Gardening, camping, hiking, just playing outdoors –
These are all great spring and summertime activities, but don't
forget about the ticks that may be in the same environment.
Fortunately there are several tactics you can use to prevent tick
bites and reduce your risk of tick-borne disease.
Some of the more common diseases that you can get from a tick
bite include (listed alphabetically):
Other diseases that you can get from a tick in the United States
include anaplasmosis,
Colorado tick fever, and Powassan encephalitis.
In some species and life stages, ticks are so small that they
can be difficult to see, but all hungrily look for animals and
people to bite. Depending on the species, you can find ticks in
various environments, often in or near wooded areas. You may come
into contact with ticks when walking through infested areas or by
brushing up against infested vegetation (such as leaf litter or
shrubs). Ticks also feed on mammals and birds, which play a role in
maintaining ticks and the pathogens they carry.
Tick-borne
diseases can occur worldwide. Fortunately, there are some
simple steps you can take to protect yourself and your family.
Protect Yourself from Tick Bites
- Know where to expect ticks. Ticks live in
moist and humid environments, particularly in or near wooded or
grassy areas. You may come into contact with ticks during outdoor
activities around your home or when walking through vegetation such
as leaf litter or shrubs. Always walk in the center of trails, in
order to avoid ticks.
- Use a repellent with DEET (on skin or
clothing) or permethrin (on clothing) and wear
long sleeves, long pants and socks. Products containing permethrin
can be used to treat boots, clothing and camping gear which can
remain protective through several washings. Repellents containing
20% or more DEET (N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide) can be applied to the
skin, and they can protect up to several hours. Always
follow product instructions! Parents should apply this
product to their children, avoiding the hands, eyes, and
mouth.
For detailed information about using DEET on children, see West Nile
Virus: What You Need to Know about Mosquito Repellent. For
detailed information about tick prevention and control, see Preventing Tick Bites. For
detailed information geared to outdoor workers, see NIOSH Safety
and Health Topic: Tick-borne
Diseases.
Perform Daily Tick Checks
Check your body for ticks after being outdoors,
even in your own yard. Conduct a body check upon return from
potentially tick-infested areas by searching your entire body for
ticks. Use a hand-held or full-length mirror to view all parts of
your body and remove any tick
you find. Check these parts of your body and your child's body
for ticks:
- Under the arms
- In and around the ears
- Inside belly button
- Back of the knees
- Under the arms
- In and around the hair
- Between the legs
- Around the waist
Shower soon after being outdoors. Showering
within two hours of coming indoors has shown to reduce your risk of
being bitten by a tick.
Check your children for ticks, especially in
the hair, when returning from potentially tick-infested areas. See
the list above for the places on your child's body to check for
ticks. Remove any tick you find on your child's body.
Check your clothing for ticks. Ticks may be
carried into the house on clothing. Any ticks that are found should
be removed. Placing clothes into a dryer on high heat for at least
an hour effectively kills ticks.
What to Do If You Are Bitten by a Tick
Remove an attached tick as soon as you notice it. Watch for
signs of illness such as rash or fever, and see a health care
provider if these develop. For fully detailed information about
tick removal, see the tick removal
page.
Your risk of acquiring a tick-borne illness depends on many
factors, including where you live, what type of tick bit you, and
how long the tick was attached. If you become ill after a tick
bite, see a health care provider.
Reduce Ticks in Your Yard
Landscaping diagram shows ways to create tick-safe zones in your
yard. (Image courtesy Kirby Stafford III, Connecticut Agricultural
Experiment Station)
- Modify your landscape to createTick-Safe
Zones. To do this, keep play areas and playground equipment
away from shrubs, bushes, and other vegetation. Also, regularly
remove leaf litter and clear tall grasses and brush around homes,
and place wood chips or gravel between lawns and wooded areas to
keep ticks away from recreational areas.
- Provide a vegetation-free play area. Keep play
areas and playground equipment away from away from shrubs, bushes,
and other vegetation.
- Use a chemical control agent. Effective tick
control chemicals are available for use by the homeowner, or they
can be applied by a professional pest control expert, and even
limited applications can greatly reduce the number of ticks. A
single springtime application of acaricide can reduce the
population of ticks that cause Lyme disease by 68–100%.
- Discourage deer. Removing plants that attract
deer and constructing physical barriers may help discourage deer
from entering your yard and bringing ticks with them.
Prevent Ticks on Animals
Prevent family pets from bringing ticks into the
home. Maintain your family pet under a veterinarian’s
care. Two of the ways to get rid of ticks on dogs and cats are
putting on tick medicine or using a tick collar. Be sure to use
these products according to the package instructions. For more
information on animals and health, see Preventing Ticks
on Your Pet.