Ticks are active in temperatures above 40 degrees.  Ticks do not jump, fly or descend from trees, they just hang around waiting for a host to pass by.  Tick bites don’t hurt. That is why it is very important to do frequent tick checks during and after being outdoors.  A daily tick check is still the best protection against Lyme disease and tick-borne illnesses. The sooner you find and remove a tick, the less likely you could be infected. Some related diseases with the tick are Lyme disease (most related), Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (“RMSF”).

The 2 most common ticks in the Northeast are the Deer Tick (Black-Legged Tick) and the Wood Tick (American Dog Tick).

Peak Tick Activity Throughout the Year

Nymph (has the most impact on public health) - Spring and well into the summer months, we strongly recommend two applications during this time period.

Adults - Fall (September, October and November) - This is a great time for the last application to help gain control of the adult tick throughout the fall, winter and into early spring.

Tick Removal

A tick's mouthparts have reverse harpoon-like barbs, designed to penetrate and attach to skin. Ticks secrete a cement-like substance that helps them adhere firmly to the host. If you find that you or your pet has been bitten by a tick, it is important to remove it properly

• Do not crush, prick, or burn the tick, this may cause the tick to salivate or regurgitate infected fluids.
• Do not try to smother the tick with products such as petroleum jelly or mineral oil. Ticks can store enough oxygen to complete feeding.

1. Use fine-point tweezers to grasp the tick at the place of attachment, as close to the skin as possible.

2. Gently, but firmly, pull the tick straight out, do not twist, this may break the head of the tick and leave the head imbedded in the skin. If you dislodge the head during removal, use an antibiotic on this area and consult a doctor.

3. Place the tick in a small vial labeled with your personal information for testing (if desired). You can send a tick to The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (www.caes.state.ct.us); they can test to see if the tick is infected.

4. Wash your hands, disinfect the tweezers and the bite site.

5. Mark your calendar with the time, place of tick bite location and your general health at this time.

6. Call your doctor to determine if treatment is needed.

7. Watch the tick bite location for symptoms (refer to our disease page for symptoms) as well as your health.

8. If possible, have the tick identified/tested by a lab or your local health department.

Caution: Please Remember

Do not use your fingers to remove a tick or cover the tick with a petroleum jelly, nail polish, etc. This might cause the tick to inject infectious bacteria back into you or your loved ones. If the mouth parts break off during removal you should consult your physician. Children should be taught to seek adult help for tick removal.

Sampling the Property for Ticks

Drag sampling is common for approximate determination of tick population. This is conducted by dragging a 3’x 3’ white cloth over the areas that ticks will be found, i.e. wood lines, brushy areas (up to 3’), tall grass, the first 9’ border of grass that meets the woods, etc. Ticks that are looking for a host will attach themselves to the drag cloth. When you turn the cloth over about every 50 to 70 feet you may find ticks crawling on the cloth.  Collect them for later identification, if desired.  This type of sampling has limitations.  Keep in mind the seasonality of the different stages of ticks and the fact that ticks are less active on windy or cold days.  If you sample when ticks are not very active, a misleading negative finding may result.  Also, less than 10% of the tick population is collected at any time with drag sampling, so a lot of sampling may be required to find any ticks if populations aren’t very heavy.  One suggestion is to drag sample the same areas on 3 to 4 different days when conditions are favorable.  This will give you a more accurate estimation.