Name: Jason
Age: N/A
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: N/A
Question:
Dear Newton,
How can ticks be killed?
Is fire the only option?
Replies:
Ticks, like flies, lice, fleas and mosquitoes have been a potential
health hazard and a concern to humans. Entomologists have placed a
large effort of their research in learning ecological and life cycles
of these organisms. Since man has been unable to exterminate any
insect or their relatives, this approach is deemed unreasonable.
Detailed knowledge of habits of the tick is important in knowing how
to avoid contact with them. This approach has offered good results
with the lyme disease problem and prevention programs. We have learned
that the carrier of this disease uses deer and deer mice as part of
their life cycles. (Peromyscus maniculatus or leucopus). People
who handle these organisms should be aware of these facts to avoid
tick contact.
If your questions was about how to remove them from the body, the
best rule of thumb is do so in a way that will cause the tick to
remove itself from its bite hold. Heat usually succeeds in doing this,
some chemicals such as alcohol may have similar results.
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