spring

It’s Tick Season; Be Tick Aware

small tick and large tick

Longer days and warmer weather have many of us outside, in the garden, on trails and enjoying all that Spring and Summer have to offer. Remember tick exposure may occur year around, yet ticks are most active during warmer months. Outdoor enthusiasts and pet owners be cautious.   Ticks and the disease they carry are on the rise in Ohio. This year is predicted to be a heavy tick season.  The factors that contribute to these growing numbers are tick range expansion and the increase of wildlife living near people. Here are some tips to keep you and your family safe this tick season.

Know before you go outdoors:

  • Know where to expect ticks- they live in grassy, brushy, or wooded areas or on animals. Walking your dog, camping, gardening or outdoors exposes you to ticks.
  • Wear light colored clothing, long sleeve shirts with pants tucked into socks.
  • Apply a tick repellent according to the directions.
  • Purchase clothing and footwear treated with tick repellent.
  • Protect pets with a tick repellent recommended by your veterinarian.
  • Keep dogs on a leash and avoid grassy areas.

After you come indoors:

  • Check clothing for ticks. Ticks can be carried into the house on clothing. Wash clothes and dry on high heat to destroy ticks.
  • Examine your gear and pets.
  • Check your body for ticks upon return.  Use a handheld mirror to view all parts of your body.  Check all areas especially under the arms, in and around the ears, inside belly button and the back of knees, in and around the hair, inside of legs and around the waist. 
  • Examine your animals for ticks. Especially around the ears, tail, back legs, between toes, eyelids, under the collar and under the front legs.

Create a tick-safe zone in your yard:

  • Remove leaf litter.
  • Clear tall grass and brush around the house and lawns.
  • Place a 3-foot barrier of woods chips or gravel between lawns and wooded areas.
  • Mow the lawn frequently.
  • Keep playground equipment, decks, and patios away from trees.
  • Remove old furniture, mattresses or trash from the yard that give ticks a place to hide.
  • Do frequent tick checks of your body while outside and do a thorough inspection at shower time.
  • Protect your pets with an anti-tick product recommended by a veterinarian.
  • Keep dogs on a leash and avoid allowing them into weedy areas.

If you find a tick attached:

  • Do not crush or puncture.
  • Grasp tick as close to skin as able using pointy tweezers and pull straight up and out with steady pressure.
  • Wash the tick site, hands and tweezers with warm water and soap.
  • Place the tick in a container with rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer.  Record the day the tick was attached to skin.
  • If you develop flu-like symptoms, rash, or anything unusual, contact your physician for follow up treatment. Bring the tick specimen with you to your appointment.

Have a safe summer and be tick smart.  Follow these guidelines to protect you and your family.

Written by:  Beth Stefura, OSU Extension Educator, Mahoning County, stefura.2@osu.edu

Reviewed by:  Margaret Jenkins, OSU Extension Educator, Clermont County, jenkins.188@osu.edu

References:

Tickborne Diseases in Ohio | Ohio Department of Health

Ticks in Ohio | Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ohiodnr.gov)

Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases | Ohioline (osu.edu)Ticks | Ticks | CDC

Spring cleaning, it does the mind good

Two people cleaning living room

 

Ahhh, spring has sprung, well at least it HAD sprung for a few weeks here in Ohio and hopefully it will return soon! With spring’s arrival, many people take advantage of the warmer temperatures and longer days to begin sprucing up their houses and yards. While I love getting out in my yard and garden as soon as possible to start preparing for the blossoms and blooms of spring and summer, I am not nearly as excited about tending to my house. Luckily, my husband is more likely to help me with the inside than the outside and, working together makes spring cleaning easier than tackling it alone.

Spring cleaning has taken on an entirely new meaning for us this year. My husband and I just moved out of our 4 bedroom, 3 bath 2,700 sq. ft. home of 8 years and into my son’s 1 bedroom, 1 bath 625 sq. ft. apartment this past weekend. Our house was in contract 2 days after we listed, needless to say, we were in a bit of a scramble to find a place to live for a couple months. Thankfully, my son graciously offered to let us stay in his apartment until our house is completed in July and he is staying with his grandparents. While I am incredibly grateful to have a place to stay, my husband and I are quickly learning what a luxury it was to have the extra space.

spring cleaning illustrated

We have been preparing for this move, or so we thought, for several months. We had already moved some of our belongings into a storage unit to prepare for selling our house. And while my children are all grown and mostly out of the house, we still housed a ton of their “stuff.” As we were sorting through stuff, it became clear that we have TOO MUCH! But as the deadline to be out of our house approached, we realized we did not have time to sort all of the stuff right now, so we just focused on getting everything packed up and moved. Now our 32 x 40 pole barn and the large storage unit are pretty much filled, and we are left with the task of sorting and reducing over the next couple months.

