It’s almost fall, and I know that you’re probably excited about going camping or taking a road trip to Ellicottville, one of the best places to view the fall foliage.

You may have a lot of fall activities on your bucket list this year, including a visit to the Great Pumpkin Farm, touring all of the haunted houses in Western New York, and participating in Fall Festival Saturdays in Angola. 

Whatever you decide to do this season, do not forget to do this one thing.

CHECK. FOR. TICKS. 

You never think that a tick will land on you, but you should still make sure that you are safe. 

Otherwise, they could lay eggs…a lot of them.

I’ve never seen this in person before, and after seeing a picture of it, I definitely don’t want to.

One vet has kept a tick secured in an enclosed space so she could use it as a teaching tool to show just how many eggs a tick can lay at once, and it’s sickening. 

The vet wrote on Facebook:

“This tick has been hanging around for us to show people for a while. After months in a sealed container with no additional feeding she laid eggs. This gives you an idea of how long a tick can be dormant and how many eggs one female can lay. Remember ticks bloom again in the fall so keep up with prevention.”

I wouldn’t want that in my hair at all, and I’m sure you don’t either. 

This fall, it would be a good idea to have a friend or family member check for ticks after spending some time outside. 

If you do happen to find a tick on you, there are a few things you can do.

According to the CDC, this is the best removal process when it comes to ticks:

  1. Use clean, fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin’s surface as possible.
  2. Pull upward with steady, even pressure. Don’t twist or jerk the tick; this can cause the mouth-parts to break off and remain in the skin. If this happens, try to remove those additional parts carefully, and if you cannot remove it with the tweezers, leave it alone and let the skin heal.
  3. After removing the tick, clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol or soap and water.
  4. Never crush a tick with your fingers. You can dispose of a live tick by
    • Putting it in alcohol,
    • Placing it in a sealed bag/container,
    • Wrapping it tightly in tape, or
    • Flushing it down the toilet.

If you end up coming down with some kind of illness following the removal of your tick, whether that be a fever, a rash, or both, tell your doctor that you recently found a tick on your body. 

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Gallery Credit: Kadie Daye

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