What Most People Miss When Checking Checkboxes
As the tick population grows ( thanks to climate change ) and tick-borne diseases such as Lyme disease spread , tick checks have become routine for many of us. But do you know what it means to “check yourself for ticks”? Chances are you are missing some important parts of the process.
Know when a check mark is needed
Are there ticks in your area? Even if they weren’t on your radar, check out these US tick maps from the CDC to see if they’re in your area and which types of ticks to watch out for. Dog ticks are found everywhere; a few species are found only in the eastern half of the country, while in the west there are Rocky Mountain ticks and western black-legged ticks.
Ticks live in grassy, shrubby, and wooded areas, notes the CDC. Growing up in Pennsylvania, we always thought of forests and agricultural fields as places to pick up ticks. But years later, I now know that there are ticks in my own backyard and in parks and other places that don’t fit the stereotype I had in my head.
I check for ticks whenever I’m near tall grass, leaf litter, woods, or bushes, including just about anywhere I go during the summer. Remember to also check your children for ticks.
Don’t skip a shower
Sorry to those who take morning showers: if you’ve been outside, you’ll probably want to take a shower before you go to bed. The CDC notes that showering within two hours of getting home from a walk in the fresh air can lower your chances of getting Lyme disease.
Ticks crawl around for hours before they find a place to attach, so there’s a good chance that unattached mites will wash off in the shower, whether you see them or not. As a bonus, you also have a few hours to wash the oils off the poison ivy before it starts causing a rash. Showering is always on my to-do list after returning home from trail running.
Another benefit of showering after you get home is that it gives you a chance to undress – and that’s when the real tick-checking begins.
Use a mirror or partner to check the most overlooked areas
The first thing I always check is my shins. Ticks need to stay close to the ground while they wait for a person to pass by, so you won’t find them climbing trees and falling from above – that’s a myth . They freeze on the ground, then climb onto a stalk of grass, then, if they do not find a victim, they return to the ground to recover a little.
This means they usually touch your shins first, so if you’ve just returned from a hike, check your ankles, shins, and knees first.
But over the next few hours, they will rise up. It is not uncommon for mites to be found on the upper body or even in the hair. So, check out these hard-to-reach spots, which I’ll list from bottom to top:
- Back of the knees
- Between the legs (use a mirror… sorry)
- Inside the navel
- in your armpits
- behind the ears
- in your hair
A mirror or partner can help you see these hard to reach places. If you have children, check on them while you help them shower or change their diapers.
Know what you are looking for
Look for the types of ticks that live in your area and make sure you know how big they are and what they look like. Ticks grow as they go through their life cycle, with the smallest being about the size of a poppy seed. Adult mites can range in size from a sesame seed to a grain of corn, depending on what species they are and whether they have fed.
Ticks crawl before attaching, and you may mistake them for other insects (and vice versa). There are many small bugs you can pick up from outside, but they are not mites. If you want to make an educated guess as to whether the little man you found is a tick, check the number of legs. Ticks are arachnids, so they have eight legs.
You may find the pinned checkmark during checkout or, if you’re unlucky, sometime the next day after you were supposed to checkout. An attached tick won’t hurt. You may just notice a small scab or mole where there wasn’t one before, and when you look closely, it has legs . Ugh. Take a tick tweezer or a handy tick remover . (I’m partial to TickKey.)
Once the tick has finished feeding, it will fall off. If you have a pet dog and don’t have time to take your flea and tick medication, you may occasionally find what looks like gray or green corn in your dog’s bed. That’s what it is. A tick that is not attached to you is not usually a health hazard if you find one in your home; it will most likely dry up and die. But just in case, you can wash any clothes or bedding in hot water and/or put them in the dryer on high speed. Inform your pet about tick medication next time and check on everyone when you get home.