Ticks are sneaky little creatures. Lying in wait on the ends of leaves and brush, these little insects hang out by the side of the trail, waiting for a warm-blooded animal to brush by. When one does, the ticks latch onto the animal, attach themselves to the skin, and begin to feed. When gorged with blood, the ticks drop off and reproduce. Unfortunately for us, the black-legged tick and the deer tick carry the dangerous Lyme disease bacteria, as well as other diseases.

When going out for a walk this spring and summer, be sure to take some simple precautions against contracting tick-borne diseases. Ticks are usually active May through July. Take precautions if you live in an area with ticks, and especially if ticks in your area are known to carry Lyme disease.

• Wear long-sleeved pants, socks, and shoes. These prevent ticks that are waiting at the level of your legs from attaching directly to your skin. You may want to wear light-colored clothing so that you can easily see any ticks that may have landed on your clothes.
   
• Protect exposed skin with an insect repellent containing DEET.
   
• Walk in the center of the trail, trying to avoid unnecessary contact with low brush and leaves along the sides of the trail. Keep an eye out for ticks on nearby leaves — they look like little black spots.
   
• Avoid overgrown trails where there is a great deal of brush and leaves.

Once you have finished your hike, check yourself for any ticks that you may have brought back with you. Do a superficial check of your clothes. If any ticks are lying on top of your clothes, brush them off carefully.

Once home, wash and dry clothes on a hot cycle. Shower and check yourself (or your kids) carefully for ticks. Some baby ticks may be very tiny little black specks, so look closely. If a tick has not fully attached itself to your skin yet, it can be washed off. Check your whole body, as a tick may have crawled up into your clothes.

If you find that a tick has latched itself onto your skin, you can remove the tick using a pair of tweezers. Gently grasp the tick and pull it up out of your skin, being careful not to leave any parts of the tick still inside your skin, as these can cause infection. It usually takes about 24 hours after a tick has latched on to your skin for it to transmit the bacteria that causes Lyme disease, so it's important to remove it quickly.

Be alert for symptoms of Lyme disease. If you develop a rash at the site of a tick bite, and/or develop flu-like symptoms (fever, chills, fatigue, aches) after being in a tick-infested area, see your doctor immediately to receive antibiotic treatment. If left untreated, Lyme disease can cause serious problems such as nerve damage, joint problems, swelling of the spinal cord, and other dangerous health issues. In pregnant women, Lyme disease can result in stillbirth if left untreated. However, if you catch the symptoms early and treat the disease, no lasting effects usually occur.

This post was included in the edition of The Homesteading Carnival.