Tick season is Here!

How to Check For and Remove Ticks | Ryan Stuart

Rating - ****

The season of ticks is finally here and now that they are, it's best to learn how to find and remove them in case you get bitten.

With tick populations exploding in lower Ontario, it's important to know how to locate and remove ticks if you are ever bitten. Ticks are usually found in tall, grassy areas or dense shrubs, so if you are walking through any of these, be sure to check you body. A tick looks like a very small brown or black dot, so it can be very easy to miss. The key is finding it before it bites down, as it moves around the body before settling down. If you are bitten, getting it off quickly is important. Ticks carry Lyme disease, a very dangerous disease if not treated. If you are camping in the woods for long periods, this can become a very serious threat. To remove a tick, use a small pair of tweezers to pull the tick off straight upward. Once off, try to cleanse the wound and wash the area. Make sure to watch the area for any signs of a bullseye rash, which signifies Lyme disease. If removed quickly though, you can minimize your chances of contracting the illness. This article has a very little information, but is straight to the point about its dangers, prevention, location, and removal.

This article has helped me to understand the dangers of ticks, which I once thought were just very small bugs, now a very serious threat to watch out for and avoid. This article has taught were to find ticks, as well as places to avoid walking through to minimize your chances of catching one. The article contained valuable information on how to remove ticks without breaking off their pincers, which I hear are the hardest part to remove. This article has also reminded me that it's not just people at risk of getting ticks, but other animals such as cats or dogs as well. From now on, I will make sure to check my dog once it exits a large swatch of grass, for no one is immune to a tick bite. 

Remember to check yourself for ticks whenever you enter dense, grassy fields. They may be small, but they may have a big impact if neglected.

Stuart, Ryan. "How to Check For and Remove Ticks." Explore Magazine 28 Apr. 2015: n. pag. Web. 28 May 2015. <http://www.explore-mag.com/How_to_Check_for_and_Remove_Ticks>.