Her Kirkwood home, nestled in a large, wooded lot, seemed to be a magnet for the pesky insects.
But Johnson, a nurse who runs Christian Health Coaching Inc., and is a self-described educator and consultant on the tick-borne Lyme disease, decided to fight back.
Now she has a state-of-the-art tick-protection system in place on her property. She also continues to treat her dogs with a flea- and tick-preventative medication.
“My property has been tick-free for the last two years, and my neighbors also benefit,” says Johnson, who presents seminars about Lyme disease nationwide, particularly in Amish and Mennonite communities.
When it comes to Lyme disease, prevention is your first line of defense, she says.
“Most people get Lyme 100 feet from their house,” she says. “Your first level is to really protect the property right around the house.”
***
Water and rocks.
Ticks don’t like them, Johnson says, so if you can utilize them around your house, they’re a good deterrent.
Johnson has a rock border and a small pond rimming her deck.
“Cut back your vegetation,” she advises. “Ticks like humidity and are often in the grass.”
On the perimeter of her home, Johnson has a sealed chemical-box system that essentially kill ticks on mice who enter the baited boxes, she says. The system costs some $2,000.
“Lyme can come from the mice that carry it, and the deer drop the ticks, but deer don’t get Lyme, as far as we know,” she says. “My system is pretty expensive, but the Lyme Disease Association says you can create your own system pretty easily using paper-towel rolls (or PVC pipes) and cotton balls with Frontline (tick prevention) for dogs. Place them every 30 feet where you know mice are going to be, around corners and wood.”
***
Johnson is also a firm believer in boosting your immune system.
“Keep yourself healthy,” says Johnson, who advocates nutritional supplements.
“Lyme disease has been around since the Old Testament,” she says. “It just finally got its name.”
MORE PREVENTION TIPS
Avoid areas where ticks live, such as wooded, brushy, grassy places.
Wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts to minimize skin exposure.
Tuck pant legs into socks or boots to form a barrier to tick attachment.
Wear light-colored clothing so ticks can be spotted more easily. For clothes that protect against ticks, visit www.Rynoskin.com or www.buzzoff.com.
Spray insect repellent that contains DEET (an ingredient commonly used in bug sprays) on exposed skin, other than your face. Or treat clothing with Permethrin, which kills ticks on contact.
Shower after all outdoor activities. Use a washcloth to gently rub the skin, especially areas where ticks typically bite.
Check periodically for ticks (about the size of a poppy seed) if you’ve been in and around brushy areas or working in a garden. Immature ticks that carry Lyme are about the size of a period at the end of this sentence.
Do not use petroleum jelly, a hot match, nail polish or other products suggested in old wives’ tails to remove ticks. Grasp the tick close to the skin with tweezers. Pull the tick straight out. Use antiseptic on skin. Always see a physician for possible diagnosis, testing and treatment.
— Sources: Arthritis Foundation and Lyme Disease Association
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