Tick Safety

Ticks may be active whenever temperatures are above freezing. Troop 19 advises a multi-layer approach to reduce this risk of tick borne diseases.

Before the Trip (parents help scouts prepare)

  • Treat clothing (boots, socks, pants, shirts) and appropriate gear with 0.5% permethrin before the trip.

  • Pack a non-aerosol insect repellent containing DEET or picaridin.

  • Pack long pants, socks covering the ankles, and closed-toe shoes or boots.

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During the Trip Scouts will

  • Walk near the center of trails and avoid unnecessary contact with tall grass, brush, and leaf litter.

  • Apply skin repellent according to its label. Do not spray it inside a tent or directly toward the face.

  • Check clothing and exposed skin after hiking or walking through brush.

  • Conduct a private, full-body tick check at least once each evening and again after especially high-exposure activities.

Check carefully:

  • Hair, scalp, and behind the ears

  • Underarms and around the waist

  • Belly button

  • Behind the knees

  • Between the legs and around the groin

  • Anywhere clothing fits tightly

Buddy checks may be used for clothing, packs, hair, and other visible areas. Scouts should privately check areas covered by clothing.

After the Trip

As soon as practical after returning home:

  1. Perform a complete body check with a parent's assistance.

  2. Shower within two hours.

  3. Check packs, clothing, equipment, and pets.

  4. Tumble dry clothing on high heat for at least 10 minutes. Damp clothing will require more time. If clothing must be washed first, use hot water when the fabric permits.

Finding a Tick

A crawling tick has not yet bitten, but finding one means a complete tick check is needed.

If a tick is attached, tell an adult and remove it promptly. Do not wait to return home or travel to a doctor solely for removal.

Do

  1. Use clean, fine-tipped tweezers.

  2. Grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible.

  3. Pull straight out with steady, even pressure.

  4. Clean the bite and hands with soap and water, rubbing alcohol, or hand sanitizer.

  5. Check the rest of the body for additional ticks.

  6. Photograph the tick and bite area.

  7. Place the tick in a sealed bag or container labeled with the date, trip location, bite location, and whether the tick appeared flat or swollen.

  8. Notify the Scout’s parent or guardian as soon as practical.

A Scout may remove her own tick with adult guidance. An adult may assist with the Scout’s permission while following Youth Protection and privacy requirements.

If mouthparts remain and cannot be removed easily, leave them alone rather than digging into the skin.

Don’t

  • Don’t twist, jerk, squeeze, or crush the tick.

  • Don’t use petroleum jelly, nail polish, essential oils, heat, or a match.

  • Don’t delay removal while waiting for a special tool, parent, or healthcare provider.

  • Don’t rely on commercial tick testing to decide whether medical care is needed.

See the CDC’s illustrated tick-removal instructions.

Parent Follow-Up and Watch Period

Parents should consider contacting their healthcare provider promptly if the tick was swollen, may have been attached for an extended or unknown time, or may have been a blacklegged/deer tick. Preventive Lyme disease treatment may be considered in some circumstances and generally must begin within 72 hours after removal.

 

For at least 30 days, watch for:

  • An expanding rash—not necessarily a bull’s-eye

  • Fever or chills

  • Headache or unusual fatigue

  • Muscle or joint pain

  • Joint swelling

  • Facial weakness or drooping

  • Dizziness, shortness of breath, or heart palpitations

Contact a healthcare provider promptly if symptoms develop. Tell the provider when and where the bite occurred and how the tick appeared.

 

Additional information:

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