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The Maple Street Co-op

Tick Prevention


Life may be heavenly on the Range, but one drawback is the tick issue. We want you to avoid infection, anaphylaxis and illnesses such as Queensland tick typhus and Mammalian meat allergy.


Five tips to prevent tick bites.


1. Keep grass short. Ticks like to sit on the end of long grass waiting for their next meal (you and your animals) to arrive.

2. Avoid the grass after rain

3. Use a preventative personal repellent on shoes and clothes

4. Wear light-coloured long-sleeved and legged clothes. Tuck pants into socks. After gardening, run a sticky lint roller over clothes to remove larval ticks. Wash clothes and pop in the dryer to be sure ticks are killed

5. Wash your body and hair well and then inspect yourself, including under your arms and groin area.


If a tick is embedded in your skin:

FREEZE, DON’T SQUEEZE! Don’t use tweezers or any strong chemicals such as alcohol as the tick may inject saliva and increase your risk of illness. If you develop anaphylactic symptoms, or paralysis symptoms call 000 immediately - this is a medical emergency. If it is your first tick bite, or you are pregnant visit the hospital for removal.

1. If an adult tick is on your body, use an ether spray to freeze the tick. If it's on your face, don’t use the ether spray; please seek medical help.

2. After spraying with ether, apply antiseptic and wait for the tick to come off

3. Check that the entire tick has been removed

4. Tiny ticks can be killed in place with permethrin cream.

5. If you develop symptoms of fever, muscle aches, headaches, rashes, if a bite increases in size or appears infected, or feel you sick after eating meat please see a healthcare professional.

Essential Oils shown to kill or repel ticks are Lavender, Peppermint, Rosemary, Lemon Eucalyptus, Citronella, Spearmint, Oregano, Geranium and Thyme.

According to the Tisserand Institute, the concentration of essential oils should be 2.5% for skin application and 3% for spraying on clothes. Oil doesn’t dissolve in water, so if you intend to apply it in this way, you’ll need a dispersing agent. The base can also be added to a carrier oil or aloe vera jelly.

Patch test for safety. Ask your vet which essential oils are safe to be used around pets. This is intended as general information only. Please always seek medical advice for babies and children under 18. Pregnant or breastfeeding women should seek advice from a pharmacist regarding permethrin and their health care practitioner regarding essential oil safety.

Rachel Laity is one of the Co-op’s Naturopaths and her own practice details can be found at

She has special interests in the skin, thyroid health, environmental health, healthy aging, and auto-immune diseases. "I also love delving into research for people with complicated cases because I'm a research nerd."


2024




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