Larvae will then attach to a host and feed over several days, before dropping off to moult to the nymph stage. Larval ticks hatch and can survive for weeks without a bloodmeal. Once engorged, the female will drop from the host and lay a clutch of eggs. Ornate kangaroo tick ( Amblyomma triguttatum)Īll female ticks need to take a blood meal before producing eggs. It can take up to three years for a tick to complete its life cycle, but many die in process, seeking a host. Life cycleĪ tick life cycle generally involves four stages: egg, larva, nymph and adult. This coincides with the spring, summer and autumn months, when the weather is warmer. Peak tick season in WA runs from September to April. They can also actively move toward a host, so care should be taken when resting in open natural environments, including nature reserves, designated clearings and camp grounds. Luckily, most tickborne illnesses can be treated with a short course of antibiotics.Ticks are found throughout WA in bushland or long, grassy environments where they may climb up blades of grass or vegetation and wait for a host (animal or person) to pass by. Rodney says, noting that this also warrants a trip to your doctor immediately.įrom there, they will ask more specific questions about your symptoms and tick exposure history, and give you a blood test to ensure a proper diagnosis. “If you get some flu-like symptoms such as body aches, fatigue, fever, and chills, this could be an indication that you may have been infected by the bacteria that causes Lyme disease ,” Dr. If you suspect that your tick bite is infected, you’ll want to contact your dermatologist or primary care doctor about treating the bite itself. Goldenberg says, and it may be growing in size. There are two potential things you’ll want to look out for: a full-on infection of the actual tick bite and signs of tickborne illness.Īn infected tick bite will cause discharge, swelling, and pain, Dr. Those can include but are not limited to: While you’re tending to the area, the CDC specifically recommends looking out for symptoms of tickborne illness, like Lyme disease, for the next 30 days. The bite can take up to two weeks to heal. But if the bite becomes further inflamed or crusted, applying “an antibiotic cream may be helpful” toward lowering the risk of infection and tamping down lingering inflammation, says board-certified dermatologist Gary Goldenberg, M.D., an assistant clinical professor of dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. You shouldn’t panic if it ends up looking like a mosquito bite for a few days afterward. These Pictures Can Help You Identify a Tick Bite.Rodney says that “it would help if you covered the tick bite with a light bandage to protect the area from dirt and bacteria.” You’ll also want to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water afterward. Rodney, M.D., founding director of Eternal Dermatology + Aesthetics in Fulton, MD. “This keeps the area clean and prevents bacteria or other irritants from spreading to other areas of your skin,” says board-certified dermatologist Ife J. Once the tick is removed, the CDC recommends cleaning the bite area with rubbing alcohol or soap and water. If you want to bring the tick to your doctor to help ID it, put it in rubbing alcohol or place the tick in a sealed bag or container. Dispose of the tick by flushing it down the toilet.(Don’t twist or jerk the tick to avoid leaving mouthparts behind.) Pull upward with steady, even pressure.Use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin as you can.The longer it stays attached, the bigger it gets as it feeds on your blood-and the greater the risk of disease transmission. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has very specific directions: Happen to find one on you? Before you can treat the bite, it’s important to understand how to properly remove a tick. Don’t be surprised if it turns into a small red bump or feels tender and itchy, especially right after the initial bite.Īnd even though you can find a tick attached to any part of your body, they gravitate toward tucked-away areas that tend to be warm and moist, like the armpits, behind the knees, and around the groin. While the look and feel of a tick bite varies from person to person, you can develop a reaction to it like any other insect bite. Even when you do everything in your power to prevent tick bites, they can still happen-the disease-carrying pests are super tiny, after all.
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