“I’ve been chomped by ticks multiple times, as has nearly anyone who’s spent time in the outdoors,” says Dr. Christopher Van Tilburg, editor of “Wilderness Medicine” magazine and the author of eight books on outdoor safety. “The tick drops onto your skin, burrows in painlessly and sucks. It’s creepy to say the least. And beyond that, it’s dangerous. Tick bites can cause a variety of serious health problems, including Colorado Tick Fever, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Tularemia and, of course, Lyme Disease.”

Lyme affected at least 27,000 Americans in 2007, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). And because it’s often hard to diagnose, and many who are bitten by ticks don’t even realize it until after symptoms appear, the actual number of Lyme cases is probably much higher.

So how do you avoid the disturbing, risky experience of a tick bite while enjoying all the great outdoor activities associated with fall fun? Van Tilburg offers a few tips for minimizing the risk of getting a tick bite:

Cover up
Unlike mosquitoes or fleas, the other top insect pests of fall, ticks don’t jump or fly. They drop, fall or cling to humans from trees, bushes or long grass. When your fall hiking or hunting adventures take you to an outdoor area that’s a likely tick habitat, like the forest or a field of high grass, protect yourself with long-sleeved shirts and pants. Tuck the pants into your socks to protect as much skin as possible.

Use repellents
DEET is a very effective repellent for a range of insects, including ticks. Products like Ben’s 100 pump enhance your overall protective efforts. Anyone who’s ever tried to apply repellent to a small child will appreciate Ben’s 30 wipes, offering a novel delivery method that puts the repellent in an easy-to-apply wipe that smoothes repellent onto the skin. If you’re concerned about using a strong chemical on your own or your child’s body, try a DEET-free alternative like Natrapel 8-hour, which contains 20 percent of the active ingredient Picaridin — one of three types of repellents recommended by the CDC which has proven to be as effective as DEET in repelling insects. Natrapel’s formula is also gear safe, so it won’t damage your sunglasses or other plastic or synthetic materials.

Do a safety check
After you return from outdoor activities, thoroughly check your hair and skin to catch ticks before they have a chance to bite and burrow. Enlist another person to help if necessary, but be thorough. Often, you have two or three hours to remove a tick before it burrows in. And if you do get bitten, your chances of avoiding Lyme are better if you remove the tick as quickly as possible.

Worst-case scenario
Despite your best efforts, you still might get bitten by a tick. Forget the old wives tales of using nail polish or a match to remove the tick. The best method is to use tick or splinter-removal forceps, grabbing as close as possible to the head, and pulling the tick out with slow, gentle pressure. Be careful not to sever the head from the body. “I’ve had to dig out many tick heads in the emergency room,” Van Tilburg says. Wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water.

Keep an eye on the wound area for a few weeks. A circular rash that looks like a target or bull’s eye is a telltale sign of Lyme, but it may take awhile to emerge. In fact, symptoms of Lyme — including fever, fatigue, muscle and joint aches, headaches and swollen glands — may take three days to a month or longer to emerge. If you suspect you’ve been exposed to Lyme or any other tick-borne disease, see your doctor immediately.

For more information on avoiding bug-borne diseases, visit www.tendercorp.com.