Big Ticks!

Memorial Day weekend is approaching and we usually head up to the northwoods for the long weekend. The last few years that we stayed at my dad's cabin, the ticks were pretty bad. Each time we came in from outside, we'd do a tick check. There was one year I even found a tick in my little guy's diaper! Yikes!

Last year I was in the bedroom of the cabin, and I overhead my 8 (almost 9) year old boy J-Man and 3 year old boy, JD, talking in the family room. My youngest son can't say some words correctly. He says the T sound for the letter K. For example, my name Kelly would be said "Telly." My ears perked up when I heard J-Man instructing JD to repeat after him. J-Man says to his sweet, innocent little brother, "Hey, yell real loud, 'HUGE TICKS.'" So Jack yells (with the T instead of the K) "Huge ti*#!" J-Man continues with his instruction, "Now say 'THE BIGGEST TICKS YOU'VE EVER SEEN!'" So, JD yells, "The biggest ti*# I've ever seen!" It sounded like a frat party in there, so I quickly put a stop to that brother to brother talk.

Now back to ticks. That's ticks with a K. Since it is tick season, here's a few tips in case you do find one of those nasty buggers.

First to try and prevent ticks from latching on:

*Wear light colored clothing so you can see if one is one you.

*Wear long pants tucked into socks.

*Avoid tall grass.

*Wear tick repellent.

*Also, make sure your dogs have tick protection like Frontline. We actually use one called Biospot (from Dr Foster and Smith catalog) that is less harsh on the dogs' skin. It is also cheaper.

If by chance you do find a tick attached to your skin, here's what you can do.

You should try to remove the tick as soon as possible, so you have less of a chance of contracting Lymes disease if it is infected.

From About.com:

*Use blunt curved tweezers or a thread.
*Grasp the tick as close to the skin surface as possible and pull upward with a steady, even pressure.
*Do not twist or jerk the tick because this may cause the mouth parts to detach and remain in the skin.
*You should pull firmly enough to lift up the skin.
Hold this tension for 3 to 4 minutes and the tick will back out.
*DO NOT squeeze, crush, or puncture the body of the tick because its fluids may contain bacteria. Immediately dispose of the tick. If you have any concerns, put the tick in a plastic bag and freeze it. If you get sick you can take the dead tick with you when you see your provider.
*Immediately wash your hands and the affected area with soap and water.

Instead of the northwoods, we are headed to Iowa this weekend for a fun family weekend. I hope you enjoy your Memorial Day weekend as well!