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Block Island Island Medical Center Tick Guide
Ticks are 8 legged arachnids that can be as small as a poppyseed. Most ticks have 3 cycles of growth: larva, nymph, and adult. Ticks must consume blood to develop through each life cycle, preferring blood from mammals. Tick bites can transmit disease, making people and pets sick after being bitten.
Preventing Tick Bites
- Avoid tall grass, brush, wood piles and leaf piles
- Wear long-sleeves and pants, and tuck pants into socks
- Wear light colored clothing to easily detect ticks on clothing
- Keep lawn cut
- Bug repellent with 20-30% of the chemical DEET is safe for children and can prevent tick bites
- Stay on trails when hiking
- Bathe or shower within 2 hours of being in an area with ticks
- Complete a full-body tick check using a mirror, including chest, waist, navel, legs, toes, hair, ears, and under arms
- Remove tick with pointy tweezers
- Grab the tick by the head with the tweezers
- Pull tick straight up, making sure the head is not lodged in the skin
- Wash bite area. Discard tick by putting in alcohol, flushing down the toilet, or wrapping tightly in tape
- If you cannot remove tick
- Develop rash, fever, and or chills after being bitten by a tick
- Your provider may decide to treat you with prophylactic antibiotics
- Call us at 401-466-2974 with questions
