General InfoTravel

Yes, There Are Ticks Here In Nashville!

If you’re not from around here, then you might be wondering if ticks are a problem in the Nashville Tennessee area.

Yes, ticks are something you should take into consideration whenever you’re outdoors, in high grass or thick woods, and definitely when you’re hiking around the Natchez Trace Parkway!

Take it from someone who’s received a lot of tick bites while living in the Nashville area. (So have my husband and my dogs.)

Some ticks we removed after hiking on the Natchez Trace Parkway in Nashville

We’ve gone hiking out at the Natchez Trace Parkway several times.

Each time, we’ve come back with some ticks on us.

That is, until we started using Permethrin. We spray this stuff on our clothing (not our skin) before we head out into the woods, and we’ve never come back with a tick on us since!

Before I started using Permethrin to ward off tick bites, I actually contracted Lyme Disease from a tick bite. That’s a slight indication as to how prevalent ticks are in this part of Tennessee.

I have Lyme Disease from a tick bite that I got in Tennessee.

The most common tick-borne and mosquito-borne diseases in Tennessee are:

In 2017, there were 30 human West Nile virus cases and 17 cases of La Crosse virus among Tennesseans. It’s important to know there are no vaccines to prevent mosquito-borne illnesses like Zika virus, West Nile virus, Chikungunya, and others. The only way to protect yourself from these diseases is by preventing mosquito bites. WilliamsonSource

 

The Bottom Line…

Tick and mosquito infections are spreading rapidly, according to the CDC!

Here are some tips for the easiest ways to remove ticks from your body.

Here’s how to tell if your dog has Lyme Disease from a tick bite.

Here are the signs & symptoms associated with 6 common tick diseases.