Ticks in Southern California

Southern California is a great place to live. It has a relatively mild temperature, hills and mountains suitable for hiking. But people aren't the only ones who like to live in southern California. Ticks thrive in the meadows, forests and hills, making those people who hike and work outdoors at risk for receiving tick bites. There are several different varieties of ticks, but in general, they have 8 legs and are attracted to warm blooded animals, including humans. Once they find a host, they bite the skin, sinking their heads underneath the skin and suck the blood.

Doctors have determined that there are about 7 diseases that are spread by ticks, but the most well known are Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Lyme Disease. The longer a tick stays embedded under the skin, the more chance the host has of getting infected with a disease it might be carrying. Ticks wait in the grass for an animal to walk by, then they spring onto the animal. They are able to cling onto a host very tightly and will wander over the body until they find a suitable area to begin its feeding. They pick up diseases from the different animals they feed from. Then, after picking up a particular micro-organism from one host, they can transmit it to the next host and so on.

Ticks tend to be more active when the weather is cooler rather than hot. Some ticks never move very far from the area they were born, which means if a female tick lays a lot of eggs in one area, when they hatch, the area will be infested with possibly hundreds of ticks. If a hiker happens to walk by, they could quickly be set upon by a large quantity of the insects. In addition, if the winter produced a lot of rain, the spring vegetation will be thick, giving the ticks extra hiding places.

When a person finds a tick on them, they should remove it as soon as possible. If the tick has already embedded itself into the skin by the time it's discovered, then is needs to be removed quickly, but with care. The most effective method is by carefully removing it with tweezers, making sure all of the head and mouth parts are removed. The old methods of using a hot match is not effective and should be avoided. After removing the tick, the bite should be washed thoroughly. If the area becomes red or inflamed or if the victim runs a fever or feels sick, then a doctor should be consulted as soon as possible.