Guard Against Tick Bites

by C. Rae Hozer,  Cumberland County Master Gardener

Guard against life-threatening illnesses transmitted by tick bites. Learn about tick life-cycles and habits. You should know where and when ticks are most likely to be a problem, how to avoid tick bites, what to do if you find a tick on your body, as well as identifying characteristics of different tick species and which ones are likely sources of infection to humans.

Ticks wait on tall grasses, weeds or brush for a chance to jump or climb onto a host. They grab hair or feathers on an animal or clothing on a human host that passes by. Ticks usually crawl to a spot on the trunk of the body (frequently the groin or waist). A tick attaches by sticking its mouthparts into the victim then sucks blood. If left in place, after several days and when full of blood the tick drops off that host.  

Take special care to avoid tick habitat right now. At this time of year (from April through July) the danger of ticks bites is high. Weeds or brush growing near a pathway, by the edge of a stream or at a woods edge are prime places to pick up ticks. Be sure your yard doesn’t provide good habitat for ticks. Control weed and brush growth and keep the lawn mowed.  

If you will be in spots that may be tick infested, apply a repellent before going outside. One containing DEET or pyrethrum works best. Wear light-colored clothing.

Be sure to inspect your body for ticks as soon as possible after exposure. The longer one is in place, the greater the chance for getting a tick-transmitted disease.  If you find a tick, remove it using tweezers. Grasp the head near the surface of your skin. Use firm, steady pressure to remove embedded mouthparts. Save the tick in a small container of rubbing alcohol. Notify your doctor if you feel ill within a month of a known tick bite.

In Tennessee, ticks carry two diseases that threaten humans; Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Human Monocytic Ehrlichiosis (HME). HME is thought to be transmitted by lone star ticks. This tick is reddish brown in color. Both sexes have a white or light-colored spot on their back. Adults and nymph lone star ticks search for hosts as soon as weather warms in the spring. Their numbers drop throughout the summer. Few are seen later than September. Lime disease is a similar tick-borne illness but is of less concern here, as it is carried by a tick species rarely found in our state. 

I know of two cases where tick bites led to near-death experiences. One of my golfing buddies used to look for lost balls in the woods or rough along fairways. That is probably how he got the tick bite that infected him in late April 2003.  Months after recovering from the initial effects of HME, he was still on anti-seizure medication and prohibited from driving a vehicle. I also know a lady who got sick not long after hiking in a wooded area during May 2006. She found a tick sometime after her walk, removed it and did not think anything of it. Soon classic HME symptoms began- muscle aches, listlessness, fever, and headaches. When hospitalized, her brain was swelling and major organs were shutting down. Doctors were pessimistic but an intensive antibiotic treatment saved her.

Download the University of Tennessee publication “PB726 Common Ticks of Tennessee and Their Control” using the link http://www.utextension.utk.edu/publications/pbfiles/PB726.pdf (or staff at your local UT Extension office will be happy to print it for you). This booklet has additional details and contains numerous illustrations. 

Plateau Gardening is written by Master Gardeners for those tending home landscapes and gardens in Tennessee’s Upper Cumberland Region. Contact UT Extension Cumberland County, P.O. Box 483, Crossville, TN 38557, (phone 931-484-6743) for quick answers to specific questions, free publications, or to learn about becoming a Master Gardener. Email comments or yard and garden inquiries to Master Gardener Rae, mgardenerrae@frontiernet.net.