Free Shoe Spray For Tick Prevention, Saturday May 28

Tick Report, an Amherst based tick-testing and research service, is sponsoring a free shoe treatment to repel ticks and mosquitos on Saturday May 28 from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at 29 Cottage Street in Amherst.   A spraying of shoes with permethrin, an insecticide effective on ticks will be provided.  The service is offered to all members of the Amherst community with a limit of one pair of shoes per person.  Please bring and extra pair of shoes with you and any questions that you have about ticks.

In Massachusetts, ticks are known to be carriers for several diseases, most commonly Lyme, anaplasmosis, and babesiosis. Other tick-borne diseases that are more rare, but still occur in Massachusetts are tularemia, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Borrelia miyamotoi, and Powassan virus. Tick-borne illnesses can be very severe, and taking steps to avoid tick bites is important.

For more information about ticks in Western Massachusetts or on tick-borne diseases look here or here.