Tick Bite Prevention

• Reapply insect repellent according to the product instructions.
• Avoid grassy, brushy, or wooded areas when possible.
• Walk in the center of marked trails in order to avoid brushing against tall grass and plants.
• Check clothing and skin frequently for ticks.

Tick habitat. Photo: Lee Green, Indiana State Department of Health.

• Dry your clothing to kill ticks. Unattached ticks may be carried into the house on clothing. Immediately disrobing and tumbling dry clothes in a dryer on high heat for 20 minutes is recommended to kill ticks. If the clothes are damp, additional time may be needed. When washing, hot water is recommended because cold or warm water will not kill ticks.
• Shower soon after being outdoors. 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 tickborne diseases. Showering may help wash off unattached ticks and it is a good opportunity to do a tick check.
• Check your body for ticks soon after being outdoors. Conduct a full body check upon return from potentially tick-infested areas, including your own backyard. Immature ticks are much smaller than adults and can be no larger than a poppy seed. Use a hand-held or full-length mirror to view all parts of your body. Check these parts of your body and your child’s body for ticks:
  • In and around the hair
  • In and around the ears
  • Under the arms
  • Around the waist
  • Inside belly button
  • Between the legs
  • Back of the knees
• Examine gear and pets for ticks. Ticks can ride into the home on clothing and pets, then attach to a person later, so carefully examine pets, coats, and daypacks.

Graphic: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

DO NOT use remedies such as “painting” the tick with nail polish or petroleum jelly or using heat to make the tick detach from the skin. Your goal is to remove the tick as quickly as possible–not wait for it to detach. Here’s how to safely and quickly remove a tick:

1. Use fine-tipped tweezers or a tick removal tool to grasp the tick as close to the skin’s surface as possible.
2. Pull upward with steady, even pressure. Don’t twist or jerk the tick; this can cause the mouth-parts to break off and remain in the skin. If this happens, remove the mouth-parts with tweezers. If you are unable to remove mouth parts easily with clean tweezers, leave the area alone and let the skin heal.
3. After removing the tick, thoroughly clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol or soap and water.
4. Never crush a tick with your fingers. Dispose of a live tick by putting it in alcohol, placing it in a sealed bag/container, wrapping it tightly in tape, or flushing it down the toilet.

Graphic: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Not everyone who develops a tick-borne illness remembers having a tick bite. If you develop a rash or fever within several weeks of outdoor activity, see your health care provider. Be sure to tell him or her about the nature of your outdoor exposures at home and during travel.

While it is not possible to eliminate ticks from grassy, brushy, or woody areas, there are steps you can take to reduce the number of ticks in your yard, including:

• Promptly remove dead leaves.
• Clear tall grasses and brush around homes and at the edge of lawns.
• Place a three-foot wide barrier of wood chips or gravel between lawns and wooded areas to restrict tick migration into recreational areas.
• Mow the lawn frequently.
• Stack wood neatly and in a dry area to discourage rodents.
• Keep playground equipment, decks, and patios away from yard edges and trees.
• Construct fences to discourage unwelcome animals (such as deer, raccoons, and stray dogs) from entering your yard.
• Remove old furniture, mattresses, or trash from the yard that may give ticks a place to hide.

In severe cases, a single application of insecticide can be effective in reducing ticks on the lawn or in other outdoor areas.  Consult with a licensed pesticide applicator before taking this step.