Much like all the surrounding towns, Ridgefield, CT has a high white tailed deer and white footed deer mouse population. With its wooded areas and landscapes Ridgefield, CT is also an ideal location for the deer tick. The deer tick or black legged tick has a complicated 2-year life cycle that the white tailed deer, the white footed mouse, and other small creatures play a large role in.
Yard treatment by a certified company can help lower the risk of contracting Lyme disease from the deer tick, but it won’t be completely eliminated. However, should the worst happen the following will help you understand your next steps.
Lyme Disease Prevalence in Connecticut
Lyme disease is one of Connecticut’s highest reported diseases. For instance, in 2012 alone 1,600 cases were reported. That makes Lyme disease second only to Hepatitis C, which had close to 2,000 reported and probable cases.
How to Remove a Tick
The timely removal of ticks is a process that should be followed. When removing ticks it’s important to remove the mouth parts from the skin. The following is the process for safe removal of a tick once it is found to be actively feeding on a person.
- With clean tweezers grasp close to the mouth parts near the skin
- Pull the tick up with a firm grasp in one steady motion
- Thoroughly wash the area with alcohol or a labeled antiseptic
- Watch for a bulls-eye shaped red rash
- Monitor physical symptoms (which may appear flu-like) for the next 30 days
Should you or someone in your family develop a rash or flu like symptoms within this period it’s important to seek medical attention immediately. You may be infected with the Lyme virus.
How Will a Physician Help with Lyme Disease?
Once you suspect that you’ve been bitten by a deer tick you’ll need to understand that the diagnosis of Lyme Disease is difficult to make. Your doctor will want to know about your outdoor activities and whether you’ve been bitten by a deer tick. The doctor will likely order blood tests, but the blood tests often come up negative due to the incubation period of Lyme disease which takes about 4-6 weeks.
If you receive confirmation that you have Lyme Disease you’ll be prescribed an antibiotic such as amoxicillin. It will be important to follow all your doctor’s recommendations and finish all the prescribed medication.
In some cases if the disease is not cleared up within the prescribed period then the disease moves to a second phase called Post Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome or PTLDS. If suspected a doctor will prescribe additional doses of medication.
Lyme disease can be debilitating. That’s why it’s important to find out how you can protect yourself. As previously stated a thorough application of a pesticide can help kill ticks in your yard, but it’s not 100% effective or meant to replace regular tick checks.
You can find out more information about Lyme Disease from the State of CT Department of Public Health and your physician.
Schedule Your Appointment Today
Simply fill out the form to schedule your appointment with an Envirocare Pest Control tick exterminator.