Massachusetts First

Mother Nature’s Shield

Mother Nature’s Shield. 🌿🛡️

Oils that ticks hate: 🦟
• Tea Tree — Ticks panic and flee on contact. 🌲
• Neem — Powerhouse; it wrecks their feeding. 🌳
• Oregano — Kills tick-borne bacteria on contact. 🌿
• Black Seed — Creates an invisible barrier. 🌑
• Cedarwood — Toxic to ticks and larvae; they retreat or drop off instantly. 🌲
• Clove Bud — Repels up to 83% of ticks at low concentrations in lab studies. 🌸
• Thyme (red or creeping) — Ticks hate the scent; better when mixed with others. 🌿
• Lemon Eucalyptus — Repels blacklegged and dog ticks for hours on clothes or skin. 🍋🌿

How to use: Mix a few drops (diluted safely in carrier oil or water + witch hazel) and spray on socks, pants, yard perimeter, pets’ bedding, and skin. Reapply often. Diffuse or wipe baseboards indoors. 🧴💦

To safely remove a tick:
1. Grasp it close to the skin with fine-tipped tweezers.
2. Pull straight up with steady, even pressure; do not twist or jerk.
3. Disinfect the bite area and hands with rubbing alcohol or soap and water.
4. Dispose of the tick by submerging it in alcohol, sealing it in a bag, wrapping it in tape, or flushing it. Never crush it with your fingers.

See a doctor immediately if:
– Fever or flu-like symptoms occur weeks after a tick bite.
– A red, expanding rash appears (photograph daily to track size).
– A severe allergic reaction (breathing difficulty, severe swelling) or sudden neurological symptoms occur.
– You cannot remove the tick or embedded mouthparts.

For more detailed information on tick-borne diseases, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or review local health department advisories. 🏥📋 https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/index.html 🔗

Robert F. Kennedy visited Concord, NH, for his health tour in May. RFK Jr. said, “After the disease at its source by reducing tick populations. By disrupting their breeding cycles, we aim to slow the spread of Lyme disease and protect more Americans from infection.” Spectrum News, May 29.

What You Need To Know
Amid a record-breaking early tick bite season, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced several new actions to help combat Lyme disease. A systemic infection caused by a bacterium that is transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected tick, Lyme disease is the most common illness caused by living organisms that transmit pathogens from their hosts, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The initiatives include a multi-million-dollar pilot program to control ticks, a new private-public collaboration to help Lyme disease patients find experienced doctors to treat them, and $2.5 million in prize funding to develop public awareness campaigns and investigate the repurposing of existing drugs to combat the disease.

The HHS launched the website in partnership with the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society for patients to find doctors and data at Lyme-disease.gov.

Mother Nature’s Shield. 🌿🛡️

Oils that ticks hate: 🦟🚫
• Tea Tree — Ticks panic and flee on contact. 🌲
• Neem — Powerhouse; it wrecks their feeding. 🌳
• Oregano — Kills tick-borne bacteria on contact. 🌿
• Black Seed — Creates an invisible barrier. 🌑
• Cedarwood — Toxic to ticks and larvae; they retreat or drop off instantly. 🌲
• Clove Bud — Repels up to 83% of ticks at low concentrations in lab studies. 🌸
• Thyme (red or creeping) — Ticks hate the scent; better when mixed with others. 🌿
• Lemon Eucalyptus — Repels blacklegged and dog ticks for hours on clothes or skin. 🍋🌿

How to use: Mix a few drops (diluted safely in carrier oil or water + witch hazel) and spray on socks, pants, yard perimeter, pets’ bedding, and skin. Reapply often. Diffuse or wipe baseboards indoors. 🧴💦

To safely remove a tick:
1. Grasp it close to the skin with fine-tipped tweezers.
2. Pull straight up with steady, even pressure; do not twist or jerk.
3. Disinfect the bite area and hands with rubbing alcohol or soap and water.
4. Dispose of the tick by submerging it in alcohol, sealing it in a bag, wrapping it in tape, or flushing it. Never crush it with your fingers.

See a doctor immediately if:
– Fever or flu-like symptoms occur weeks after a tick bite.
– A red, expanding rash appears (photograph daily to track size).
– A severe allergic reaction (breathing difficulty, severe swelling) or sudden neurological symptoms occur.
– You cannot remove the tick or embedded mouthparts.

For more detailed information on tick-borne diseases, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or review local health department advisories. 🏥📋 https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/index.html 🔗