With Warmer Weather Get Protection Against Deer Ticks

At about 6 o'clock Thursday morning, we were awakened by my ever-watchful
Labradoodle. His constant and forceful barking let us know there were invaders on our property.

Matter of fact, there were about 20 of them. Our back yard looked like a whitetail deer convention.  I’m not sure what’s so tasty or appealing about our yard, but there they all were, looking back at us quizzically.

Both my husband and I have had Lyme Disease and other tick-borne illnesses.  For those of you who have had them, you know they aren't fun.  Between the heavy doses of Doxycycline and the fatigue, it really makes you curse the lovely, but disease-ridden deer.

So what’s a local homeowner to do? Probably the best start is to protect yourself. Here are the guidelines set by the Environmental Protection Agency:

The first general defense against tick bites is to prevent their contacting our skin. This can be done by wearing light-colored long pants with socks pulled over the pant legs and a long-sleeved shirt tucked in at the waistline.  Ticks carried into the house on one’s clothing may crawl onto other surfaces and remain able to bite people or pets. Clothing should be removed after coming inside, and put directly into the washing machine; drying them at a high temperature should kill any ticks that have managed to survive the washing cycle.

Second, use repellents. There are two main repellents recommended by the U.S. Department of Defense—DEET and permethrin.

DEET has traditionally been the spray thought to be effective in repelling
mosquitoes and ticks, and is applied to the skin. It can be used for adults and
children, but is not recommended for children younger than 2 months of age. It
is available in concentrations of less than 10 percent to greater than 30
percent, although its efficacy diminishes above 30 percent. DEET repellents work by evaporation from the skin and thereby confusing the insects and preventing them from locating the target. It works well against mosquitoes, but less well against ticks, and needs to be reapplied regularly.

Permethrin is related to the natural chemical pyrethrum, which occurs in
the chrysanthemum plant. It has been found to be more effective against ticks
than DEET.  Sprays can be found under the name "Duranon Permethrin" or "Sawyer Permethrin" containing a concentration of 0.5 percent permethrin in the solution that is applied to clothing and gear, rather than to the skin, and allowed to dry. It kills the insects that come into contact with it, and is effective for six weeks on the fabric or for six washings.

Like any insecticide, permethrin needs to be handled properly, and should
not come into contact with the face, eyes or skin. However, pyrethroids are
2,250 times more toxic to insects than to mammals; mammals have poor skin
absorption of permethrin and a rapid metabolism to non-toxic metabolites. The advantage of the permethrin clothing spray is the repellent is near the skin but not on it, as with other repellents. The permethrin binds well to the fabric once it has dried, and does not need reapplication for some time.

One can also purchase clothing that has already been treated with permethrin. The clothing is sold under the name "Buzz-Off" or "Insect Shield," and has been approved by the Environmental Protection Agency. The permethrin has been shown to remain in the clothing for at least 70 washings. This removes the need to keep track of the level of protection afforded by the manual permethrin spray method.

Although these methods can protect you and your family, experts believe the long-term solution for Lyme Disease is reducing the deer population. 

“Reducing deer densities to below 10-12 per sq mile has been shown to
substantially reduce tick numbers and human Lyme disease,” claims Dr. Kirby C.
Stafford III, Vice Director and Chief Entomologist at the Connecticut
Agricultural Experiment Station in New Haven.

I didn’t have the heart to tell that to yesterday’s deer convention  Besides, they give my Labradoodle something to bark at.

The Mayo Clinic recommends the following steps to protect yourself and your family from Lyme Disease:

• Wear long pants and sleeves. When walking in wooded or grassy areas, wear shoes, long pants tucked into your socks, a long-sleeved shirt, a hat and gloves. Try to stick to trails and avoid walking through low bushes and long grass. Keep your dog on a leash.
• Use insect repellents. Apply an insect repellent with a 10 to 30 percent concentration of DEET to your skin and clothing. Choose the concentration based on the hours of protection you need — the higher the concentration of DEET, the longer you are protected. A 10 percent concentration protects you for about two hours. Keep in mind that chemical repellents can be toxic, and use only the amount needed for the time you'll be outdoors. Don't use DEET on the hands of young children or on infants younger than age 2 months. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, oil of lemon eucalyptus, a more natural product, offers the same protection as DEET when used in similar concentrations. Don't use this product on children younger than 3 years old.
• Do your best to tick-proof your yard. Clear brush and leaves where ticks live. Keep woodpiles in sunny areas.
• Check yourself, your children and your pets for ticks. Be especially vigilant after spending time in wooded or grassy areas. Deer ticks are often no bigger than the head of a pin, so you may not discover them unless you search carefully. It's helpful to shower as soon as you come indoors. Ticks often remain on your skin for hours before attaching themselves. Showering and using a washcloth may be enough to remove any unattached ticks.
• Don't assume you're immune. Even if you've had Lyme disease before, you can get it again.
• Remove a tick with tweezers. Gently grasp the tick near its head or mouth. Don't squeeze or crush the tick, but pull carefully and steadily. Once you've removed the entire tick, dispose of it and apply antiseptic to the bite area.

Editor's note: Most of this article was Friday by Trumbull Patch, which of measures recommended by the Mayo Clinic on March 21. Patch has also published