In addition to killing millions of defenseless electrons writing about all the things that wellness vendors get wrong — it turns out, for example, that the “risk factors” they obsess with may be the wrong ones — we here at They Said What headquarters also cover employee hazards that wellness vendors don’t cover at all.

The distinguishing feature about risks/hazards we cover here at TSW is they are so easily preventable. To avoid them, you don’t have to lose weight or even eat broccoli.

And, yet, with the exception of Quizzify, vendors seem to have no interest in actually preventing risks that are easily preventable.

Recently, we’ve covered the risks of regular use of over-the-counter “PM”-type sleep aids (bad idea) and heartburn pills (worse idea). But in keeping with the season, it’s time to talk ticks. Summer 2019 could easily see the most cases of tick-borne illness ever.

There are a whole bunch of things employees don’t know about ticks. The reasons I know this are:

• I am writing this from the tick capital of the universe, Martha’s Vineyard (in your face, Nantucket!); and
• My “day job” is writing health education content, so I am supposed to know everything about risk avoidance. (For instance, how many people know that showering daily is unhealthier than showering 2-4 times a week?)

And yet despite plenty of up-close-and-personal encounters with ticks plus an equal amount of research, I myself didn’t know three things about ticks:

1. Light-colored clothing attracts more ticks than dark clothing.
2. You can now buy entire outfits that are infused with tick repellent that might actually work.
3. The EPA rates insect repellents for tick effectiveness.

Who knew?

There is some good news: ticks can’t jump. Nor do they lie-in-wait on tall trees ready to swoop down on unsuspecting pedestrians. If you avoid contact with tall or tall-ish grass or brush, you hugely reduce your risk of ticks.

There is plenty more you can tell your employees about ticks. You can request Quizzify’s tick quiz if you are a customer. Otherwise, just forward this link to them.