There are three types of ticks found in Northern Virginia that bite people.
Source: Fairfax County Health Department
Ticks are active in Fairfax County almost year round, including warm winter days.
Lyme disease is still the best known and most common disease spread by ticks in Virginia, but there are others such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever and ehrlichiosis. Factors like weather, habitat and the availability of host animals can affect the tick population from year-to-year and make it hard to predict their numbers.
Here’s what you can do to prevent tick bites and avoid getting sick from the bite of a tick.
8 Tips to Avoid Tick Bites
Before You Go Outdoors:
1.) Ticks live in grassy, brushy, or wooded areas. Spending time outside walking your dog, camping, gardening, fishing or hunting could bring you in close contact with ticks. Many people get ticks in their own yard or neighborhood.
2.) Use permethrin on clothing and gear. Clothing can be treated with 0.5 percent permethrin, an insecticide that repels and kills ticks. It can be purchased from the outdoors section of several retailers. Follow the label instructions. This is not for use on skin and must dry thoroughly before you can wear clothing that has been treated with permethrin.
3.) Use a repellent. Repellents can be applied to exposed skin and clothing to help repel ticks. Follow the label instructions. Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellents that are recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) They will contain one of the following active ingredients: DEET, picaridin, IR3535, 2-undecanone, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (OLE) or para-menthane-diol (PMD). EPA’s search tool can help you find the product that is right for you.
4.) Avoid contact with ticks.
After You Come Inside:
5.) Check your clothes for ticks. Ticks may be carried into the house on clothing. Any ticks that are found should be removed. Tumble dry clothes in a dryer on high heat for 10 minutes to kill ticks on dry clothing after you come indoors. If the clothes are damp, additional time may be needed. If the clothes require washing first, hot water is recommended. Cold and medium temperature water will not kill ticks.
6.) Examine gear and pets. Ticks can ride into the home on clothing and pets, then attach to a person later, so carefully examine animals, coats and backpacks.
7.) Shower soon after being outdoors. Showering within two hours of coming indoors has been shown to reduce your risk of getting Lyme disease and may be effective in reducing the risk of other tickborne diseases. Showering may help wash off unattached ticks and it is a good opportunity to do a tick check.
8.) Check your body for ticks after being outdoors . Conduct a full body check upon return from potentially tick-infested areas, including your own backyard. Use a hand-held or full-length mirror to view all parts of your body. Check these parts of your body and your child’s body for ticks: Under the arms; In and around the ears; Inside belly button; Back of the knees; In and around the hair; Between the legs; Around the waist
How To Remove a Tick
Checking for ticks after outdoor activities will help prevent infection. It usually takes several hours for diseases to be transmitted from a tick to you.
Here are five steps to successfully remove a tick:
Use fine-tipped tweezers or shield your fingers with a tissue, paper towel, or rubber gloves when removing the tick.
Grasp the tick as close to the skin surface as possible and pull upward with steady, even pressure.
Do not twist or jerk the tick; this may cause the mouthparts to break off and remain in the skin.
Do not squeeze, crush or puncture the body of the tick because its fluids may contain infectious organisms.
After removing the tick, thoroughly disinfect the bite site and wash your hands with soap and water.
Tick Identification Service
Fairfax County Health Department offers a free tick identification service to provide you with information about the type of tick that bit you.
This service does not test ticks for disease-causing agents (e.g., Lyme disease bacteria), and staff do not provide medical advice. This identification can be useful should you need to speak to your medical provider.
The Health Department does not remove ticks. To have a tick identified, first remove the attached tick, and then choose one of the following options: Submit a photo; Bring it in; Mail it in.
www.fairfaxcounty.gov/health/fightthebite/tick-identification