'Careful in tall grass' tips on avoiding ticks

Experts, parents and dog owners will all say the same thing, ticks suck.

The small bugs have been spotted all over Saskatoon, now that the weather is warmer experts ask that people be proactive to prevent bites.

“Ticks don’t jump onto you, but when you walk through long grass and you run across the blades, they will latch on,” said Dr. Johnmark Opongo, Saskatoon’s Deputy Medical Health Officer.

The most common ways to prevent ticks is to avoid grassy, wooded areas. If you are in spots with long grass, it’s recommended to wear pants, even tuck them into your socks to cover and skin.

“Bug spray also works well to repel the ticks and some will even kill them,” Opongo said.

Before you come inside, it’s important to check yourself and you children for ticks. 

Opondo even had some tips for making sure you get ticks hiding in your clothes.

“You can quickly disinfect them by putting them in the dryer for about 15 minutes, that should kill them,” Opondo told 650 CKOM.

If the tick is attached to your skin Opondo recommends tweezers.

“It’s important to remove the tick by the head part because if you pull from the body the head may stay in your skin.” he said.

While ticks are mainly harmless, some may carry Lyme disease, the province’s website has details on what you can do if you find ticks and want them tested for the bacteria.