Are ticks worse this year? Tips on how to avoid them
PROVINCETOWN -- Ticks may be tiny but they can carry a dangerous bite. They are already being reported all along Cape Cod and word is spreading.
"It's been very talked, about much more so than any other year since I have been living here over the past 15 years," said Carolyn Kramer of Provincetown.
She was bit by a tick 15 years ago -- she had just moved to Provincetown -- and the 62-year-old contracted Lyme disease.
Life hasn't been the same since.
"My brain is working at about a quarter of what it used to work at. I used to be able to multitask a hundred things at once now I can barely do one," Kramer said.
She told WBZ-TV neighbors are finding ticks on their dogs after walking the beach. Dozens of ticks in some cases.
"People are doing more outdoor activities which leads to more exposure risks for ticks," said Larry Dapsis of Cape Cod Cooperative Extension.
Dapsis has spent his career studying ticks. He said there aren't necessarily more ticks this year compared to last -- despite the fact that his phone hasn't stopped ringing.
"Ticks are not going to be on the beach per se - there are ticks up in the dune grasses but in my experience, those are usually dog ticks but those are more of an annoyance than a direct threat," said Dapsis.
There are simple things each of us can do to stay safe, according to Dapsis. Avoid wearing flip-flops and wear covered shoes instead. When you come home, throw clothes in the dryer for 20 minutes. Do a tick check and use tweezers to remove them.
Kramer hopes people take these steps seriously.
"I wouldn't wish this on anyone. Even people I don't particularly like," Kramer said.