May is Lyme Disease Awareness month and a good time to re-visit methods of protection to keep yourself, family and pets protected from ticks in the coming spring/summer months. About 40,000 cases of lyme disease are documented in the US alone every year and health experts are predicting 2013 to be another bad year.
Here are some helpful tick-prevention strategies to keep you, your family and pet protected this summer:
1.) YOUR YARD: Ticks are not out in the middle of your lawn, they live where yards border wooded areas, or anywhere it is shaded and there are leaves with high humidity. Place a layer of wood chips between your grass yard and the woods edge. Ticks are attracted to the wood chips because of the shade and moisture it provides.
2.) TICK CHECKS: Do periodic tick checks (on yourself, children and pets) and carefully remove any found. (Wear light colored clothing so ticks are easier to find.)
3.) OUTDOOR PURSUITS: When on a hike, bike, or walk try to remain in the center of a trail in order to minimize your exposure. Remember – ticks cannot fly, they crawl up. Avoid sitting directly on the ground, woodpiles or fallen logs – areas where ticks love to live.
4.) PERSONAL PROTECTION: Wear tick repellent clothing. Insect Shield repellent apparel is EPA registered to repel ticks (as well as a variety of other pesky and potentially dangerous insects.) The repellency is odorless, invisible and long-lasting. Insect Shield apparel is available for adults, kids and even your dog!
The above information is provided by Insect Shield whose EPA-registered technology converts clothing and gear into effective insect protection. The repellency is appropriate for use by the entire family.
Also, the company says that researchers have discovered another disease caused by the same tick that spreads Lyme disease – the deer tick. More: http://new.pitchengine.com/pitches/e975809a-619b-488a-a6da-d3ddc0227d31.