As the weather gets warmer and more children (hopefully) exchange video games for outdoor activities (tag, anyone?), there's always a risk that a pesky critter like a tick could hitch a ride on your kid. Though we have all the sprays in the world to ward off insects and mites with #nochill, there are dangers lurking in common play areas that aren't always visible. That's why mom Beka Setzer recently issued a scary warning about "seed ticks" to remind parents that menacing things can come in tiny packages.
Setzer, an Ohio mom of two, shared her daughter Emmalee's unthinkable seed tick encounter in a Facebook post last summer, but it's just starting to go viral.
"Emmalee was playing outside yesterday rolling around on the ground while enjoying the sprinkler. After coming inside and laying down for a nap I just happened to notice tiny (and I mean TINY) little black dots all over her legs, abdomen, arms and armpit area," the mom reveals in her post. "Thinking they may have just been seeds I tried to wipe then scrape one off and it was a TICK!"
Setzer also shared photos that show just how small these little ticks are.
Yikes!
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Yes, that speck — that you possibly thought was a piece of dirt on your computer screen — is in fact one of MANY ticks Beka had to contend with.
Setzer believes her young daughter was likely playing near a tick nest.
"I spent nearly an hour and a half picking off well over 100 minuscule baby ticks off of her, gave her a long dawn dish soap bath with repeated washing, washed all bedding, clothing and toys she came into contact with afterwards and administered Benadryl," Setzer notes.
Embedded content: https://www.facebook.com/beka.weaver/videos/10207201657585681/
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Just look how gnarly these "seed ticks" are. Any parent would likely think his or her eyes were playing tricks on them — assuming they'd even notice the tick in the first place and not just brush it off as a speck of dirt.
"Seed ticks" are actually just tiny deer ticks, but they're equally as dangerous.
The University of Rhode Island's Tick Encounter Resource Center notes deer ticks can be "smaller than a freckle" in size (which is why it's so easy to confuse them with a seed), and they can carry some seriously scary pathogens that can lead to illnesses like Lyme disease.
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Luckily, Emmalee tested negative (twice) for Lyme disease and other tick-related symptoms.
Though the little girl had a swollen lymph node (seen in the photo above) and a mild fever following her tick encounter last year, Beka writes in a recent Facebook update that her daughter is doing just fine.
No matter how scary the thought of a super tiny tick attaching itself to your child is, it's important to get the word out about incidents like this so we're all better equipped to protect our children. The CDC is one of many resources with important tick information and useful tips on preventing tick bites that can help protect your kids from these tiny pests.
