Tis the Season for Ticks: Common Misconceptions

Recently, I chaperoned a field trip to Morrill Hall. (If you’ve never been to Morrill Hall, it’s worth the drive to Lincoln.) The weather was perfect and lunch was picnic style on the front patio under the Mammoth Statue. Thirty minutes later, while navigating the newly renovated and incredibly innovative third floor, my hand found my scalp. I had an itch. My fingers bumped against something solid, like a scab. Mid-conversation with another chaperone, I subconsciously picked and plucked: How did I get a scab like this on the side of my head? The moment it came free and before I pulled my finger into view, I knew it wasn’t a scab.

Ticks

It was a tick.

In Nebraska, tick season peaks from early May and late June, though the season lasts from spring to fall. The American Dog tick and the Lone Star tick are the most common ticks found in Nebraska. Both will attach and feed off of humans.

The Most Common Misconception

According to the Nebraska Extention office, ticks do not fall out of trees onto our heads. They “quest.” Using their rear legs, they cling to the edge of a blade of grass, typically along a trail or in tall grass. When an animal – or unsuspecting human – walks by, they grab on with their front feet. In my case, I sat on a cement patio. The tick crawled up my cardigan.

Ticks

These blood-sucking parasites are flat, with a round body, and extremely sneaky. They like warm and dark areas to feed and will crawl around the body until they find one. Common places for ticks to attach to humans are behind the knee, in the groin area, in armpits, behind ears, in the navel, or – like mine – to the scalp.

When a tick attaches itself to a host, it buries the mouthparts under the skin and feeds. To properly remove a tick, firmly grasp the mouthparts or the very front of the insect as close to the skin as possible with a tweezers. Slowly pull straight back. Try not to wiggle or twist. The mouthparts are covered in sharp, rear-directed barbs, which assist the tick in remaining latched to the host and may become detached when a tick is forcibly removed.

Another Common Misconception

If a tick is already attached, DO NOT try to remove it using a cotton ball soaked in rubbing alcohol, open flame (or heated needle), Vicks Vapor rub, or essential oils. Many of these methods are highly recommended on Pinterest and Facebook. They are typically ineffective. We tried many of these methods on a tick attached to my daughter and the ONLY thing that removed it was a tweezers. In addition, using any of these above methods on a feeding tick may cause it to “vomit” into you, increasing the chance of transmitting a disease.

Let’s Talk Tick Disease

While uncommon, the two most likely tick-transmitted diseases for our area are Spotted Fever (transmitted by the American Dog tick) and Lyme disease (transmitted by the Lone Star tick). Spotted Fever presents with a rash 5-10 days after a bite. Symptoms for Lyme disease include fever, headache, fatigue, muscle and joint pain, and a circular bull’s eye rash around the bite site.

If you are like me and upon finding a tick attached to yourself or child, your reaction is quick and rash, make sure you (or trusted friend) inspect the area to ensure mouthparts are not left lurking under the skin. This can lead to irritation and infection. To my friend Susan who had to inspect my scalp with scrutiny and a tweezers, I am forever grateful!

jenniegollehon
Jennie is a native Nebraskan and aspiring writer. She’s a stay-at-home mom to three kids, two cats, a bearded dragon, and a handful of fish. When she’s not playing chauffeur, maid, cook, housekeeper, tutor, laundress, or answering to “Mom” a million times over; she hides in her writing nook and lives vicariously through her fiction characters. Jennie likes to read, take long walks, go on crazy road-trip vacations her wonderful husband plans, or simply sit on the deck with friends.