skin), and pull out.
  • Watch areas of skin where you observed ticks for any developing fever or rash. We often hear about the distinctive bull’s eye shaped rash, but most rashes caused by ticks are actually solid red oval ones.
  • Visit your doctor promptly if you suspect you’ve been infected with Lyme or other tick-borne disease.
  • Here are some non-toxic tick repellent recipes for humans (not recommended for pets). They include cedar oil spray, eucalyptus oil, neem oil, apple cider vinegar, and essential oils (e.g. lemon, orange, cinnamon, lavender, peppermint). Eating garlic is supposedly another deterrent, as ticks won’t like the taste of your blood!

Going the chemical route

If you are in a high tick-borne area, going beyond all-natural options may be worthwhile. Here's a Consumer Reports article on Permethrin and DEET, the top two tick repellents. There are some drawbacks to humans and the environment when using any chemical insect repellent, so it’s important to weigh the pros and cons.

  • DEET is an insect repellent that is supposed to break down quickly in the environment and is relatively safe for humans, but it’s more controversial at higher concentrations. This Cleveland Clinic article, "Is DEET Bad For You (and Your Kids)?" provides some good overall information. Here’s a previous SCOCO article on DEET,
  • Permethrin is a pesticide that isn’t applied to skin but rather used to permeate clothing or camping items such as tents. Unfortunately, the EPA classifies permethrin to be “likely carcinogenic to humans.” It is actually banned in Canada because, according to Health Canada, it “may pose a risk to aquatic organisms, bees, beneficial insects and birds.” It is also considered toxic to cats and dogs.

Lyme Disease and diagnosis

To prevent ticks from transmitting the pathogen, time is of the essence. The CDC says ticks should ideally be removed from your body within 24 - 36 hours. Early symptoms of Lyme disease include fever, chills, headache, fatigue, muscle and joint pain, swollen lymph nodes, and skin rash. Prompt diagnosis can prevent serious consequences down the road, including brain or heart infections, memory loss, brain fog, and other unpleasant afflictions.

There are difficulties with getting an accurate diagnosis for Lyme disease. After an infection, the period of finding the bacterium in the blood through laboratory testing is brief and has low sensitivity because it leaves the blood quickly and disseminates into the lymph nodes and tissues. Charles Chiu, the director of the UCSF-Abbott Viral Diagnostics and Discovery Center, thinks the actual number of Lyme diseases exceeds 1,000 cases a year in California, but one Bay Area Lyme Foundation director says case numbers are woefully underreported, partly because doctors are “unable, unwilling, or untrained to identify or treat” Lyme disease. Early treatment for uncomplicated Lyme disease is oral antibiotics, and most people recover quickly, but up to 20% report persistent symptoms. Early, accurate, and more conclusive diagnostic testing is still needed in order to develop more effective therapies. 

View an excellent, concise slideshow about Lyme Disease symptoms on WebMD HERE.

Sources: 

“Here’s where dangerous ticks are spreading across the US — and what to do about them”: https://apple.news/Agb-yMAkcRaqQ1c--XiGC9g

 https://www.npr.org/2021/06/11/1005391496/lyme-disease-carrying-ticks-are-turning-up-on-californias-beaches

 https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/increasingly-ticky-situation

 https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2018/05/410401/lyme-disease-rise-expert-explains-why

Ticks - Contra Costa Mosquito & Vector Control

Photo by Erik Karits on Unsplash

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