With fall around the corner, black-legged ticks will soon be maturing into adults, potentially increasing the transmission of Lyme disease.

The provincial government now has an image-based tick identification app with which you can submit photographs of any ticks you find on yourself or your pets. You will then be informed of your risk of exposure to tick-borne illness.

Thankfully at this time, the risk of Lyme Disease in Saskatchewan is relatively low. Since the app went online in April, 3,022 ticks have been submitted. Only 11 were black-legged ticks and of the six tested to date, three were positive for the bacterium that causes Lyme disease. Still, it's never a bad idea to take some precautions.

Here are some tips to deal with ticks:

•       Wear pants, long-sleeved shirts and shoes that don’t expose your feet.

•       Pull socks over your pant legs to prevent ticks from crawling up your legs.

•       Wear light-coloured clothes so ticks can be seen easily.

•       Use insect repellents that contain DEET or Icaridin. Apply repellent to clothes as well as your skin. Always read and follow the directions.

•       In Canada, clothing that has been treated with the insecticide permethrin has been approved for use by people over the age of 16.

•       Shower or bathe as soon as possible after being outside to wash off loose ticks and inspect for attached ticks.

•       Do “full-body” tick checks after being outside on yourself, your children and your pets. If you find a tick attached to your skin or on your pet:

•       Carefully remove it with fine-tipped tweezers and grasp the mouthparts of the tick as close to the skin as possible.

•       Pull slowly upward and out with firm, steady pressure.

•       Be careful not to squeeze, crush or puncture the body after removal as this may also contain infectious fluids.

•       Do not put Vaseline, gasoline, or other noxious substances on an attached tick which may cause it to regurgitate.

•       Submit photos of your tick using the eTick system and hang onto your tick in case we request it for further testing.  Ticks can be euthanized by placing it in a bag and storing it in the freezer for 24 hours.