As warmer weather arrives, keep a watchful eye out for ticks

COBB COUNTY, Ga. — Warmer weather is great for getting outdoors.

But as you’re enjoying the warmth, so are ticks.

Severe Weather Team 2 Meteorologist Eboni Deon learned what you should do to avoid the dangers of a tick bite.

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“I’ve had plenty of encounters with ticks,” Benjy Von Cramos said.

Von Cramos was bitten while cavin, but luckily has never fallen ill.

“Caves are in the woods. There’s not often a trail that goes to them. So you’re cutting through brush and ticks are especially a problem with you’re close to the brush,” Von Cramos said.

Reports of tick bites increase in the warmer months.

But with the climate in north Georgia, ticks are active year-round.

“Anywhere when you’re outdoors, if you see a lot of wooded bushy areas, that’s where you’d commonly find ticks,” Sasha Smith said.

She’s chief epidemiologist for the Fulton County Board of Health.

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Smith said after a day out on nature trails or in your garden, it’s important to do a body check.

“Checking your hair, checking around your body, under your arms, your stomach area, bellybutton, behind your knees,” Smith said.

If you see the tick crawling on you, remove it immediately, she said.

Use tweezers to pull it straight out and clean the area.

Then stay aware.

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Signs of a tick-borne illness can take as long as 30 days to appear.

“Unexplained fever or chills, a rash in the area of the bite, headaches, fatigue... it’s really important to talk to your doctor and get tested,” Smith said.

You can become very sick.

“We do see Lyme disease here in Georgia, but we have other tick-borne diseases such as Ehrlichiosis, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and Anaplasmosis,” Smith said.

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