Passport to Texas

This is Passport to Texas

Anyone who enjoys the outdoors has probably had a run-in with a tick.

Music–Under My Skin

And under your skin is where this denizen of field and forest embeds its mouth parts as it dines…and the meal is on you… actually it is you.

Ticks are after blood…but corpuscle cuisine is too thick for them to consume easily. To thin his meal, the tick secretes saliva into the puncture wound, which is not only disgusting, but potentially dangerous as this arthropod harbors bacteria in its gut.

Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Lyme disease are two possible outcomes of tick bites. Your first line of defense is a good offense. Wearing long sleeved shirts and long pants with the cuffs tucked into your socks is a start. And donning light colored clothing allows you to spot ticks more quickly. Oh, and don’t forget insect repellents.

Always use the buddy system to check your body during and after outdoor excursions — and don’t be modest – the ticks aren’t.

Music–I’m too sexy

To remove ticks grasp them by their mouth parts with tweezers and pull straight up. If you develop flu-like symptoms after a bite…see your physician immediately.

That’s our show for today…

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti

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