To prevent ticks on humans, follow these effective measures: Before Going Outdoors:
- Know where ticks are commonly found: grassy, brushy, or wooded areas, including your own yard
- Wear protective clothing: long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and closed-toe shoes. Choose light-colored clothing to spot ticks more easily
- Tuck your pants into socks and shirts into pants to block ticks from reaching skin
- Treat clothing and gear with permethrin, an insecticide that remains effective through several washes, or buy permethrin-treated clothing
- Apply EPA-registered insect repellents containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, or Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus to exposed skin and clothing, following label instructions
While Outdoors:
- Avoid walking through tall grass, leaf litter, and brush; stay in the center of trails
- Keep children and pets from wandering off cleared paths
After Coming Indoors:
- Check your entire body carefully for ticks, especially under arms, behind knees, around ears, belly button, waist, between legs, and in hair
- Shower within two hours of coming indoors to wash off unattached ticks and reduce infection risk
- Check and remove ticks from clothing, gear, and pets. Dry clothes on high heat for at least 10 minutes to kill ticks; wash clothes in hot water if needed
- Examine pets thoroughly as they can carry ticks inside
Additional Environmental Tips:
- Keep lawns mowed and remove leaf litter, brush, and wood piles near your home to reduce tick habitat
- Create barriers such as wood chip or gravel borders between lawns and wooded areas
By combining protective clothing, repellents, environmental management, and thorough tick checks, you can significantly reduce the risk of tick bites and tick-borne diseases
