Ticks are common across the Northern Beaches, particularly in bushland, parks and gardens. While many tick bites cause only mild irritation, some can lead to serious allergic reactions and other health conditions.
Understanding the risks and taking a few simple precautions can help protect you, your family and your pets.
Health risks
When feeding, ticks inject saliva that contains toxins and, in some cases, disease-causing organisms.
While many bites cause only minor irritation, some can result in more serious health complications, including:
- localised skin irritation
- severe allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis
- tick paralysis
- mammalian meat allergy (also known as Alpha-gal syndrome)
- tick-borne infections, such as Queensland tick typhus and spotted fever group rickettsioses.
Seek urgent medical attention if you experience symptoms of a severe allergic reaction, including difficulty breathing, swelling of the face or throat, dizziness, or collapse.
Identifying ticks
Ticks are small arachnids with a beak-like mouthpiece and a pear-shaped body. Their bodies become engorged as they feed on blood.
- Adult ticks are 4mm in size and have 8 legs.
- Nymph stage ticks are 1.2mm in size.
- Larvae are 0.5mm in size and have 6 legs. They are often difficult to see until they become engorged.
When ticks are most active
Ticks are active most of the year, particularly after rain and during periods of high humidity. They are generally most active during the warmer months, between October and January.
The risk of tick-related allergic reactions is highest from the bites of nymph and adult ticks.
Tick hosts and what they feed on
Ticks feed on the blood of animals, including birds, possums, rats, dogs, bandicoots, kangaroos, wallabies, rabbits and humans.
Female ticks take their blood feed from the host animal, while male ticks attach primarily for mating.
Reduce your risk
To help prevent tick bites:
- wear long-sleeve shirts and tuck shirts into pants
- wear long pants tucked into socks
- wear a hat
- wear light coloured clothing
- use a tropical-strength insect repellent and apply it to clothing too
- wear permethrin-treated clothing
- avoid brushing up against vegetation.
Check yourself for ticks
Ticks can wander for up to 2 hours before attaching.
After being in the garden or bushland:
- check your body carefully, especially ears, hairline, scalp, groin area and under the arms
- change clothing
- place unlaundered clothing in a hot dryer for 20 minutes to kill any ticks
- groom and check pets.
Keep ticks out of your garden
- keep lawns mowed and well maintained
- remove weeds and dead vegetation
- prune low vegetation to increase sunlight
- use gravel mulches instead of wood chip and straw
- engage a licensed pest controller if ticks are a recurring problem.
How to remove a tick
Ticks should be killed where they are attached. Do not attempt to remove a live tick.
If you are unsure how to remove a tick or if you experience any symptoms of a bite, seek medical attention.
Removing larvae or nymph
- Use a permethrin-based cream, such as 'Lyclear', directy onto the tick.
- Apply cream lightly. Rubbing the cream in may disturb the tick.
- Leave the tick undisturbed until it dies, which may take one to 3 hours. Avoid disturbing it.
- Once dead, the tick should detach and fall away naturally.
Remove an adult tick
- Use an ether-containing freezing spray, such as a wart or skin tag remover, to kill the tick.
- Hold the nozzle approximately 0.5 cm above the tick and apply multiple sprays (up to 5 times may be required).
- Leave the tick undisturbed until it dies, which may take one to 3 hours. Avoid disturbing it.
- Once dead, the tick should detach and fall away naturally.
If a dead tick does not fall off, it may be carefully removed using fine surgical tweezers or by gently scraping it away in the opposite direction to which it is attached. Avoid squeezing or compressing the tick's body.
What not to do
Avoid removing a live tick. Disturbing a tick can increase the amount of saliva it injects, which may increase the risk of allergic reactions and other adverse health effects.
Do not burn the tick or attempt to pull out a live tick with tweezers.
Do not use home remedies or irritant substances such as:
- methylated spirits
- alcohol
- nail polish remover
- petroleum jelly.