Tick Safety & Prevention
Don't let the ticks bite!
Spray your clothes with permethrin repellent when working or recreating in tick-infested areas (permethrin should not be used on skin)
Use insect repellent on skin with picaridin (can be used on clothes too)
Carry a tick kit and have tick kits accessible in your car and at home (or add fine nose tweezers and small bags to first aid kits)
Wear light-colored clothing (so you can see the ticks)
Tuck your pants into your socks
Stay in the center of trails and avoid leaf piles, brush, and high grass
Check yourself, your pets, and others often
Use a lint roller or tape on clothes after being in tick-infested areas
Put clothes in the dryer on high heat for at least 15 minutes after being in tick-infested areas
Take a shower as soon as possible
Check for ticks again and have others check your back and areas you can't see
Check Often & Check Everywhere!
Checking during and after being in areas where you may come in contact with ticks. Ticks love warm places and can bite you anywhere on your body. Thoroughly check your whole body and help in checking your friends and family members, especially their back and places they cannot see. Use a flashlight to look closely. Ticks at the larva and nymph stages can be very difficult to see. If you have a tick attached, use fine tipped tweezers to carefully remove the tick by pulling it straight out slowly. Read more about what to do if you get bitten by a tick.
Use Repellent
Use permethrin to treat clothes, particularly socks, shoes, and pants. To use permethrin, you need to plan ahead. Sprayed clothing and shoes need to dry for at least 20 minutes before wearing. Learn more about how to use and purchase permethrin from Sawyer.
Use picaridin (less harmful than DEET), DEET or, Lemon Eucalypts on the skin (EPA approved). These are the most effective insecticides available. If you prefer a chemical-free option, check out Tick Tock Naturals. It has a shorter effective time of 5 hours, but you can feel protected without the harsh chemicals. You can also purchase EPA-registered insect-repellent clothing and gear from Insect Shield.
Check out the pros and cons of repellent ingredients provided by the Global Lyme Alliance to help decide which will work best for you.
Create a Tick-Safe Home
Treating and checking your pets is important as they can bring ticks into your home. Check out prevention tips for dog owners to learn more.
More information will be added here soon on preventing ticks in your yard and what to include in your tick kits.