Don't go into tick territory without following the 'rules'

A return to spring rains and lush vegetation means Southeast Kansas residents again need to remember the "rules" for being in tick territory. With the unusually mild winter and now an early, warm spring, the ticks and other insects are already out and about.

Don't panic if you find a tick attached to you, a child or your pet. If you get the tick off within 24 hours of attachment, the odds for its being able to transmit a disease pathogen are close to zero, report medical-veterinary entomologists with Kansas State University Research and Extension.

Nonetheless, ticks merit caution -- and taking precautions. In Kansas, for example, the serious human diseases transmitted by ticks can include Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Lyme disease and ehrlichiosis. Kansas pets can get similar diseases, plus bring ticks indoors.

So, the first rule to remember is that ticks like grassy areas -- particularly those that are shaded by trees or tall weeds. The edge of a wooded area is their ideal for building a true infestation. Ticks don't eat the green stuff. They use it as protection from sunlight. They also crawl up grass and weeds to wait for an animal to brush by, giving them a chance to get attached and gain access to the blood meal they need. That is also why keeping grassy areas mowed short is one way to discourage a tick buildup.

When neither approach is possible, however, the second rule comes into play: Don't allow ticks access to skin. K-State Research & Extension recommends the following alternatives:

* Wear light-colored clothing. All tick species are dark enough that this will make seeing and removing them easier.

* Wear protective clothing. This includes a long-sleeved shirt and long-legged pants. To close the "gaps," pull your socks over the bottom of the pants, wear the shirt tucked in and fasten every button your shirt makes available. (This also will provide protection from chiggers.)

* Apply repellent from shoes to knees, following label directions exactly. The ingredients that work against ticks also repel mosquitoes: DEET (for skin and/or clothing) or permethrin (clothing only).

* If your pet is coming along, follow label directions and spray its back with a permethrin-containing repellent or a fipronil-based product (Frontline) -- avoiding the pet's mouth, eyes and nose.

If this still is not enough, a third rule is important after every day that tick bites are possible: Don't let ticks remain on humans or pets for more than 24 hours.

As part of that, outdoor pets may require daily inspections. Inspect house pets that have been in grassy areas before they come indoors. If inspectors do this chore on a patio or sidewalk, they can just drop the removed ticks to the concrete and firmly step on them.

If you suspect you have come into a tick infected area, inspect shoes and clothing for ticks, shower and inspect your body.

Should you find an attached tick, remove the attached tick by using tweezers or forceps, gently grasping each tick as close to your skin as possible, then gently and patiently pulling it directly away from your skin until it releases its hold. Be sure to disinfect the bite area following removal.

If you miss a tick and it's engorged with blood before you remove it, you might want to keep the tick in a jar of alcohol for about two weeks. Then, if you actually develop flu-like symptoms or a rash around the bite area during the following 10 to 14 days, you'll be able to take the tick with you to help your doctor determine which diseases to consider when making a diagnosis.

Symptoms of tick-borne diseases can include headache, lack of balance, nausea, extreme fatigue, skin rashes and/or fever.

If a doctor or other Kansan needs help in identifying a tick, any local K-State Research and Extension office can forward it to the insect diagnostic lab on campus in Manhattan.