Ticks carry germs that can cause Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Use EPA-registered repellents to reduce the chance of being bitten by a tick to avoid serious disease such as: Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Southern tick-associated rash illness, Tick-borne relapsing fever, Tularemia, Colorado tick fever and Powassan virus infection, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
Ticks live in grassy, brushy, or wooded areas, even on animals, so spending time outside camping, gardening, or hunting could bring you in close contact with ticks. Treat clothing and gear with products containing permethrin which will remain protective through several washings.
Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellents containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE), para-menthane-diol (PMD), or 2-undecanone.
EPA’s helpful External can help you find the product that best suits your needs. Always follow product instructions, especially with children.
Do not use insect repellent on babies younger than two months old and do not use products containing OLE or PMD on children under three years old.
After being outdoors, even your back yard, conduct a full body check of you and your children using a hand held mirror.
Remove any ticks and wash clothes or put them in dryer if damp. Tumble dry clothes in a dryer on high heat for 10 minutes to kill ticks on dry clothing after you come indoors. If the clothes are damp, you may need to dry them longer. When washing clothes first, use hot water. Cold and medium temperature water will not kill ticks effectively.
Showering within two hours of coming indoors has been shown to reduce your risk of getting Lyme disease and may be effective in reducing the risk of other tick-borne diseases. Remove the attached tick as soon as you notice it. Grasp the tick with tweezers, as close to the skin as possible, and pull it straight out.
Watch for a rash or fever in the days and weeks following the bite. Your risk of getting a tick-borne disease depends on many factors, including where you live, the type of tick that bit you, and how long the tick was attached. Be sure to see a health care provider if you become sick after a tick bite, have a rash or a fever
Remove leaf litter and clear tall grasses and brush around homes regularly. Place wood chips or gravel between lawns and wooded areas to keep ticks away from recreational areas. Keep play areas and playground equipment away vegetation.
In your yard, tick control chemicals are effective for a homeowner to use or they can be applied by a professional pest control expert. Remove plants that attract deer and construct physical barriers to discourage them from entering your yard and bringing blacklegged ticks with them.
Dogs are very susceptible to tick bites and tick-borne diseases. Talk to your veterinarian about the best tick prevention product for your dog. For more information on animals and health, see Preventing Ticks on Your Pet.
