It is the perfect time of year for cooling off in the shade on one of our nature reserves. But it is worth being aware that this is also the peak time for picking up ticks in the UK. 

So just a quick reminder about the importance of trying to avoid picking them up in the first place, checking whether you've picked them up, and what to do if you have.

Firstly, avoiding ticks is the best place to start. Long trousers aren't always fun in this weather, but if you're heading through long grass or bracken, then long, light trousers tucked into socks, and a long-sleeved shirt are the best way to avoid ticks. They're not a guarantee though, and people have found ticks a day or two after being out, suggesting they were in their clothing and moved onto them later.

If you've been out in long vegetation, checking for ticks over the next couple of days is really key. The nymphs, which are responsible for many Lyme disease infections, can be tiny.  For example, this Instagram post from Lyme Disease UK shows some nymphs, and they can be even smaller than that. Most often you can feel them as a raised lump. Sometimes they itch, but not always. After a day or so they can feel like a skin tag, so have a good look at any bobble on the skin that's new.

If you do find a tick, you should remove them carefully (for example see here on the NHS website). Plastic tick tweezers are good for slightly larger ticks, but for the small nymphs, a pair of thin-nosed metal tweezers work really well to get under the body so you're pulling out the head.

Lyme disease can be horrible, but is treatable, particularly if picked up early. The classic symptom, the bullseye rash (see the NHS website again) only occurs in a minority of cases. If you get 'flu like symptoms from a few days to a few weeks after having a tick, or being somewhere where ticks are likely, contact your doctor and tell them you work in an area where Lyme disease has been reported from tick bites. 

If you do think you may need treatment for Lyme disease, it's really helpful to look at The RCGP guidance, and the NICE guidance on treatment that it links to.