While ticks don’t just come out in summer, along with midges, clegs, wasps – and slow caravans on a busy trunk road – they are one of the pests which you notice more at this time of year. 

We all need to be aware but please don’t let them spoil your walk. 

Ticks are tiny blood-sucking arachnids which can be found in areas of dense vegetation, such as long grass or bracken. They can attach themselves to you and feed on your blood by biting through your skin. Ticks are known to carry a variety of diseases. The most serious of these is Lyme disease, which can be transmitted through the bite of an infected sheep tick.

Lyme Disease Facts

• Lyme disease is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi.
• It can be transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected tick.
• It has a clinical diagnosis.
• It cannot be confidently ruled out by any current test.
• It can be difficult to diagnose.
• Lyme disease symptoms overlap with those of many other diseases.
• Early symptoms may include headache, fatigue, fever, facial palsy and a skin rash. 
• It may spread to affect the whole body including eyes, joints, heart and brain.
• If inadequately treated or treated late, it may be difficult to cure.
• Lyme disease is treated with antibiotics.
• Lyme disease was named in 1975, after a number of cases occurred in Old Lyme, Connecticut, USA.
• Lyme disease is not a new disease, it was known in mainland Europe under different names in the early 20th century and the bacterium was carried by Neolithic “Ötzi the Iceman”.
• The first confirmed case in the UK was reported in 1985.
• Lyme disease-carrying ticks can be found throughout the UK in urban parks and gardens as well as in the countryside, but the % of infected ticks is (at the moment) much lower than in most of Europe.
• Lyme disease is not spelt Lymes disease, Limes disease or Lime disease.
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If you are planning to go walking in an area of dense vegetation, consider taking the following precautions:

• Wear trousers and long-sleeved shirts, keep cuffs fastened & trousers tucked into socks.
• Wear shoes or boots rather than open sandals.
• Use insect repellent: DEET or Permethrin can protect against ticks for several hours.
• If you find a tick, remove it quickly, preferably with a specially-designed tick removal tool. These are better than household tweezers as they avoid the risk of squashing the tick and releasing fluids into your skin. In an emergency you can use a thread of cotton looped around the tick’s mouthparts, which you then pull steadily upwards.
• After your walk, carefully brush all clothing and examine yourself for ticks. Pay special attention to their favourite feeding places: the backs of knees, around the groin, under the arms and, especially on small children, the hairline and scalp.
• If part of the tick breaks off or you think any part of it may be left in your skin, wash the site thoroughly but don’t worry about digging with a needle as that may do more damage. Your body will deal with any embedded remains. Consult a doctor if the small area of redness gets worse. 
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Further information on Lyme disease and ticks can be obtained from NHS Direct, or from the charity Lyme Disease Action, which has a range of free literature on the subject, and a selection of tick removers.