TickTalk with Virginia Department of Health

Added: 2026-05-18

[00:00:00]Today we are here for a tick talk in our eco lab. That's right. My name is Dr. Eleanor Labgold and I'm a state public health entomologist with the Virginia Department of Health. And my name is Timshel Purdum. I'm the Virginia C.

[00:00:10]Ellett Deputy Director of Education at the Science Museum of Virginia.

[00:00:14]>> We're entering Lyme disease awareness month and Lyme disease is something that's spread by the Ixodes scapularis tick, which is one of the ticks you can find here in Virginia. So spring's a really good time to start thinking about being tick aware because at this time of year the nymphs are really out and about looking for some food. 100%. So these nymphs can be very, very small. They can be less than the size of a poppy seed.

[00:00:34]So it's important to be vigilant. If you're outside in Virginia, you're technically in tick habitat, so keep an eye out for the little guys. To prepare yourself for being in the outdoors, wear light colored clothing, long pants, tuck them into your socks, and if you want, you can use permethrin insecticides on the outside of your clothing and your shoes to slow the ticks down to give you a chance to see them before they bite.

[00:00:54]>> That's right. Permethrin is a great chemical that you can buy over the counter. It's always important to read the product label and use it appropriately. So how do you remove a tick? If you do find a tick on yourself, find a pair of tweezers and get as close to your skin as possible. Firmly grasp the tick and pull up in one swift motion. That way you can save the tick for identification purposes later.

[00:01:14]So we have a project in the eco lab right now that is to help you understand ticks, the ticks that are out in Virginia, and to learn more about the Virginia Department of Health's project collecting, and identifying, and mapping ticks. If you find a tick, you can take a picture, you can send it in, and they will identify the tick and map it so we can learn more about it.

[00:01:33]>> This is a great free service that's available if you find a tick on yourself or on one of your pets here in Virginia.

[00:01:38]Thank you so much for coming. We're really excited about this project and we're thrilled to be working with you.

[00:01:42]>> Of course, thanks so much for having me and stay safe outside in Virginia.