According to Nancy Hinkle, a professor of entomology in UGA’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, you cannot get Lyme disease from a tick in the summer or fall in the Southeast.
The carrier is a winter tick, or deer tick. All species of ticks carry a pathogen. Most ticks are not infected, but they have the potential to transmit diseases.
“We don’t need to fear them. Ticks are everywhere,” Hinkle said. “They’re part of the ecology. They’re a natural part of our world.”
We just need to be cautious. Hinkle suggests three things to do when you go hiking or out in the woods:
• Don’t sit down on the grass if you can avoid it.
• Before you go, treat your body with DEET and your clothing with Permethrin.
• When you get home from being in the woods, strip down and do a tick check.
Source: College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
