LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — Relying on who you ask, summer time has already arrived, and the Livingston County Well being Division says it is time to be looking out for ticks.
Each county in Mid-Michigan has the potential for Lyme illness. Ticks may also carry illnesses similar to Tularemia, Rocky Mountain Noticed Fever, and anaplasmosis. Some tick bites may even trigger Alpha-gal syndrome, a red-meat allergy.
Mosquitoes can carry viruses such because the Jamestown Canyon virus and Japanese Equine Encephalitis (EEE). Each ticks and mosquitoes may also unfold the West Nile Virus.
Officers say you need to take steps to guard your self from tick and mosquito bites, particularly those that have interaction in outside work and leisure exercise:
Use insect repellent — ideally one containing DEET, picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus. To search out the one which’s best for you, the EPA has a instrument that may help.
Put on protecting clothes when in wooded or grassy areas. This consists of lengthy sleeves, lengthy pants, and socks. Mild-colored clothes makes it simpler to identify ticks.
Test for ticks after going outdoors, paying particular consideration to underarms, behind the ears, and the backs of your knees. Additionally, examine your pets. For those who discover a tick, ship an image to the Livingston County Well being Division to find out when you have been uncovered to sickness.
Take away standing water, since that’s the place mosquitoes breed. Empty out issues similar to buckets, hen baths, and flowerpots.
Create a tick-safe zone by maintaining the grass in your yard quick and eradicating leaf litter. If doable, you possibly can additionally put a three-foot-wide barrier of wooden chips or gravel between your yard and the woods.
Maintain mosquitoes outdoor by sustaining your private home’s window and door screens.
