Tick Myths Debunked

Arkansas is having a particularly active tick season, making this an ideal time to get our facts straight about one of our most pesky neighbors. While you can have your own yard treated for ticks and reduce their numbers around your home, you’ll more than likely encounter a few ticks this summer, and we want to be confidently prepared to handle the situation without any commonly believed myths clouding your judgment.

Myth 1: If a tick bites you, you’ll know.

Because ticks are so small and their bite is completely painless, people can easily play host to a tick without knowing. This makes it especially important for you to examine yourself after being outdoors in the summer, particularly in areas with lots of vegetation. By checking yourself for ticks and removing any you find as soon as possible, you can drastically reduce your chances of contracting a tick-born illness such as Lyme Disease or Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

Myth 2: Ticks should be removed with fire, rubbing alcohol, Vaseline, nail polish … etc.

Immediate, safe removal of ticks is important for your health, but unfortunately, the proper method of removal is a topic full of ineffective and possibly dangerous myths. You’ve heard to suffocate the tick by smearing Vaseline on it, place a small flame next to the tick to force it to release, or spray rubbing alcohol on it. In reality, the best method of removal involves nothing more than a pair of tweezers and some soap. When removing a tick, simply take the tweezers, grab the tick as close to your skin as possible, and pull it off. Dispose of the tick in the trash and wash your hands as well as the affected area.

Myth 3: You’ll definitely get sick if you’re bitten by a tick.

This common is myth is untrue for two reasons. One, not all ticks carry disease, and two, the tick typically needs to be latched on your skin for a significant amount of time before a disease can be transmitted. But it’s never smart to take the odds or the risk.

Myth 4: Ticks can grow back parts of their bodies.

The long-standing myth that ticks can grow back their legs and parts of their bodies is simply not true. Unlike lizards or starfish, once a tick loses an appendage, it’s gone for good!

Myth 5: Ticks die off in the winter.

Even though tick activity dies off in the winter, these pests certainly don’t. In fact, ticks will bite as long as the temperature is above 32 degrees Fahrenheit and they won’t begin to die off until the temperature drops to below 10 degrees Fahrenheit – something that rarely happens even in the coldest Arkansas winters.