BOSTON (WHDH) - Everyone has their way of avoiding them. Whether it’s bug spray, or wearing long sleeves and pants, precautions are needed this year, perhaps more than most.
CDC data shows that in the month of May, there were more ER cases here in the northeast than any other month since 2019. Derek Williamson says he checks for ticks after every ride.
“Yea I can stand them,” said Williamson. “Little ticks bother me. I freak out when they got me. Luckily I’ve been lucky so far.”
Scott Murphy had Lyme Disease before. He takes it a step further.
“For me I woke up with night sweats, totally soaked through and immense fatigue,” said Murphy. “And I’m an outdoorsman, I work outdoors and I’m a sportsman. And I actually now send my clothes to a place called insect shield where they put permethrin in the clothing and it’s good for 72 cases or 180 days and that really helps.”
There are at least four different types of ticks in New England, which can cause a host of illnesses.
If you do find a tick attached, experts say to remove it with tweezers and call your doctor if a rash forms.
Those 7NEWS spoke with love being outdoors, and even a bad tick season won’t stop them.
“Because you don’t want to stop living. You want to get out into the outdoors. It’s beautiful. This is a beautiful place so you just have to be vigilant and make sure to do the best you can to live with them as best you can.”
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