How to prevent yourself from getting bitten by ticks

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – One of the most dangerous creatures to encounter while out doing yard work can be a tick. But what kinds of ticks are prevalent in south central Kentucky?

“We have several different ones, we have the Lone Star tick, we have the American Dog tick. There’s been some other ones that we have found and located: the black legged tick, so on and so forth. If you find a tick and you need to know exactly what it is, you can bring it in to the extension office here in Warren County and we can identify that for you,” Kristin Hildabrand with the Warren County Extension Office’s Horticulture Department says.

One way to spot them in your backyard is to check your skin regularly.

“Ticks generally like shaded areas. If you know you’re going to be in those type of areas, I would just say to protect yourself really well, especially if you know you’re going to be out there for several hours,” Hildabrand says.

If you’re hiking at Mammoth Cave, you don’t need to be too worried about these ticks if you stay on the trails.

“Avoid those tall, grassy areas or bushy areas. That’s where ticks like to hang out and wave their little tick arms and try to grab unsuspecting animals or people to grasp onto as they go by. If you stay in the middle of the trail areas without going into those tall grass areas, it’s less likely the ticks are going to be able to actually get onto you,” Mammoth Cave National Park’s Public Information Officer Molly Schroer says.

An important way to prevent ticks from attaching to you, whether hiking or enjoying summer.

“It’s also helpful to wear light colored clothing, long sleeves and long pants. The light-colored clothing allows you to actually see those ticks when they get on your body and you can remove them quickly before they can actually attach to you,” Schroer says.