Ticks are worldwide, there are over 800 species, and they feed on the blood of an animal to survive. Ticks attach themselves to animals or people, which is called a host and they begin to lay eggs. The eggs are in an inactive stage at first, then they grow into larvae and they must feed on blood to continue to the next stage. After that, they become a nymph and then an adult. It takes from one to two years to become an adult. Many ticks carry diseases in their saliva, most known are Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Lyme disease.



It's hard to see ticks because they do not fly or jump on their host. They climb to the tops of blades of grass and extend their legs and wait for something to brush against them and then they attach and look for a place to bury their heads. Not all ticks are infected but you can't tell that by just looking at them, its best to remove any tick that is on you. A tick that is crawling on you cannot transmit disease.

Most ticks hide in areas such as the woods or in brush piles, many animals find these places comforting but don't know the real danger. Make sure to keep your lawn neat, ticks love to hide in brush piles and areas that are wooded and if they are close to your home, you are giving them an invitation to come in. If you have to put up a fence to keep out wild animals, do so; this will eliminate any animals wondering into your yard or onto your property. Remember children do not know the dangers of ticks; therefore, you must keep play areas away from wooded areas.

If you have to spray for ticks, find a company that can do it professionally. If you are careless, you could contaminate drinking water and poison your pets. If you do find a tick on your or a family member, you need to carefully remove the tick. Do not yank on the tick's body because it will only bury its head deeper and cause its mouthpiece to break off and stay inside your skin. Use tweezers and gently pull on the tick so its whole body stays intact. Lighting a match to it might cause the tick to release more saliva into your system and if it's infected, you will need to consult a physician.

In order to limit your exposure to ticks, if you plan to hike in wooded areas, you should wear light colored clothing so you can see whether there are any ticks are crawling on you. Tuck your pants into your socks so ticks can't crawl up your socks onto your skin. You can use DEET to repel them but it doesn't last very long, also DEET can make children sick. You should inspect every part of your body once you return to a neutral place. Check children thoroughly, armpits, ears, hair and private areas. Follow these steps and you will not have any problems.