After the long winter months, many of us welcome spring with open arms. We venture out to the great outdoors with our families to experience Missouri’s nature at its best. However, most of us are unaware that we’re walking into an arena of potential hazards.

Fort Leonard Wood is surrounded by thick wooded areas that house many insects, animals and creatures that can be harmful to our health. Of all the dangers, ticks pose a silent threat to many of us.

Ticks are small, blood sucking mites that usually live on blood from larger animals such as deer, but also feed on human blood as well. Tick bites have been known to cause illnesses such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever, lyme disease, tularemia and ehrlichiosis.

While these diseases have been found in Missouri, it’s not common for individuals who have been bitten by a tick to be diagnosed with them. The two most common species of ticks found in Missouri are the lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum, and the American dog tick, Dermacentor variabilis.

Ticks can be sneaky creatures who attach themselves to any part of your body at any opportune time. The only thing worse than finding a tick climbing up your leg is finding one already attached and feeding off of you or your child.

Ticks feed off their hosts’ blood without causing pain or discomfort. While the amount of blood the tick obtains from the host is minimal, the potential for disease transmission increases the longer the tick is attached.

Most disease transmission occurs after a tick has been attached to the host for longer than 24 to 36 hours. Promptly removing tick will decrease the likelihood of infection dramatically.

Once a tick is found on either a pet or human, it’s best to try to remove it as soon as it’s discovered. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not advised that you hold a lighter to the tick, smear petroleum jelly, douse it with nail polish or squeeze its body and kill it while their mouths are still imbedded into the host.

The correct method of removing a tick is to use a pair of tweezers or forceps, grab the tick as close to the surface of the skins as possible and slowly pull it straight out of the host. It’s very important that you do not squeeze the tick while in the body. This is to prevent the tick from transmitting any disease-causing organisms into the body.

After you’ve removed the tick, dispose of it by crushing it between two rocks, take the heel of your shoe and crush it, or drop it in rubbing alcohol. Wash the area where the tick was attached with hot soapy water and apply a bacterial ointment.

Prevention is the best way to avoid being bitten by a tick. Ticks live in areas with tall grass, brush, wood piles and wood lines.

It’s recommended that if you are knowingly going to be in these areas you wear long pants tucked into your boots and a long sleeve shirt, both treated with a permethrin-based repellant.

There are many insect repellants that can be used on skin that have a DEET base and are safe to use as directed. Anytime you and your family are out in the elements, or even when your children come in for the evening after rolling around in the grass, it’s suggested that you complete a thorough body check, focusing on the scalp, armpits and groin areas. In the event that you do find a tick, follow the instructions mentioned.

There are many steps that we can take to prevent an infestation of ticks in the areas surrounding our homes. First, be sure to remove any piles of leaves or vegetation that has been stagnant for awhile.

Second, keep your grass trimmed, and dispose of grass piles immediately. Finally, since birds can be tick carriers, try to keep bird feeders and baths away from your home. This will reduce the chance that they will carry ticks into your yards. These simple steps can help reduce a growing problem around heavily wooded areas like Fort Leonard Wood.

If you have questions or concerns about ticks, preventing diseases caused by ticks or tick removal, contact the Community Health Resource Center at (573) 596-0518 or (573) 329-1935.