INFORMATION ON TICKS
for further help and advice on ticks please visit
www.bada-uk.org

Defence Against Ticks:

Where ticks are found
Although associated with rural woodland, forest, moorland and meadow, ticks can be found in lots of places, depending on the species and surrounding wildlife. The areas generally associated with tick-borne disease are the New Forest, Exmoor, the Lake District, the Scottish Highlands and Islands, the North York moors, Thetford Forest, and the South Downs. However, ticks will occur wherever there is good vegetation cover and diverse wildlife. This can include city parks and gardens. Wherever there are ticks, a proportion will be carrying tick-borne infections.
Ticks that bite people and animals are generally found waiting on low vegetation. They sense a potential host via airborne-chemical particles from the host's breath and skin. They fall on, or latch on to, the host as it passes.

Bite prevention - People
Wear long trousers and tuck them into socks, or use gaiters. Elasticated waistband and cuffs will help to deter ticks from crawling under clothing. Smooth and waxed materials make it difficult for ticks to climb and light-coloured clothing makes them easier to see.
Use a repellent; 25-50% 'DEET'-based repellents are effective.
Where possible, use established paths and walk in the centre to avoid overhanging vegetation.

Grooming - Animals
When grooming your pet, make sure that you search thoroughly for any attached ticks as they can be very tiny (less than 1mm), even when fully engorged. Brush against, as well as with, the hair-growth to see any ticks that are close to the skin.
Check around and inside the ears, around the eyes, on the chin and around the muzzle, as well as between pads and toes.

Remove ticks safely
Injuring or stressing attached ticks can result in them regurgitating their blood meal, which may contain infective organisms. Do not freeze or burn them, or cover them with substances like oils, spirits, nail polish, or petroleum jelly. Do not scratch them off or squash them because this can leave parts imbedded in the skin and spread infective fluids. Do not use your fingers to remove them as some infective agents can enter through breaks in the skin or through mucous membranes (touching eyes, nostrils or mouth).
Always use a tick removal tool or fine-pointed tweezers. Ideally, wear plastic gloves. If using tweezers, approach the tick from the side (to avoid compressing the tick's body) and grasp it as close to the skin as possible. Gently pull / lever upwards. Do not twist as tweezers excerpt too much pressure to the tick's mouth parts and they can break off.
There are various tick-removal devices on the market but some are not as safe as they claim to be and are likely to cause damage or compression to the tick. In a comparison study of various tick-removal tools, published in the Veterinary Record (2006, 159, 526-529), the O'Tom hook (or Tick Twister) proved to be significantly better than the other devices for the time required to remove the tick, the ease with which the tick was grabbed, the force needed to extract the tick and the condition of the tick's mouth parts.

After tick removal
Once the tick has been extracted, the bite site should be examined closely for any remaining parts. If any do remain, they can be removed with a sterilised needle. Then the bite site should be cleaned with antiseptic and hands should be washed thoroughly or disinfected.
It is a good idea to keep the tick as it can help a doctor in making an accurate diagnosis. Write the date of the bite in pencil on a bit of paper and put it with the tick in a plastic bag. Store the bag in the freezer for a number of weeks, as symptoms can take a while to manifest.