Tick-ing Time Bombs

Inspect your youngest ones from toe to head, especially their hair

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A few other tick-fighting tips:

Long-sleeve shirts and long pants can help shield your family, but ticks can crawl all over clothes in search of skin. You may want to consider applying insect repellents to your kids' clothing.

Light-colored clothing is a huge help in the detection department, making ticks much easier to spot. On the evening of our tick-ridden stroll, I was dressed in dark pants and a sweater, making detection virtually impossible. We shone a spotlight on my clothes and found quite a few.

Don't assume that babies and infants riding high in child carriers are safe. Although ticks don't fly or jump, they're expert crawlers and can fall off leaves and branches. After a recent outing I found a tick inside my one-year-old's shoe.

Teach older kids to inspect themselves. Get young kids naked at the end of the day. Inspect them from toe to head, especially their hair, a favorite hiding place. Check all those nooks and crannies favored by ticks, where skin is thin and blood flows close to the surface.

Keep an eagle eye in your home or tent. Ticks ride in on people and pets, then drop off and go on a drinking binge. Lately I've found ticks crawling inside our house, ready to cause trouble. Flush the varmints; they're tough to crush.