Ticks, within the past few years, have become a real nuisance across the province of Ontario, and, I am relatively certain, in many other regions of the world as well. They’re vile creatures and ultimately don’t serve much purpose, so I really don’t feel badly bashing them; they suck.
As most of us are aware, certain ticks, for example blacklegged ticks and deer ticks, after biting a human, can give that human Lymes Disease, a truly debilitating disease that, at this point in time, has no cure or treatment. My aunt has Lymes disease, and seeing first-hand the damage it has done to her body is disturbing.
Because ticks have such a prevalent presence in Ontario, it has never been more important to check yourself and loved ones for ticks after spending a day outside or down at the river. Ticks thrive in long, thick grass, so if you’re hiking through a wooded area or walking through some tall grass, there is a good chance you’ve been exposed to ticks and could potentially have one somewhere on your body.
When checking someone for ticks, be sure to check areas that may not seem to be super accessible by ticks, for example, in armpits, the groin region, or anywhere skin folds. These little shits can and will work their way into these areas, so it is best to do a thorough, complete check.
When removing a tick, be sure to remove it in its entirety, meaning its head. Ticks tend to burrow head-first into whatever they have latched onto, and often times, people believe they have removed one, meanwhile the head is still buried beneath their skin. There are tools you can buy to remove ticks, although tweezers work quite well.
Ticks and what they can do to a person are no joke. I implore you to abide by Mr. Brad Paisley’s song throughout the warmer months and do, in fact, check each other for ticks.
ontheedgeofeverything 