What to do after a tick bite, how to spot warning signs, and when to see a doctor, with guidance for Middle Tennessee families and pet owners.
A tick put our COO, J.K., in the ER twice. Here’s what our family changed to build a tick-safe yard, what the CDC and Tennessee Department of Health say works, and why winter isn’t a free pass.
Just ask around Middle Tennessee and you will hear some version of: “there’s no Lyme in Tennessee” delivered as settled fact. It is a half-truth, and a dangerous one — not because Lyme is common here, but because it leaves people believing tick bites in Tennessee are of less concern. They are not. Tennessee consistently…
The text from the doctor came in on a Tuesday afternoon. Ehrlichiosis, confirmed. I had spent a week and a half telling people we did not know the diagnosis yet. Having a name for it helped more than I expected it to. What surprised me was looking up the Tennessee numbers afterward and realizing that…
Someone eats a hamburger at 6 pm and feels fine. At 10 the next morning, they wake up covered in hives, with stomach cramps, and in serious cases, trouble breathing. Because the reaction came four hours after the meal rather than four minutes, almost nobody, including many physicians, connects it to the food. That is…
The fever came on a Saturday, two days after the tick was removed. By that evening, J.K. was in the emergency room. They ran the tests you would expect them to run. Nothing came back that explained his symptoms. They sent him home. I need you to sit with that for a second, because that…
Somebody pulls a tick off an ankle, takes a picture of it, and asks the internet what it is. The answers come back confident — and contradictory. While identifying a tick is not essential for treatment if you are bitten, it is helpful to understand the different types so you know what risks you may…
Here at U.S. Pest Protection, we are experts on tick control, removal, and safety measures. Below is a guide on what to do if you find a tick on yourself, a family member, or a pet, when to seek medical attention, and how you can protect from future bites and activity. The Short Answer If…
J.K. went to the doctor for a routine check-up on a Thursday. They found a tick, removed it, and he went home. The next day he woke up extremely ill. By Saturday he was in the ER. Eleven days later he had a confirmed tick-borne illness and two hospital visits behind him. J.K. Is the…
And we run a pest control company. Overview My husband J.K. is the COO of U.S. Pest Protection. Our family has been in the pest control business in Middle Tennessee since 1985. We spend our working lives thinking about ticks — where they live, when they are active, how to keep them off people. Last…
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