Preventing Tick Bites

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Each of these steps adds an extra layer of protection and can help you enjoy the outdoors safely:

• Use tick repellents

• Tick-proof clothing and gear

• Dress for tick safety

• Bring tick-ready supplies with you.

Different types of repellents can help protect you against tick bites.

The three main choices of repellents are:

• DEET

• picaridin

• natural repellents

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DEET and picaridin are more effective than natural repellents. Most repellents come in many forms such as spray, lotion, and towelette. Many have a pleasant smell, are not sticky, and are easy to apply.

Some repellents are registered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). EPA-registered repellents have been evaluated and deemed safe and effective when applied according to instructions on the label.

EPA

Which bugs does it repel?

Check the label of a repellent to see if it has the EPA Repellency Awareness Graphic. This tells you which bugs the product repels, and for how long.

How to apply repellent

Always follow correct use instructions on the package. In addition, follow these general rules:

• If you are also using sunscreen, apply that first and then apply repellent.

• Apply repellent outdoors or in open areas to avoid breathing it in.

• Apply repellent to all exposed skin. You can also spray it on your clothing, but another product called permethrin is more effective for keeping ticks off of clothing.

• Do not apply repellents under clothing.

• Use just enough repellent to lightly cover but not soak your skin.

• Try not to get repellent into your eyes and mouth.

• If using a spray repellent, remember to spray your head, too, but be sure to avoid your face. Spray repellent on your hands, then gently rub it onto your face.

• If using a spray repellent, rub your skin after you apply it to make sure the repellent spreads across all exposed areas (similar to applying lotion).

• Do not apply repellent to cuts, wounds, or broken skin.

• Some repellents are flammable, so do not apply them near open flames.

• Help children to apply repellent, and do not apply it to their hands, because children often touch their eyes and mouth.

• Wash your hands after using repellent to avoid contact with the eyes, mouth, and genitals.

• After returning indoors, wash repellent off with soap and water.

Which repellent is right for me?

Different types of repellents are outlined below. The EPA’s “Find the Repellent that is Right for You” tool, allows you to search by

• whether you want to protect against mosquitoes, ticks, or both

• how long you want to the protection to last

• ingredient or brand name

Are there any repellents or ingredients that are not effective against ticks?

The following are not effective, or only minimally effective, against ticks:

• citronella

• botanical oils, including cinnamon, peppermint, sandalwood, geranium, and soybean

• vitamin supplements and herbal remedies

• repellent bracelets

Ticks can attach to clothing and then crawl onto your skin. The best way to prevent this is to treat your clothes with permethrin, an EPA-registered insecticide that kills ticks and mosquitoes on contact.

Permethrin can be used on clothing and gear (such as shoes, hats, lawn chairs, backpacks, and tents). Do not apply permethrin directly to the skin. Permethrin is safe for people, including children and women who are pregnant or nursing, but it is toxic to cats.

How do I treat my clothes with permethrin?

There are two ways to treat your clothes with permethrin:

• Buy a bottle of 0.5% permethrin (available online or at many pharmacies and outdoor retailers) and spray your clothes and gear yourself.

• Send your clothes to a commercial-grade company that will treat them for you. (Typing “permethrin clothing treatment service” into an internet search will bring up several options.)

CDC

When spraying your own clothes and gear with permethrin, do so outdoors. Do not wear clothing while spraying it. Spray fabrics for 30 to 45 seconds on both sides. Do not bring sprayed clothing or gear inside until it is completely dry.

Permethrin that you spray on your own clothing should last six weeks, or through six washes.

Professionally treated clothes last for about twice as many washes.

Can I buy clothes that are pre-treated with permethrin?

Many outdoor retailers sell clothing that is pre-treated with permethrin. While some manufacturers claim that pre-treated clothing can last through 70 washes, studies show that clothing pre-treated with permethrin can wear off after 15 washes.

Ticks are looking for exposed skin, including your neck and scalp. In addition to using repellent on all exposed skin and treating your clothes with permethrin, you should also:

• Wear long sleeves and long pants. Cover as much skin as possible with loose, lightweight clothing while doing activities that put you at higher risk for a tick bite (like hiking in the woods). Moisture-wicking or quick-dry fabrics can be more comfortable in hot weather.

