FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Reduce the Risk of a Tick Bite

PARSIPPANY, NJ, July 5, 2008 – Walking through the woods on a sunny day, working outdoors to maintain a home and walking to the curb to get the mail have one thing in common, each situation puts people at risk of encountering ticks.

“Ticks are an extremely harmful pest,” said Phil Pierce, Technical Services Manager at Western Pest Services.  “The average person will not feel a nymphal tick, an immature tick, bite, which causes more than 80 percent of Lyme disease cases.  That is why it is imperative to remain vigilant and always check yourself after you return from areas that are known to be tick habitats.”

Ticks live in shaded and protected areas, like wooded lots and forests, places with low-growing brushy vegetation or leaf litter, and attach themselves to passing animals or people.  Once attached, the tick will crawl to a vulnerable spot, and much like the mosquito, will bite with the intention of gorging itself on blood.

When ticks bite humans they sometimes spread debilitating diseases like Lyme disease or Rocky Mountain spotted fever.  A few tips to quickly identify ticks and to prevent tick bites include:

• Wear light colored clothing; tucking pant legs into socks, shirts into pants
• Avoid tick habitats
• When returning indoors perform a cursory examination on all exposed areas and clothing to determine if a tick is present

If a tick is found, and it is embedded in the skin, here are a few tips to remove the tick safely:

• Using fine-tipped tweezers, grasp the tick firmly by the head and pull directly upward with steady, even force

Ticks

• Avoid twisting or squeezing the tick, which can puncture the tick’s body, because its body fluids may contain infectious organisms
• After removing the tick, wash and disinfect the site and wash both hands thoroughly
• Save the tick in a small, sealed vial or jar for later reference in case an illness develops

For more information, or to schedule a free home inspection, contact Western Pest Services at 1-877-250-3857 or visit www.westernpest.com.

Western Pest Services, a subsidiary of Rollins, Inc., has locations across the eastern seaboard and is dedicated to providing high quality pest control solutions to its customers.