As you prepare to ring in fall with your favorite cold-weather activities, it’s important to be aware that some adventures carry the risk of a potentially dangerous tick bite.
Experts warn that the eight-legged creatures are most active in the US during the latter part of the year, between August and November.
Dr. Jon Oliver, a tick expert at the University of Minnesota, told DailyMail.com: ‘Tick bites can be avoided by knowing when ticks are locally present and abundant and knowing how to avoid them.’
Nearly 500,000 Americans contract Lyme disease from tick bites every year — but experts fear that number will rise as the ticks march further north.
Experts warn the eight-legged creatures could be active in northern areas of the US, especially in wooded areas, until late November
When is tick season?
The fall tick season starts in mid-August and runs until the end of November. People in northern areas of the United States, such as Ohio and New York, are most at risk, experts say.
The deer tick, normally found around deer, is active in northern areas during this time and poses a particular risk because it carries Lyme disease, which can cause serious neurological problems.
In states such as Alabama and South Carolina, ticks pose little risk during late summer and fall, and in western areas such as California, Oregon and Washington, ticks are not active until January.
Dr. Oliver said ticks are most likely to be active around noon in the fall, when it is usually warmer.
What are the most risky trap activities for tick bites?
In the fall months, ticks are most active in wooded areas with a canopy above their heads.
The bugs live on the ground and prefer damp, moist and shady places.
This means that many favorite fall activities, such as hiking, hunting or leaf-piling, pose a risk for a tick bite.
But in fields, such as those for pumpkin picking, or orchards, where the trees are spaced apart, tick bites pose a relatively low risk.
Dr. Oliver said: ‘Deer ticks are mainly found in closed-canopy deciduous forests.
‘Any time you are in these areas there is a risk of tick bites.
“High-risk activities in the fall include hunting, but also hiking because ticks live in those types of environments.”
Where am I most likely to get a tick bite?
Those bitten by a tick will likely find the creature on their crotch, thighs or back.
People most often pick up ticks from the ground and as they walk, the tick moves up their body to find a suitable location to take hold.
Dr. Oliver said the parasites prefer sheltered crevices and places where clothing fits tightly against the body or where body parts meet.
“In some cases, ticks can be found in the hair,” he said. ‘But they usually stop moving once they’ve found a good place to bite.
‘They can bite anywhere, they are aggressive eaters, but popular places include the crotch, the thighs, the back – by thighs I mean the outside of the thighs.’
When asked if ticks can hide in your home, Dr. Oliver that this is not likely because houses are too dry for the creatures to survive.
How do I prevent tick bites?
Dr. Oliver said one of the best ways to prevent tick bites in the fall is to avoid woodlands where they are known to lurk.
Wearing insect repellent is also effective, he said.
It can also help to pull socks over the bottom of your pants, as it gives you extra time to watch a tick climb up your body before biting.
Hiking and hunting pose a high risk of tick bites this fall, but pumpkin picking is a low-risk activity, experts say
However, long sleeves usually don’t provide much protection, even with elastic bands at the ends, because ticks are very small and can slip underneath.
Experts say people should do a tick check on themselves, their children and animals when they return home from outside, which involves a thorough examination of the body to see if a tick has bitten.
What should I do if I get bitten? Will I die?
People who are bitten should carefully remove the tick to ensure that no part of the tick remains in the body.
This can be done by grabbing their head with tweezers and then pulling up firmly.
It is also advised to store the tick in a closed jar. Then, if you develop symptoms after a tick bite, the parasite can be tested for Lyme disease or other tick-borne diseases such as the Powassan virus, which kills one in ten people. infects.
Lyme disease is transmitted after a tick has been biting for about 24 hours, meaning previously caught ticks pose little risk of transmitting the disease.
Caused by a bacterium, a characteristic sign of the disease is large bulls-eye-like spots around the bite site.
Lyme disease is treated with antibiotics, with nearly 500,000 Americans diagnosed with the disease each year.
But it can develop into a serious condition, causing inflammation in the brain and spinal cord. In rare cases, the disease can also cause heart complications.
Doctors say taking a full course of antibiotics should clear the infection, but add that Lyme disease is rarely fatal to patients.
Surveillance indicates that only about five deaths from the disease have been recorded in the US.
How do I help my pets?
There are numerous treatments available for cats and dogs to reduce the risk of a tick bite.
This includes a tick repellent collar and a chewable tablet that delivers a “poison” into the animal’s skin that kills ticks shortly after they bite pets.
The substance is not harmful to the animal, but does kill ticks to reduce the risk of disease transmission to dogs and cats.
Pets also have Lyme disease vaccines available to reduce their risk.
Scientists are currently working on vaccines and other preventative measures for humans, although these are still in clinical trials.