If you know me and my history with Lyme disease, you’ll know why this is important for me to share with you! Lyme disease is a rapidly growing epidemic in this country, and educating and informing others on how to prevent it is of the upmost importance. Getting caught off guard when you see a tick on yourself or a family member is never a place you want to be. While I will dive into what Lyme disease is at another time, I wanted to get this information out as summer goes into full swing and we are hiking and outdoors so much more.

I don’t believe that we need to be in pants and covered up at all times, but when you are in areas that can be high risk for tick exposure, there are precautions that you’ll want to take!

• Cover up and where light clothing that covers legs, arms, and head for hiking
• Use a safe but effective bug and tick repellant
• Check thoroughly for ticks upon returning home and while showering or bathing

Here is what your DIY Tick Kit will have in it!

• Pair of tick removal tweezers
• Small roll of tape
• Ziplock bag
• 1-2 cotton balls
• 6×9 envelope
• Printed information for where to send the tick (I chose Bay Area Lyme Foundation)

If you SHOULD find that sneaky little bugger on your skin, please follow these steps and be prepared! Your DIY Tick Kit will have everything that you need to take care of things immediately.

• Grab these tweezers and remove the tick immediately using the instructions on the box
• Place the tick on a piece of tape to make sure you keep it secure
• Put the tick in the ziplock bag with a moist cotton ball
• Fill out the pertinent information for the tick testing found at Bay Area Lyme Foundation
• Watch carefully for a bullseye rash or flu-like symptoms or any change in health until the test is returned

For my family, I would use strong immune support measures until we received word back from the lab. We’ve found that a mix of supplements, essential oils, and nourishing food are an impressive combo. You can find more info on my DIY bug and tick spray here. You can use all of these powerful health tools to support immunity, detox, and help maintain wellness. Should the test come back positive for Lyme or any co-infections, it is one of the few times in life that I would 100% support and recommend a 6 week course of doxycycline and finding an LLMD from the ilads.com website right away.

There ARE natural treatment options as well as allopathic options, and if you’d like to know more about those, please sign up below for updates on my Lyme crash course which will be launching soon! You’ll also receive a cheat sheet that you can print off and keep in your purse and 3 extras to share with friends and family. This is SUCH an important topic, and I am so glad that you’re going to take the steps to protect your family from ticks and the diseases that they carry.