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Many of us will be spending a lot of time outside this summer, whether it is for work or pleasure, we need to be aware of ticks. Ticks carry many disease’s, like Lyme Disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF), if you know someone who has had either, then you know it is no fun. Find out how to repel ticks naturally today!
Many of my family member’s have come down with Lyme disease and RMSF over the year’s. Although they can be fatal, that isn’t always the case.
What is Lyme disease?
Lyme disease is caused by bacteria called Borrelia Burgdorferi that is transmitted to humans through a bite of an infected Blacklegged ticks. You can start showing symptoms anywhere from 3 to 30 day’s after getting bit, it can also show up month’s down the road.
Symptoms include:
3 to 30 days after bite
- Severe Headache
- Fever
- Chills
- Fatigue
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Muscle and joint aches
Erythema Migrans (EM) rash
Begins at the site of the tick bite after about a week
Occurs in around 70% to 80% of those infected
Expands gradually over a few days reaching up to 12″ or more in diameter
It may feel warm to the touch but isn’t usually painful or itchy
Sometimes it will clear as it expands, which make’s it look like a target
Later symptoms include
- The above symptoms
- Arthritis with swelling and severe joint pain
- Facial Palsy
- Heart palpitations (Lyme carditis)
- Come and go pain in muscles, joints, bones and tendons
- Episodes of dizziness and shortness of breath
- Nerve pain
- Shooting pains, numbness, tingling in hands and feet
- Your spinal cord and brain can become inflamed
Doesn’t sound like much fun does it? There are over 200,000 cases each year in the US, they estimate it to get worse over the next decade. There are a lot of cases that go unreported. If you live from Virginia to Maine, in the North central states, or the West Coast you could have the Lyme disease carrying ticks in your area.
Although they are starting to branch out to other areas, the most prominent areas to find them are in the places listed above.
What is Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever?
RMSF can be spread by several ticks like the brown dog tick, American dog tick, and the Rocky Mountain wood tick. The most common states to report cases of RMSF are Tennessee, North Carolina, Missouri, Oklahoma and Arkansas. The Southwestern US and Mexico also
report cases of RMSF.
Symptoms are somewhat similar to Lyme Disease except for the EM, but also include:
- Rash
- Vomiting
- Stomach pain
- Nausea
- Lack of appetite
Long term health problems include:
- Some patient’s who recover from severe RMSF may need amputation’s of the arms, legs, fingers and toes
- Hearing loss
- Paralysis
- Mental disability
The rash usually develops 2 to 4 days after the fever starts. The rash can be red splotches or it can look like polka-dots. Not everyone will develop the rash.
Complications include:
- Death
- Inflammation of the Brain
- Inflammation of the Heart of Lungs
- Kidney failure
Those are just two types of diseases you can receive from tick bites, there are more out there. So now that you know why it is important to prevent tick’s here are some natural ways to repel ticks
How to avoid Ticks!
Ticks are common in wooded areas. They are also found in tall grass, tree’s and in brush. If you are planning on spending anytime out in the wood’s or on hiking trail’s, then be sure to walk down the middle of the path. Wear long sleeve shirt’s and pant’s, you want to be able to show as little skin as possible. Tuck your pants into your socks as well.
Remember that ticks will usually get on you from tree’s, they wait till your walking under them, then they take a leap of faith hoping that they can attach to you. So be sure to keep close watch of yourself to make sure no ticks are crawling on you.
Natural ways to repel ticks
Garlic!
If you add garlic to your meals, your skin will start to emit an odor that ticks don’t like!
Essential oils and Fragrances
Fragrances like citrus, cedar, lemongrass, peppermint, lavender and citronella are known to repel ticks. They can not stand the smell of it.
You can pick the fragrance that you like best and add some essential oil to it. You can make a spray or just rub it on your skin, but remember you do need to dilute essential oil’s first.
Chickens!
Cock-A-Doodle-Dooo! Chickens love to eat small insect’s including ticks. For using chicken’s as a tick repellent, it is best if they are free range, but it is not a necessity.
Clean yard!
If you keep your grass cut and brush taken care of, you dramatically decrease the risk of finding ticks in your yard. Be sure to also get your leaves taken care of ASAP in the Fall.
Diatomaceous Earth!
Diatomaceous Earth is also great to use because it is completely
safe for animals and humans alike. It isn’t a poison, so you can use it forever and ticks wont grow immune to it.
Apply it wherever you notice ticks and other pesky insects!