The health department has been out and about…spreading the “protect-and-inspect” message for “TBD,” short for Tick Borne Disease. Staffers, public health fellows and interns have been “talking ticks” at community events from Putnam Valley to Brewster. The message is clear: residents’ first line of defense is to protect themselves, and then inspect.

Protection means reducing risk for tick bites:

Inspection means reducing risk for disease transmission:

Finding and removing ticks before they attach, or as soon as possible after, is the goal.  This way they don’t transmit disease. Use fine tip tweezers to grip the tick at its attachment point to the skin, and pull upward with steady, even pressure. Do not grasp the tick by the body. Squeezing or twisting the body of the tick could increase the risk of disease transmission.

Ticks are tiny—especially nymphs which are active from May through early August. They can be present in your own backyard and because of their small size, they can easily go unnoticed on your body if you are not looking for them. That’s why health department personnel have been demonstrating the fine art of finding ticks to children of all ages.

* EPA-approved repellent ingredients include DEET, picaridin, IR3535, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (OLE), para-menthane-diol (PMD), or 2-undecanone. Always follow product instructions, which includes not using products containing OLE or PMD on children under 3 years old.”

Practicing tick inspections is one way the health department educates about preventing Lyme and other tick-borne illnesses. The demonstrations use stuffed animals that have tiny, sewn-in beads which mimic the size and feel of the nymphs. The exercise helps children, and adults alike, experience firsthand how small and challenging to find the nymphs are.