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Lyme Disease – be tick alert

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Lyme Disease – be “tick alert”

According to NHS Choices, this is the time of year when people are most at risk of tick bites. Rural Hampshire is one of the areas known to have a particularly high population of ticks.

So we reproduce this information from Hampshire County Council Countryside Service

Lyme disease - be 'tick alert'
Lyme disease tick alert
Female adult deer tick. Bites are most likely during the nymph stage of its life, when it’s much smaller, about the size of a poppy seed.

From spring through to autumn, it is best to be alert for ticks which can be found in moist areas of dense vegetation or long grass in woodland, grassland, moorland, heathland and some urban parks and gardens.

A bite from a tick can carry Lyme Disease which can lead to very serious conditions if left untreated.

Take some simple precautions:

  • Keep to footpaths and avoiding long grass when out walking.
  • Tuck your trousers into socks, wear long sleeved clothing and light coloured fabrics to help spot ticks.
  • Use insect repellents.
  • Inspect your and your children’s skin for ticks, including head, neck and skin folds (armpits, groin, and waistband).
  • Check that pets do not bring ticks into your home in their fur.

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Acknowledgement: Image of Deer Tick (Hill Walker) / CC BY-SA 2.0