UC Could See Bad Tick Season Based On Local Reports

The anecdotal evidence is pointing towards a bad tick season in the Upper Cumberland.

Smith County Agriculture Extension Director Chris Hicks said the office has fielded a number of calls already about tick reports. Hicks said a longer than normal spring is the biggest factor.

He said people should know tweezers are the safest way to remove ticks.

“We hear of all kinds of things being used,” Hicks said. “We hear of people that will use nail polish or even a cigarette lighter or alcohol, something like that. But really you can do more harm than good if you’re trying to take your fingernails or something else to remove those ticks.”

Hicks said if a tick remains embedded in your skin then you should seek medical attention. Hicks said that the diseases ticks carry can be rare but there are enough reports to warrant taking precautions.

“If you are going to an area where you think ticks are likely to be present then there are certainly products you can spray on your clothing,” Hicks said. “Products that contain permethrine. That are labeled, that have been proven safe to spray on your boots, on your clothes and we would recommend wearing long pants.”

He said that repellent sprays containing deet are effective in masking your scent from ticks looking for a host.

He said when it comes to protecting pets, the best method is to create a preventive plan. Hicks said the same goes for protecting cattle.

“They’re prone to go into areas that humans don’t and so they come across ticks even more frequently than humans do,” Hicks said. “Our recommendation from extension would be to work with your veterinarian and come up with a protocol that would minimize the effect that ticks are going to have. There’s all kinds of products out there that are available either as a spray, collars that contain insecticides that will give control to those pets that are going to be outdoors.”

Hicks said that for humans, the biggest health threat are the infections and long-term effects that leaving the mouth of a tick embedded through improper removal. He said even when removed properly, the area where someone is bit should be treated with an antiseptic.