Most ticks are active from April to September, which is the busiest time of year for outdoor enthusiasts to go hiking, camping, and backpacking. However, you don’t need to go deep into the woods to get bitten by a tick, it can happen in as close as your backyard. Regardless of how much time you spend outside, it’s important to know the basics of tick prevention so you don’t contract a disease.
Knowing how to prevent tick bites and what to do if you find a tick on you is pretty simple and straightforward. Always be alert, aware, and be prepared to know how to avoid ticks while hiking in the first place.
Only a select few bite and transmit disease to people. Of the ticks that bite people, different species of ticks transmit different diseases. To find regions where ticks live, visit Centers of Disease Control and Prevention’s identify various ticks page.
Following are some basic information to prevent tick bites:
Know where to expect ticks: Spring and early summer are high-risk for ticks because ticks are in an earlier stage of their development, called “nymphs.” Nymphs often carry heavier loads of disease-causing pathogens, and are smaller and harder to spot. Ticks live in grassy, brushy, or wooded areas, or even on animals. And ticks can easily climb on to hikers. For the list of diseases transmitted by tick, visit CDC’s transmit different diseases page.
Dress for success: Wear long-sleeve shirts and long pants of a light color. Lighter colors seem to attract fewer ticks and make the ones that do end up on you easier to spot. Lightweight nylon or polyester garments are almost as cool as shorts and protect from the sun as a bonus!
Seal the cracks, and avoid contact with ticks: Tuck your shirt into your pants and tuck your pants into your socks. This will be an additional level of protection and keep small rocks and dirt out of your shoes too. Avoid wooded and brushy areas with high grass and leaf litter. Walk in the center of trails.
Treat clothing and gear: Consider treating your clothing with an insect repellent products containing 0.5% permethrin. Permethrin can be used to treat boots, clothing and camping gear and remain protective through several washings. This substance, applied to clothing, repels ticks and biting insects for up to 2 weeks. There are permethrin-treated clothing and gear that you can buy. And use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellentsexternal icon.
After You Come Indoors
Check your clothing for ticks: Ticks may be carried into the house on clothing. Any ticks that are found should be removed. Wash and dry clothing after you come indoors. The heat will kill any ticks, thus dry our clothes in a hot dryer for at least an hour.
Shower soon after being outdoors: Showering within two hours of coming indoors has will help reduce your risk of getting Lyme disease and may be effective in reducing the risk of other tickborne diseases. It will also help wash off any ticks which haven’t latched on.
Check your body for ticks after being outdoors: Conduct a full body check upon return from potentially tick-infested areas, including your own backyard. Use a hand-held or full-length mirror to view all parts of your body. Especially checking under the arms, in and around the hair, ears and behind the ears, inside belly button, back of the knees, and between the legs.
Remove any ticks: If you find a tick on yourself, use tweezers and grab the tick as close to the skin as possible and slowly pull it out. If you can’t grab the head in the first go, make sure to pull it out before washing the bite with a disinfectant. To learn more about removing ticks, visit CDC’s Tick removal and testing page.
Stay vigilant: If you develop a fever, rash, muscle and/or joint aches, flu-like symptoms or become ill, be sure to mention to your doctor possible tick exposure. Lyme disease is very serious and can cause permanent damage in bones and the nervous system. Tick bites that develop a bulls-eye ring are infected and should be treated immediately. For more information, visit CDC’s Diseases Transmitted by Ticks page.
Content source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, May 1, 2021: https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/index.html
