We may not see a lot of bug activity in winters, but we all know that once the sun is out again in the summers, they will be here again. Winters offer us warm periods too, sometimes when the temperature goes up a little. Many of us take it as an opportunity to go out and enjoy outdoor settings. During this time, we are not really mindful of ticks and that is where we go wrong.
So, if you are planning a day out in the winters, you should make sure to take the necessary tick control measures in order to avoid ticks.
Snow does NOT wipe the bugs off!
Of course, it is very rare to spot any bugs when there is snow outside, but certainly not impossible. Not being able to see them surely does not mean that they are not around at all. Well, it is true that after laying their eggs, some bugs die out in cold temperatures. However, that is not the case with all ticks. There are some species of ticks that are dormant, even when it is cold, but they can survive through cold temperatures. It is a bit like winter hibernation for animals.
They usually hide in leaves and thick undergrowth, till the cold weather subsides. Now, you must be thinking that the snow on top of the leaves, should kill them. To our great disappointment, ticks are cold-blooded parasites, which means snow simply acts as an insulation from cold outside air for them.
How to Be Safe
Precautions, which you take in the summers to avoid bugs, should also be part of your routine in wintertime, too. Make sure to use tick repellent spray before you go outside. Always ensure that you are aware of the duration (no. of hours) for which this spray is going to be effective for. Either be back before the protection ends or keep it along with you, especially if you plan to spend a lot of time outdoors, or areas that might be infested with bugs and insects.
When venturing out to such places, keeping your skin covered is probably a good idea as it will limit the area of exposure for these disgusting ticks to work on. Wearing long and fully covered outfits does not pose any issues in winters because ultimately, you want to stay warm. Returning back home from places where you feel like you may have caught on to something on your clothing or body, the best thing is to personally inspect yourself before entering inside your home. Better still, ask someone else to check you thoroughly.
When you are checking your body, make sure that you inspect everything properly, including your scalp and face, esp. behind and inside the ears. Make it a monthly routine to get your property sprayed for ticks and bugs.
If you have pets at home, you should examine them for parasites like ticks and fleas, from time to time. Ticks can literally make your pets miserable as they hide out in their fur and make them itch all over their bodies.
Bottom Line
Drop-in temperatures or any change in weather doesn’t really affect ticks. They have been here long enough to know how to adjust in different environments. This is scary because it means that we have no time throughout the year when we can relax and stop worrying about their presence around us. They never leave us alone and we have to be vigilant about them, all the time.