BlogHow To Perform A Tick Check On Family And Pets

With a tick season already proving to be worse than previous years, many professionals are advising families to be extra vigilant in their tick checks this spring. Due to a mild winter season and then an early start to the warm weather this spring, ticks came back early and with a vengeance. The good news is that even during a bad tick season, families and pets can still enjoy the outdoors just as much as always. Once you learn the proper way to check your family and pets for ticks you will be good to go!   How to check your children and spouse for ticks:

• Have them take off their clothing and put it in the bathtub for the time being so that if there are ticks on their clothes they will be trapped in the tub.
• Check through their hair and feel for any bumps and then use a fine tooth comb to make sure ticks haven’t stuck to the scalp or hair.
• Check all over their body, yes everywhere, for any dark spots that could be ticks on the skin.
• Then check their clothing thoroughly, shake it out, check again, and then throw it into the wash right away.
• Have them take a shower too just to be safe that any ticks are washed away.

How to check your pets for ticks:

• Get them to lay down if possible and this could be a two person job to be most efficient
• For dogs and cats with a long coat of fur, use a comb to run it through their whole body.
• Comb against the grain of the fur and then run your hands behind to look for and feel for any bumps that could be ticks.
• If you do feel bumps make sure to look very closely to identify whether it’s a tick or not.
• Pay special attention to their ears and under legs.

For information on how to prevent ticks while you are outside, refer to our previous blog, Ticks Active In Minnesota Earlier This Year. You will learn all the ways to stay protected while you are outside and hopefully prevent any of your tick checks from turning up with the critters themselves. For more information on pest control services to protect your Minnesota home and property, contact Plunkett’s Pest Control today! With a large Midwest service area, Plunkett’s is sure to have you covered from all the pests you encounter this spring.