Ticks give me the heebie geebies

There has been a lot of talk lately about ticks. I myself found one under my arm after my trip to rays town (picture above). You can get a tick on you anywhere there are deer, so that’s pretty much everywhere. The higher the deer population the higher the concentration of ticks will be.

Lyme disease is a serious disease transmitted by the deer tick. Around Pittsburgh we are in a low risk area, but we aren’t far from some moderate and high risk areas. (see map)

Ticks usually attach as you brush tall grass or sit on the ground. They typically grab the hairs on my legs as I’m riding along. The male tick is pretty small, the female tick is larger.

Insect repellent containing DEET will keep them of you, but the best prevention is frequent body checks.

According to the Pennsylvania Game Commission web site it takes 36 hours before the bacteria that causes Lyme disease starts to move from the tick to its host, so you’ve got some time to get them find it and get it off of you. A tick that has been attached for a while will cause soreness and a bullseye type pattern on the skin.

Tick removal:

• Never burn a tick off or squeeze the body. Both of these methods can force the bacteria from the ticks body into yours.


• Use a good pair of pointed tweezers to grab the head of the tick.


• I’ve been told that spraying with a DEET insect repellent will loosen a tick that is fully attached.


• If you remove a tick that has been attached and feeding “KEEP IT”. Pit it in a small container with alcohol and take it to your doctor for testing. If you have been exposed to Lyme disease, early treatment is crucial.

I bought a small wilderness first aid kit at Walmart that I've since improved, but it came with a nice pair of tweezers in a little container that can be used to keep the tick. I carry it in my camelbak. At Raystown Dan Sharp got one on his leg and we were able to use my tweezers to get it out. Jon Pratt captured the tick and tweezers on camera.

I'm sorry if I just freaked you out.