Although Florence, South Carolina is not a prime state for Lyme disease it pays to know how to protect yourself from tick bites while walking or camping in wooded areas. Gardening in your own landscape is not always free from the bites of ticks.
Wearing long sleeve shirts, tucking pant legs into high top boots or shoes and socks can go a long way in preventing tick bites while pruning trees and shrubs. The use of a tick repellant in spray form can be useful on the back of your neck as is wearing a hat with a protective neck covering.
Having a friend or family member check your body for ticks after being outdoors is always a good idea. Your back can be especially inviting for ticks as they fall from tree branches.
A map put out recently by the Yale School of Public Health shows areas of the eastern United States where there has been the highest risk for Lyme disease. This information was based on data from the years 2004 to 2007.
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