- By Senator Pam Helming
- Opinions
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Dear Friend,May is Lyme and Tick-Borne Diseases Awareness Month. Because our area has seen a dramatic increase in ticks and the illnesses they carry, I wanted to take a moment to share with you several tips on how to prevent tick bites.
Tips on Preventing Tick Bites:
- Wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts, and tuck the legs into your socks or boots. This helps keep ticks from reaching your skin.
- Wear light-colored and tightly woven clothing. This makes it easier to see ticks.
- Use repellents that contain 20 percent or more DEET or 20 percent Picaridin for 4 to 5 hours of protection.
- Picaridin kills ticks and can be used to treat boots, clothing, and camping gear. Always follow product instructions, and note that permethrin and some tick preventatives for dogs can actually be lethal to cats.
- Throw your clothes in the dryer for 20 minutes on high heat after spending time outdoors.
- Check yourself, your children, and your pets at least once per day for ticks. A tick is so small it can easily go unnoticed. Conduct a whole body check, including groin, armpits, belly button, base of hairline, behind ears, and behind knees.
As a member of the Senate Task Force on Lyme and Tick-Borne Diseases, I continue to work with my colleagues to raise awareness and secure resources to address these debilitating diseases with a focus on education, prevention, and research. You can be assured I will keep supporting those impacted by these diseases and advocating for meaningful measures to combat them and to improve upon the current diagnosis and treatment options. In addition, I have brochures at my District Office available to any individual, family, group, or organization that would like more information.
As always, if I may be of assistance to you or your family, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Senator Pam Helming
54th District