[AtreyuFreak]

Yes, the creepy little blood-sucking bug. We have them.

We just moved to a new house on the lake. Gorgeous scenery, but the wooded area bordering our backyard means (yep, you guessed it) ticks.

I am FRRRREAKING OUT! I have checked myself, all over, several times and it's not helping. Every time I get (or imagine) an itch, I automatically assume it's a tick.

I have a few questions: What do ticks look like? Where do they "hide" on your body? How do you kill them? And (most importantly)...how do I stop freaking out?!?!?!

Seriously, I'm afraid to go outside right now. I won't let my dogs near me, in case they're carrying one (or several...). What do I do??????

[BNLsMOM]

You can get tick repellant spray for yourself and tick repellant for your dog. That will help protect you. It is a good idea to check yourself each time you have spent time outside.

Creepy alert...

If you have one, they like to hide in warm spots like arm pits and places with hair like your head. You will know if you have one because you will see a raised black spot and some legs. If you have one on your head, you will feel a raised spot. It is usually a bit sore. To remove a tick, use tweezers. Get as close to the skin as possible to get all of the tick including the mouth parts.

Watch for a rash after removing a tick in case it was carrying lyme disease.

As for freaking out, I don't know how to spot that. My son had a tick last week and since then I am grossed out and freaking about every itch on my body. I am bringing him to the doctor tomorrow because he has developed a rash. I don't think it is the lyme rash, but I want to be careful anyway.

I hope this was helpful...