NIAGARA COUNTY, NY — Tick season is upon us and you can protect yourself, your family and your pets by following some simple tips.
Officials say the tick population is growing due to the mild winters we've had recently.
"We've been seeing an increasing population of ticks over the last decade and I think that trend is continuing," said Paul Dicky, the Niagara County Environmental Health Director.
Dicky tells 7 News reporter Jaurdyn Johnson following the list of tips below can help keep you safe when you're outside:
- Dress in light-colored clothing to spot ticks
- Wear closed shoes, long pants and long-sleeved shirts
- Use insect repellent
- Stay on cleared trails — avoid bushy areas
- Keep long hair tied back
- Do a body check of armpits, legs, necks and groin area when going in from outside
"Anytime you're coming in from the outdoors, you should do a full body tick scan of yourself and your children," said Dicky.
If you see a tick embedded in yourself, dog or child — don't panic — not all ticks carry Lyme disease. but you should remove the tick as soon as possible, according to the CDC.
"You're going to have tweezers and you wanna grab the tick's head as close to your skin as possible and draw it straight up trying not to grab the body. If you're not sure how to do it you could always visit a family physician," said Dicky.
Tick-borne illnesses across the US are up nearly 25 percent from 2011, and one WNY organization is ensuring you have support.
Rebecca Roll's husband was diagnosed with Lyme disease in 2013.
"It was not an easy diagnosis. It wasn't an easy prognosis nor diagnosis, it was really something that we had a battle in the medical community in order to acknowledge that was exactly what was going on," said Roll.
After her husband's diagnosis, Roll created Lyme WNY, an advocacy and support group for those living with Lyme disease.
"We really try to teach prevention, prevention, prevention. To make sure that you're always aware that there are ticks," said Roll.
You can find more Lyme disease resources here.
You can learn more about ticks in WNY here.
