In the July 2nd Reporter article about Sidney’s Keith Clark Park Gardens (page 9), it was nice to see the picture of the students assisting in the cleanup. However, it was very alarming to see that their attire was totally inappropriate for working in the brush. Prevention of tick bites is the primary defense against tick-borne diseases. Did they apply tick repellent to all areas of exposed skin? If so, that would help some, but such a harsh method is not the best approach itself. Much more effective (90%) would be to wear long clothing, boots, and gloves that had been pre-treated with permethrin (.5%). It is sprayed on your clothing and dries before you wear it and is very safe, even for children and pregnant women. It both repels and kills ticks and mosquitoes and stays effective for 6 weeks or 6 washings.
It is a mistake to think you can just pull the tick out and all will be fine, since the disease may have already been transmitted. You can’t rely on just seeing the tick before you are bitten, because Nymph Stage Ticks (prevalent in the summer months) are very small, about the size of a poppy seed.
2 websites that provide well researched, expert advice on treating clothing, other preventative measures, treatment protocols, and much more:
capecodextension.org (w/Larry Dapsis – Entomologist)
lymeactionnetwork.org
Tick-borne diseases can have very serious health consequences that may last for many years. Prevention of tick bites is by far the best approach to keep you safe.
Bob Giambalvo, Delhi
