Ticks live year-round but we see them more in warmer weather. These tiny bugs can pass on many nasty diseases like Lyme, Babesiosis, Anaplasmosis and more.
Here are a few tips to protect yourself and your family when you enjoy being outdoors this summer:
- Find out what ticks live near you.
- Of the many different tick species found throughout the world, only a select few bite and transmit bacteria, viruses, and parasites, or pathogens, that cause diseases in people. Of the ticks that bite people, different species of ticks transmit different pathogens. These maps show the general distribution of medically important human-biting ticks in the contiguous United States. Populations of ticks may be found outside shaded areas. Naturally occurring populations of the ticks described below do not occur in Alaska; however, the brown dog tick occurs in Hawaii.
- Note that adult ticks are the easiest to identify and male and female ticks of the same species may look different. Nymphal and larval ticks are very small and may be hard to identify.
- For detailed information about ticks in your county, visit the interactive Tick Surveillance maps.
- Find the right repellent and use it before you go out.
- Use the search tool to help you choose the repellent product that is right for you. You can specify:
- mosquitoes, ticks or both;
- protection time;
- active ingredient; or
- other product-specific information.
- Consider these factors when choosing a repellent:
- Do you need protection from mosquitoes, ticks or both?
- How long will you be exposed to them? Be sure to use a product with a protection time that fits your activity.
- Avoid wooded and tall grassy areas. And, walk in the center of trails.
When you get home:
- Do a full tick check.
- Take a shower and look in common areas where ticks like to attach – armpits, around your ears, around your waist, between your legs, elbow creases and knee creases.
- Wash clothes in hot water or put them in the dryer on hot for at least 10 minutes.
- Check your gear and your pets.
Before You Go Outdoors
- Know where to expect ticks. Ticks live in grassy, brushy, or wooded areas, or even on animals. Spending time outside walking your dog, camping, gardening, or hunting could bring you in close contact with ticks. Many people get ticks in their own yard or neighborhood.
- Treat clothing and gear with products containing 0.5% permethrin. Permethrin can be used to treat boots, clothing and camping gear and remain protective through several washings. Alternatively, you can buy permethrin-treated clothing and gear.
- Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellentsexternal icon containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (OLE), para-menthane-diol (PMD), or 2-undecanone. EPA’s helpful search toolexternal icon can help you find the product that best suits your needs. Always follow product instructions. Do not use products containing OLE or PMD on children under 3 years old.
- Avoid Contact with Ticks
- Avoid wooded and brushy areas with high grass and leaf litter.
- Walk in the center of trails.
If you get bitten by a tick
read how to remove it properly. You can’t get sick unless the tick bites you. If it does, removing it quickly can reduce your risk.
Watch for symptoms like fever/chills, aches/pains and/or a rash. Contact your primary care provider if you have any symptoms.