Every time a student asks me to get a spider off them, I just know it is not a spider; it's a tick. I have to put on my brave naturalist hat and calmly pick the "spider" off (while not cringing) and walk away where I can kill the offending beast out of the eyesight of the youngster.

We have taught thousands of school students that every animal has a job to do and it is important job. We may not like the animal but we do have to respect it for what it is and what it does in the environment. Well, don't tell my boss, but when she isn't looking, I am off somewhere probably smooshing a tick. Bye-bye, tick.People often ask me, "If ticks don't jump, how do they get on you?" Despite what people believe ticks don't jump and they don't fall out of trees. Almost all ticks use a behavior called questing. This questing posture starts when a tick crawls up a plant stem and leans out to extend its front legs. So the tick is "reaching" into the air to grab various smells that signal to it that a host is nearby.It is amazing how well the tick can pick up these smells whether they are the carbon dioxide we breathe out or our various body odors. This questing allows it to pick up smells even from the cleanest hiker. Once a tick smells you they ready themselves, and when you brush against the plant the tick is brushed off onto you.So how can you reduce the chances of having a tick hitch a ride? By avoiding overgrown and brushy areas, keeping your legs and arms covered and tucking your pants into your socks.Wearing light-colored clothing makes them easier to spot. We always remind hikers to do a thorough "full-body tick check" immediately upon returning indoors, and you can remove most ticks before they latch on to you.So, why do we need ticks? Ticks are food for other animals. They are a very important food source. Reptiles, amphibians and birds all consume ticks in large quantities. In areas where tick populations are high, some people will keep a small flock of chickens around their homes to keep the tick numbers down.Unfortunately, there's a lot of bad information being shared about how to remove ticks from your skin. These are some of the worst ways to remove a tick:• Burning the tick with a match and the heat will make it let go. What really happens is the heat makes the tick salivate and sometimes even regurgitate, forcing whatever is in the tick's body into you.• Smothering it with petroleum jelly or nail polish so it won't be able to breathe and this will make it let go. I've heard this all my life. But now I know that ticks breathe through spiracles on their body. Also ticks breathe so slowly (five times per minute at rest) that actually smothering it could take a very long time. This method may also cause the tick to regurgitate.• Pouring rubbing alcohol on it. My grandmother always claimed that "ticks hate the taste of rubbing alcohol." How she knew this is anyone's guess, but it does nothing to make the tick let go. Although it is a good idea to use the rubbing alcohol after you have removed the tick to clean the wound.At work, we came across a neat tool called the "Tick Twister" that may help remove ticks that become embedded. The center is in no way endorsing this product. We always make the same claim to anyone asking us for advice regarding health matters: call your family doctor because we are not medical professionals.You can find out more information about this product by logging on to

http://www.ticktwister.com. The benefits of getting outside and connecting with nature far outweigh the possibility of coming home with a tick. Take that hike, sightsee or maybe just spread out that blanket for that picnic lunch. Hey, what's with these ants at our picnic? I guess that is a good question for my next article.See you outside!