Inaugural Tick Awareness Week Designed to Inform in Response to Increase in Lyme Disease Cases Around the United States

According to research recently addressed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), human cases of Lyme disease are more common in the U.S. than previously thought¹, underscoring a need to properly educate and inform consumers on the health threats posed by ticks. Spectrum Brands Home & Garden, the maker of Cutter® Insect Repellents, worked to educate consumers during the National Pest Management Association’s inaugural Tick Awareness Week which culminated today.

Since the late 1990s, reported cases of Lyme disease in the United States have tripled, and the geographic range of some germ-carrying tick populations continues to expand.² Ticks are most active from March to mid-May and from mid-August to November, and as such, the experts behind Cutter® products stand with the NPMA in its dedication to educating consumers on the dangers and threats ticks pose to humans during this period of heightened activity.

“Anyone who spends time outdoors is at risk of contracting tickborne disease,” said Josh Matta, Senior Biologist at Spectrum Brands Home & Garden. “With Americans eager to get back outside, and warm weather on the horizon, tick protection is more important than ever. Taking a few simple precautions can help safeguard you and your loved ones from tick-related health issues.”

1. Know Where They Are: Be cautious when participating in activities near or in woods, bushes, high grasses or leaf litter. Many people pick up ticks in their own yard. Ticks are most active in spring, summer and fall. In warmer regions, ticks may be active all year long.
2. Prep Your Yard: Remove brush and leaves around stone walls and woodpiles. Also try to discourage rodent activity by cleaning up and sealing small openings around the home. Most ticks lack the ability to thrive indoors but may occasionally enter.
3. Use the Proper Repellent: Use a repellent that offers long-lasting protection, like Cutter® Backwoods® Tick Defense® Insect Repellent, a personal repellent aerosol with up to 10 hours of protection that you can apply to exposed skin. Cutter® Backwoods® Tick Defense® Insect Repellent is made with picaridin, which is safe to spray on clothing and gear for an added layer of protection. When applying personal repellent, it’s important to remember to apply to openings around your outer layer of clothing (such as your socks!). Use as directed.
4. Check After Possible Exposure: Check your clothing and pets for ticks when you move indoors and take a shower soon after outdoor activities. Check your body for ticks in common areas, including under your arms, in and around your ears, inside your belly button, behind your knees, and in and around your hair.
5. Follow Guidelines for Removal: Remove the tick as soon as possible, taking care to follow CDC guidelines for tick removal. If you develop a rash or fever within a few weeks, see a doctor and tell him or her about your recent tick bite.

As one of the leading repellent brands in the U.S., Cutter® insect repellents have been protecting families for over 50 years.

To see the brand’s full portfolio of products, visit www.cutterinsectrepellents.com.

About Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc.

Spectrum Brands Holdings is a home-essentials company with a mission to make living better at home. We focus on delivering innovative products and solutions to consumers for use in and around the home through our trusted brands. We are a leading supplier of residential locksets, residential builders’ hardware, plumbing, shaving and grooming products, personal care products, small household appliances, specialty pet supplies, lawn and garden and home pest control products, and personal insect repellents. Helping to meet the needs of consumers worldwide, Spectrum Brands offers a broad portfolio of market-leading, well-known and widely trusted brands including Kwikset®, Weiser®, Baldwin®, National Hardware®, Pfister®, Remington®, George Foreman®, Russell Hobbs®, Black+Decker®, Tetra®, Marineland®, Nature’s Miracle®, Dingo®, 8-in-1®, FURminator®, IAMS® and Eukanuba® (Europe only), Digest-eeze™, Healthy-Hide®, Littermaid®, Good Boy®, Meowee!® , Wildbird®, Wafcol®, OmegaOne®, OmegaSea®, Spectracide®, Cutter®, Repel®, Hot Shot®, Black Flag®, and Liquid Fence®. Spectrum Brands, a member of the Russell 1000 index, generated fiscal 2020 net sales of approximately $4.0 billion.

About Cutter® Products

Bumps and bruises happen. Mosquito bites don’t have to. Kids will be kids – let Cutter® Insect Repellents help make biting bugs one less thing you have to worry about. For more than 50 years, Cutter® brand has protected families from mosquitoes and ticks through all of their outdoor fun, with a range of repellents available to make it easy to pick the right solutions. Now offering hand sanitizer and insect bite care products, Cutter® brand has more options than ever to look after what you love. Visit cutterprotects.com to learn more. Protect Your People.™

¹ Kugeler, K. J., Schwartz, A. M., Delorey, M. J., Mead, P. S., & Hinckley, A. F. (2021). Estimating the Frequency of Lyme Disease Diagnoses, United States, 2010-2018. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 27(2), 616-619. https://doi.org/10.3201/eid2702.202731

² Lyme and Other Tickborne Diseases Increasing, 2019. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/media/dpk/diseases-and-conditions/lyme-disease/index.html

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