Tick Information
Here you can find information on how to protect yourself from ticks.
Places to learn more
- North East Regional Center for Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases - tick and mosquito research and outreach programs
- CDC Vector Borne Diseases - tips on how to avoid mosquito and tick bites
- NY Invasive Prism / Cornell - information on where ticks live, how to avoid them and NY Integrated pest management
- EPA Insect repellents safety - learn about different types of repellents, how the EPA assesses them, and tips on using them safely!
- Healthy Children - reccomendations for using insect repellents on children
- Consumer Reports - insect repellent product ratings
Nassau County Soil & Water Conservation District recently participated in the 2022 TICK BLITZ
surveying a collective 1,500 meters of Muttontown Preserve.
The NYS Tick Blitz is a yearly event created by the Northeast Regional Vector Control Center NEVBD. With help from Cornell Cooperative Extension CCE and NYS Integrated Pest Management NYIPM.
The purpose of the study is to study all NY regions simultaneously to understand where different tick species are present and track their northward expansion.
Protecting yourself from Ticks
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Wear long sleeve shirt and pants (tucked into socks) when walking in the woods and in fields.
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Wear light colored clothing to help spot ticks. Treating Clothin with 0.5% Premethrin will repel ticks and last for multiple washes.
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Avoid known tick areas when possible. Stay on the trail! Most ticks live under leaves in the woods or on plants surrounding fields stay clear of walking into areas with plants that will brush up against you.
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Perform tick checks after entering an area that may contain ticks.
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Dry Clothes after returning home. Tumble clothing on high heat for 10 minutes will kill any ticks still remaining after your initial check. Dry before you wash, ticks die from a lack of moisture
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Shower using a wash cloth to dislodge unattached ticks.
Removing a tick
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When removing a tick, use tweezers to grasp near the mouth (as close to the skin as possible).
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Remember to disinfect the bite
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Record the date and location of the bite to monitor yourself for symptoms over the next few weeks.
Types of rashes
A bite mark can be properly identified even after a bite has offoured by the marking of the rash (warning graphic images below)
Spider Bite
A spiders bite forms fluid filled bumps at the site of the bite
Tick Bite
Tick bites (lesions) resemble a "bulls-eye" or a raised expanding solid patch
Insect Bite
Insect bites result in itchy or red raised skin reactions
Bee bites
Bee bites result in pain and a large amount of swelling in the area
Click on the images below to enlarge.
