The Second Step Is to Monitor the Spot Closely
After successfully removing the tick, don’t just discard it. Almost everyone makes this mistake. I know you want it as far away from you as humanly possible but that’s not what we should do. Capture the tick in a container or on a piece of tape so you can show it to your doctor if necessary.
Next, you want to write down the date you found the tick and the part of your body where it was attached. For the next few weeks, you absolutely need to observe your skin for any signs of a rash, redness, or other symptoms like fever or fatigue or muscle aches. And try to not panic like me while doing it. (I may give out good advice, but I’m not exactly a calm person, as I’m sure you can tell.) If you notice anything strange or weird, it’s best to give your doctor a call. And you wanna do this immediately, ok?
Avoid Future Encounters
If you’re planning to spend time outdoors in areas where ticks are common, take some precautions. Wear long sleeves, tuck your pants into your socks (may not be a best look, but I’d rather look ugly than have ticks making their home into my skin) and use a good repellent containing DEET, permethrin, or picaridin. When you come back inside, thoroughly check yourself, your children, and your pets for ticks.
For your yard, keep the grass short, remove any fallen branches or brush (this part if very important), and place wood chips or gravel between your lawn and wooded areas to minimize exposure to ticks. If ticks are a problem in your area (most of the times they are a headache everywhere), you may want to treat your yard with pesticides. My husband and I are planning on doing this next week, actually.
When you encounter a lone star tick for the first time, you might be super panicked (like, hello? How can you not? They are disgusting, scary, and just… so so not pleasant). Trust me, I truly fully GET it. But when you have the right information and keep yourself calm (easier said than done, but we all gotta try), you can absolutely handle it. You should act quickly, monitor your health afterward (absolutely), and take steps to avoid future incidents.
