Summertime is tick time
There are lots of creatures in the great outdoors but one you probably don’t want to see is the tick.
Ticks drink the blood of mammals, including humans. Because they can carry serious, sometimes deadly diseases, it’s important to keep up to date on tick-related health issues, and protect yourself from their bites.
There are three species of ticks in Missouri. Lone Star ticks have a white dots in the center of their backs if they’re female. Males often have dots or white streaks.
The American Dog Tick has an ornate brown-and-white mottling on the dorsal side. Blood-engorged females are gray.
Deer ticks are black. All three are common in the state.
Remove embedded ticks promptly. You cannot force a tick to remove itself; you must pull it out. Use tweezers, or a tool specially designed for removing ticks safely. Lightly pinch the tick as close to your skin as possible (in other words, don’t squeeze the tick’s body fluids into yourself). Pull the tick straight out. Wash and disinfect the area; apply antibiotics.
For up-to-date information about human health issues, visit the websites of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.