May 7th

By Mutt Mulligan

Enjoy a Tick-Free Summer

The Great Outdoors are full of adventure, learning opportunities and…ticks! A few things to remember when enjoying time outdoors:

• Ticks like humid, wet areas such as leaf piles, grassy and wooded areas. Keep to the center of trails on hikes.
• After each outing, shower soon after.
• Wear long sleeves, pants and hats.
• Remove any ticks you find immediately.
• Create tick-safe zones in your yard. That means positioning playground equipment, sand boxes, and other items away from shrubs. Remove leaf litter consistently.
• Check: Under the arms, around your ears, inside your belly button, the backs of your knees, in and around the hairline, around legs and your waist.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offer more details. Check it out to ensure you have a safe, tick-free summer!