4 fast facts about ticks

Ticks are parasites that feed on people or other mammals by biting them. People can be exposed to ticks year-round, but these pesky critters are most active during the summertime.

We VERIFY four fast facts about ticks and how you can avoid getting bitten.

THE SOURCES

QUESTION #1

Are ticks insects?

ANSWER #1

No, ticks are not insects — they’re arachnids.

WHAT WE FOUND

The Illinois Department of Public Health explains that adult ticks, like other arachnids, have four pairs of legs, no antennae and they don’t fly. Their body design, combined with their feeding needs for each part of their life cycle, determines how ticks get to their host to feed. A tick’s life cycle consists of four stages: egg, larva, nymph and adult, according to PetMD.

There are hundreds of kinds of ticks but the deer tick and dog tick are the most common in the United States, Nemours Children’s Health says. Deer ticks are about the size of the head of a pin, while dog ticks can be up to one-half of an inch.

QUESTION #2

Do ticks fall or jump from trees?

ANSWER #2

No, ticks don’t fall or jump from trees.

WHAT WE FOUND

“Many people described having ticks jumping on them from trees, but ticks can’t jump. Instead, they patiently sit on low vegetation or crawl around the ground, sensing a host’s carbon dioxide and heat,” Crandall said.

OSF HealthCare says people typically encounter ticks in their yards or while walking in fields or wooded areas with tall grass or foliage. If you’re in a high-risk tick area, OSF HealthCare recommends making a clothing barrier to keep the ticks away from the skin by tucking your pant legs into your socks and your shirt into your belt.

QUESTION #3

Are tweezers the best way to remove ticks?

ANSWER #3

Yes, tweezers are the best way to remove ticks.

WHAT WE FOUND

“Don’t twist or jerk the tick; this can cause the mouth-parts to break off and remain in the skin. If this happens, remove the mouth parts with tweezers. If you cannot remove the mouth easily with tweezers, leave it alone and let the skin heal,” the CDC says on its website.

The CDC says you can dispose of a live tick by putting it in alcohol, placing it in a sealed bag or container, wrapping it tightly in tape or flushing it down the toilet. But you should never crush a tick with your fingers because they could contain potentially infected blood.

After removal, you should wash the bite location and your hands with rubbing alcohol or soap and water, and monitor for symptoms. If you develop a rash or fever within several weeks of removing a tick, you should contact your healthcare provider.

Some people believe that ticks are best removed by coating them with fingernail polish or petroleum jelly or by applying heat with a lit match to make the tick detach from the skin, but all of our sources advise against trying any of these potentially dangerous tick removal methods.

“You are more likely to contract a disease using these methods because a tick can regurgitate its content — like bacteria and viruses — into you before dying,” Crandall said.

QUESTION #4

Is Lyme disease the only tick-borne illness?

ANSWER #4

No, Lyme disease is not the only tick-borne illness.

WHAT WE FOUND

Lyme disease is generally caused by the Borrelia burgdorferi bacterium, and it is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected blacklegged (deer) ticks, according to the CDC. Typical symptoms of Lyme disease include fever, headache, fatigue and a characteristic skin rash called erythema migrans, which looks similar to a bullseye or target.

The CDC says that most cases of Lyme disease can usually be treated successfully with a few weeks of antibiotics. But, if left untreated, the infection can spread to joints, the heart and the nervous system.

The CDC shares tips on how people and pets can avoid tick bites and prevent Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases on its website. Those tips include:

Before you go outside

After you come back inside