Scratching can lead to secondary infection. Ticks are bloodsucking arachnids capable of transmitting serious and sometimes fatal illness. Late spring and summer are peak times for exposure to ticks. Ninety-four percent of cases of disease transmitted by ticks occur between April 1 and September 30. Most tick bites resolve uneventfully.
Ticks transfer infection only after they have fed for several hours and are engorged.
Tuck pant cuffs into tops of boots or socks. Avoid sitting on grass and logs where exposure to ticks increases. Every four to six hours, inspect entire body, including hairy parts, to detect and remove attached ticks. It is important to remove a tick from the host as soon as possible after it is discovered. Proper tick removal is as important in reducing the chance of infections as timely removal.