Over recent years, ticks have become more and more prevalent. If you are on social media at all you have probably seen the stories of people who thought they would never come in contact with a tick ending up with Lyme disease.
The answer, of course, is not to never go out and enjoy the wilderness. Taking a few minutes to assemble a tick kit for your next RV camping trip can help to prevent any of the scary illnesses brought on by bacteria in tick saliva. If you have ever seen, read an article about, or known someone with Lyme disease, you will know the importance of having a tick kit at the ready.
Taking a few minutes to assemble a tick kit before your next camping trip is quick and easy and you may already have the items you need on hand. For your kit you will need rubbing alcohol or iodine scrub, sealable bags or tape, and a pair of fine tip tweezers. Take all of the kit items and place them in a clearly labeled small box or pouch so all of the items are together and ready to go.
The next step is to learn about how to remove a tick before they latch on to your body. This is where the tweezers in the kit come in handy. There are special tick removal devices you can purchase, but the Center for Disease Control and Prevention states that a pair of pointy tipped tweezers will do the job. Use the tweezers to grasp the tick as close as you can near the skin and pull it away with constant, steady, and even pressure. Be careful not to twist or jerk a tick, this could cause body parts of the tiny pest to break off and maybe even cause it to leave more saliva behind. Tick saliva is where the disease causing bacteria live.
Once the tick is removed, do not dispose of it. Place the tick in a sealed bag or wrap it tightly in tape. You can also tape the tick to an index card. Keeping the tick is useful should you need to see a doctor if irritation occurs. It is also a good idea to write down the time and date the tick was removed. The CDC states you can dispose of a tick by flushing it down the toilet.
Do not look to other tick removal “hacks”; the only way to remove a tick is with tweezers and careful pressure. Stay away from methods like painting the tick with nail polish or petroleum jelly, dousing with peppermint essential oil, or the use of heat. You want to remove the tick from the body as quickly as possible and not wait for it to detach from the skin.
Having a tick kit handy can make a huge difference in your likelihood to contract a serious illness.
For more tips on RV camping or information on RV rental please feel free to browse our website or contact us anytime. NW Adventure Rentals has a luxurious fleets of motorhomes and travel trailers, conveniently located in the Pacific Northwest at our Seattle location! Let us help you have a great outdoor vacation!
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