A lot of the tick-bite prevention web sites recommend that you stay away from tick-prone areas. Naturally, tick-prone areas are the places we work in. So what's a respectable, tick-fearing archaeologist to do?
- Wear long, light-colored pants with the cuffs tucked in, and long-sleeved cotton shirts tucked in at the waist. Light-colored, because it'll be easier to spot the teensy devils. Long and tucked-in, because you don't want them on your skin if you can avoid it. You'd be surprised at how cool you can stay in light-cotton long pants even on the hottest days.
- Do a tick check. When you come out of the field, check your clothes carefully and examine your skin in detail. Check those little places, your bellybutton, back of your ear, etc.
- You can, if you live in a high-risk area, buy one of the available insecticides on the market. Permethrin, which is available commercially as two or three different products and comes in a thin solution that can be washed into your clothing, is recommended by some agencies. But read the instructions carefully; Permethrin is a pesticide and you don't want to expose yourself to its dangers unnecessarily.
And if you've found a feeding tick?
- Remove it with tweezers or tick pliers placed as close to the skin as possible. Pull slowly and steadily to ease out the mouthparts; these may be anchored in your skin and will break off if you pull too quickly. Don't squeeze the tick body as you pull it off; that could inject bacteria into your body.
