Hastings and Prince Edward Public Health wants you to be lookout for black-legged ticks if you’re spending time outdoors.
The health unit says that’s because ticks can carry Lyme Disease, which can lead to ‘bull’s eye rash,’ fevers, chills, headaches, fatigue, muscle and joint aches, and swollen lymph nodes.
After you go outside, checking yourself, your clothes, your kids, and your pets, can reduce your risk of developing the disease if you get rid of the ticks quickly. You can also reduce your risk of being bit by ticks by wearing light-coloured clothes, long pants and sleeves, closed-toe shoes, and applying insect repellent with DEET.