As stressful as it has been, it is good to see what we have so we can more effectively determine what we REALLY want and/or need to move into our forever home. Mental Health America’s national campaign for May, which is Mental Health Awareness Month, is “Look Around, Look Within” emphasizing how our surroundings impact our mental health. Though at times it can be stressful, spring cleaning can have mental health benefits. Some of these include improved mood, increased productivity, decreased stress, and increased creativity. In this article Erin Michel, Graduate Assistant, reminds us “Spring cleaning your mind is similar in practice to spring cleaning your house: de-cluttering the things that are holding you back, reinventing or refining your values, and then maintaining that sense of mental cleanliness and self-awareness moving forward.”

Other areas you may want to consider spring cleaning include: finances, digital accounts, medicine, make up, and food storage areas. As my husband and I adjust to our new accommodations, I will try to focus on the positives and remember this is short-term. And when one or both of us is frustrated with the situation or each other, you may just find me in the yard communing with nature for my health AND his!

Written by: Misty Harmon, Extension Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Perry County, harmon.416@osu.edu

Reviewed by: Ryan Kline, Extension Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Ross County, kline.375@osu.edu

Sources:

Can spring cleaning make you happier? Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist. (n.d.). Retrieved May 4, 2023, from https://www.wakehealth.edu/stories/can-spring-cleaning-make-you-happier

Mental health Month 2023 “Look around, look within.” (n.d.). Retrieved May 4, 2023, from https://mhanational.org/sites/default/files/MHM/Toolkit-2023/MHM-2023-Sample-Proclamation.pdf

Robbins, J., Williams, T., & George, Z. S. (n.d.). Ecopsychology: How immersion in nature benefits your health. Yale E360. Retrieved May 4, 2023, from https://e360.yale.edu/features/ecopsychology-how-immersion-in-nature-benefits-your-health?nav=F4tE-518336

Indoor Activities for Spring

Bouquet of beautiful spring flowers on pastel blue table top view

The first day of Spring is approaching quickly. Monday March 20th marks the first day of Spring for 2023. The days will start getting warmer but there is still a chance for rain showers. If you find yourself stuck inside with your family and have little ones at home, this is the perfect time to work on DIY activities for Spring. I have just the activities for you!

Suncatcher Craft:

Supplies:

  • Paper plates
  • Hole punch
  • Scissors
  • Colored tissue paper (cut into small pieces)
  • Clear contact paper
  • Extra collage items (get creative with glitter, feathers, etc.)
  • String

 Directions:

  1. Cut the center of your paper plate out to create your frame. Then cut out circles from the contact paper. They should be slightly larger than the hole you cut in the plate.
  2. Peel off the backing from the contact paper and stick it to the back of the paper plate.
  3. Add tissue paper pieces, glitter, feathers, sequins and whatever else you’d like to use for your suncatcher. Push the pieces carefully onto the sticky contact paper, so they stick completely.
  4. Once your design is finished, peel the backing off another piece of contact paper and press it onto the open side of your suncatcher. Press firmly all around so that it sticks to the plate and the design.
  5. Punch two holes in the top of your suncatcher and string a piece of string through the holes. Find a sunny window and hang your suncatcher up to admire!

Homemade Playdough:

Supplies:

  • 2 Cups of flour
  • 2 tsp vegetable oil
  • ½ cup salt
  • ½ to 1 cup water
  • Food coloring

Directions:

  1. In a medium bowl mix together the flour, vegetable oil and salt.
  1. Add a drop or two of food coloring to the water.
  2. Add water slowly as you mix the dough to the desired consistency (Only use what you need).
  3. It is easy to add too much water as the mixture seems too dry until you mix it thoroughly. If you do add too much, simply add more flour to get the right consistency.
  4. The playdough is ready to use, you may use spring-shaped cookie cutters for added fun!
  5. Store the playdough in a sealed container when not in use.

If you find yourself inside on a spring day, try one of these activities to help brighten your day. It will keep the children busy, and they will have fun doing it!

Resources:

Martelle, A. (2022, April 15). How to make tissue paper Suncatchers. The Artful Parent. Retrieved February 14, 2023, from https://artfulparent.com/how-to-make-tissue-paper-suncatchers/

Mcilroy, T. (2023, January 18). Homemade playdough without cream of tartar: 6 no cook recipes. Empowered Parents. Retrieved February 14, 2023, from https://empoweredparents.co/homemade-playdough-without-cream-of-tartar/

Author: Megan Taylor, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences/4-H Youth Development, Union County

Reviewer: Jennifer Little, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Hancock County