News
Be tick aware!
- Published: July 25, 2024
Be tick aware!
Here are some steps that people can take to protect themselves, especially in grassy, wooded, or shrub-covered areas:
• Apply insect repellents containing DEET or Icaridin to exposed skin and clothes. Follow directions on the package carefully. Infants under the age of six months should not use these products.
• Wear light colored, long-sleeved shirts and pants, closed-toed shoes, and tuck shirts into pants and pant legs into socks.
• Keep lawns mowed short.
• Put playground equipment in sunny, dry places away from wooded areas, yard edges, and trees.
• Check your whole body for ticks when possible (especially armpits, ears, knees, hair, groin) and take a bath or shower within two hours of coming indoors. This makes it easier to find ticks and washes away loose ones.
• Clothing is available that is treated with Permethrin (a chemical repellent) can protect against ticks and mosquitoes for those 16 years of age and older. This clothing is not available for those under 16 years of age in Canada.
What do I do if I find a tick on me/my child?
If you find a tick on your body, remove it as soon as possible to lessen the risks of infection. Here’s how to remove them safely:
• Carefully grasp the tick with tweezers as close to the skin as possible.
• Gently and slowly pull the tick straight out. Don’t jerk, twist or squeeze it.
• Clean and disinfect the site with soap and water, rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide.
eTick.ca is a free service that can identify the type of tick usually within 24 hours. Though Lyme and other tick-borne diseases in Nova Scotia are transmitted by the blacklegged (deer) tick, not all black-legged ticks carry disease and not all blacklegged ticks have black legs.
For more information on tick-borne diseases, please visit: