The month of May is Lyme Awareness month as it marks a time when ticks are emerging from colder temperatures and coming back on migratory birds, looking for a life-sustaining blood meal. While we know that Lyme disease can be transmitted from several vectors, ticks still represent the greatest threat.

Many are still unaware of the devastating effects Lyme disease can bring about. BioHeal Ottawa is a clinic that’s well known for treating stubborn, complex chronic illnesses, and Lyme disease is chief among the chronic states that we routinely see. But, by being aware of just a few simple steps you can protect yourself against tick bites and still enjoy the outdoors.

• For the next month, wear long pants and socks if you plan to go hiking. We may all be desiring to finally expose our skin to the warm sun, but hiking pants still provide the best protection to you.

• If you’re going outside for a hike, golf or mountain biking, be sure to do tick checks every now and then.

• Try and stay clear of leaf piles and shrubbery on the edge of paths. Golfer’s, when you’re searching in the scrub for your ball, bear in mind that all these minor contacts with branches are when ticks can attach themselves to you, even up at head level.

• Keep a handy tick removal tool on hand at home, at the cottage or in the car, just in case you need to extract a tick from someone. The key is to be sure to get the whole tick out and not simply break it and leave the head embedded. Also, avoid squeezing the tick so as not to make it regurgitate its contents into you. There are several good tools out there for this task, but we like the type that slowly twists the head of the tick until it releases entirely.

• If you have a pet dog, consider applying a monthly topical treatment, such as Advantix, as the treatment effectively repels ticks, fleas and lice and many types of flies from attaching themselves. This reduces the chance that your loving dog is bringing these vectors back into your home where they can bite you.

• Lastly, try using a good insect repellant. BioHeal has created a recipe for a strong, natural repellant that’s easy to make. This insect repellent is non-toxic, nice smelling and will ward off ticks and sandflies that carry Lyme, Bart onella and other co-infections. The bergamot specifically targets ticks and the sesame oil targets sandflies.

Ingredients:

• 100-250ml spray bottle
• 40-80 drops Solvarome essential oil blend
• 25 drops Bergamot
• 2 tablespoon unroasted sesame oil
• Top up the rest of the bottle with water
• Optional: citronella essential oil
• Optional for pets: same mixture as above but top up the spray bottle with 50% water and 50% vinegar