As the weather starts to warm up on the Central Coast, tick season is also beginning.
San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department epidemiologist Jessie Burmester says this time of year is especially known for ticks.
“While there's times of [the] year where we're going to have more adult rather than nymph, which are the baby ticks, right now we're coming into the nymph season," says Burmester. "So they're about the size of a poppy seed. They're very small and they can still attach and bite.”
The official says that when living in an environment with ticks, it is important to be cautious and stay safe.
Burmester recommends taking your clothes off and putting them in the dryer on high heat for ten minutes to kill any ticks that are hitchhiking on your clothes. Then, take a shower within two hours of your outdoor activity.
When removing a tick, the epidemiologist suggests getting as close to the head as possible with tweezers, pulling it straight out, and cleaning the wound.
“Sometimes the head or the mouth of the tick will still be attached," Burmester explains. "If it's super easy to yank that out, do it. If it's hard, don't worry about it.”
Check places like your underarms, hairline, and back of your neck since ticks like to climb high and hide.
“We actually do tick identification," Burmester says. "And then if you bring in a live tick, they can also send it out for testing at the cost of the person who brings it in.”
According to Burmester, only about two of every 500-1,000 ticks that the county tests come back positive for diseases, and most of them are very treatable.
