Garapatas cannot jump or fly, but often climb grasses and shrubs in order to come in contact with people or animals walking by so they can attach themselves and feed on blood. Areas near houses where a goats herd passes by on a regular basis, can cause problems for dogs and their owners. The garapata attaches itself to the skin and as its name suggests ,it grips with its feet onto the skin of the host . It is impossible to remove the garapata without leaving some part of the feet still under the skin. This is when infections occur. TIP…….Put some olive oil on the garapata and do not attempt to remove it for at least 15 minutes. After this time, you should find that the garapata will release totally without leaving any body parts still attached.
Ticks have the potential to transmit infections such as Lyme disease. Most tick-borne diseases require the tick to be attached and feeding for several hours before the person gets infected. Tick bites are often painless at first and most people do not know they have been bitten so checking yourself and your pet for ticks immediately after being in an infested area is important.
Tips for protecting you and your pets from ticks:
- Check yourself, your children and your pets regularly and remove any ticks you may find.
- When outdoors try to avoid contact with tall grasses and shrubs that may be harboring ticks.
- Wear closed shoes and light-coloured clothing so you can see ticks on your clothing. Tuck trouser legs into socks to prevent ticks from finding your ankles.
- Consider using a tick repellent on exposed skin and clothing according to label directions.
- Reduce the ticks in your yard by keeping leaf litter, tall grasses, shrubs and bushes away from areas you use regularly.
- Keeping poultry and rodents out of your yard can help to reduce the number of ticks.
- If further tick control around your home is necessary, you may also consider treating your yard with pesticides designed to control ticks.
- Pets can bring ticks into your home especially after walking in fields ,long grass, and in areas that may have been frequented by rats,goats and chickens.