The Lowdown on Lyme Disease

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If tick levels are high and you need to be in their habitat a lot, you may want to try the pesticide permethrin on your clothes. Duffy says he and the other researchers involved in his study protected themselves by spraying their clothing (long trousers tucked into socks) with permethrin-based products. "It locks on to fabric, so it doesn't come off in the wash," he says. "We lined our trousers up on the porch, sprayed them and let them dry. They were good for five or six washes each, or two weeks at least."

If you opt to use permethrin, remember: Do not apply it to your skin—only to your clothes. Weld advises not spraying permethrin on clothes above your waist to avoid breathing fumes your body heat may trigger.

If you do find an attached tick, remove it carefully using fine-tipped tweezers or forceps. Then wipe the bite with an antiseptic, circle it with a permanent marker, and wash your hands and tweezers. Check the bite location every few days for a rash or other unusual inflammation, and promptly seek medical attention if you see or experience any symptoms of Lyme disease. The disease is usually curable when treated in its early stages, but if you wait too long, you could be in for a long and difficult recovery.

MOTHER EARTH NEWS contributing editor Barbara Pleasant is the author of The Gardener's Bug Book. Another of her books, Garden Stone, received the Garden Globe Award from the Garden Writers Association of America.

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