• Tuck pants into socks. This helps prevent ticks from climbing under your pant hem and onto your leg.

• Tuck your shirt into your pants. This helps prevent ticks from climbing under your shirt hem and onto your skin.

• Wear a hat. This helps protect your scalp.

• Wear light-colored clothing. This makes it easier to spot ticks.

Extra repellent

You may need to reapply repellent, depending how long you are outside and what you are doing. Swimming, sweating, and getting caught in the rain can cause repellent to wash off. Remember to reapply repellent on kids, too.

Tick removal kit

If you do find a tick on you or your child while you’re outside, you want to properly remove it as soon as possible. To do this, you will need:

• tweezers

• antiseptic wipes

• a small, zippered plastic bag

• a permanent marker

To learn how to properly remove a tick, see If You Find a Tick.

Mark Alan Lovewell and the Vineyard Gazette

Adhesive lint roller

Periodically rolling an adhesive lint roller over your clothing and skin can help pick up ticks that you can’t see. You should also do this again when you come back inside.

Ticks live in moist, shady areas like woods, tall grass, shrubs, brush, and leaf piles. They can also be found in beach grass, in city parks, in backyards, on playgrounds and playing fields, on golf courses, and on farms. In other words, ticks are everywhere.

By properly using repellents, you’ve already made yourself less attractive to ticks. Once you’re outside, you and your family can give ticks fewer opportunities to come into contact with you. For example:

• Stay in the middle of walking paths.

• Stay toward the center of play spaces rather than wooded edges.

• Avoid beach dunes and areas with tall grass.

• Avoid leaf litter, and do not allow children or pets to play in leaf piles.

• Avoid wooded areas and areas with a lot of brush.

You can also consider alternative activities where you have less risk of encountering ticks, such as:

• walking on paved paths instead of in the woods

• kayaking instead of hiking

And, reapply repellent as needed.

It’s very important to check for ticks as soon as you get home. Just outside your door or immediately upon coming inside (before walking through the house), you should:

Use an adhesive lint roller

Rolling an adhesive lint roller over your clothing and skin can help pick up ticks you can’t see.

Remove your shoes

Removing your shoes outside your front door prevents you from bringing ticks that may be attached to the shoes into the house, where they can bite you, your children, or your pets.

CDC

Do a tick check

Ticks can be found anywhere on the body, so you want to do a full body scan from scalp to toes. Visually and physically check yourself and your children, running your hands through hair and scalp, and along all exposed skin. Ticks gravitate towards warm, moist areas, so be sure to check places such as:

• belly button

• armpits

• groin

• behind the knees

• behind the ears

• back of the neck

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Ticks are very small. Nymphal ticks, which are out in the spring and summer, are about the size of a poppy seed. Adult ticks, which are out in the fall, are about the size of a sesame seed. Ticks are black or orange-red, and might look like specks of dirt or freckles. A magnifying glass can make it easier to spot ticks.

If you find a tick, learn what to do in our If You Find a Tick section.

Put clothes in the dryer

Putting your clothes in the dryer on high heat for 10 minutes kills ticks. Washing your clothes will not kill ticks unless it is at a high temperature, as it is heat, not water, that will kill them.

Shower

Showering helps you wash away ticks that may be crawling on your skin but that are not yet attached to you. This is a good time to do another thorough tick check.

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Children ages 5 to 14 years are at highest risk for tick bites because they spend a lot of time outdoors. You can protect your child from tick bites with the same measures you use to protect yourself. That means children should:

• dress for tick safety

• use repellent that is appropriate for their age

• wear clothing and gear treated with tick repellent

• have an adult do tick checks

• shower/bathe after spending time outdoors

Dress for tick safety

• Wear long sleeves and long pants. Cover as much skin as possible with loose, lightweight clothing.

• Tuck pants into socks. This helps prevent ticks from climbing under your pant hem and onto your leg.

• Tuck your shirt into your pants. This helps prevent ticks from climbing under your shirt hem and onto your skin.

• Wear a hat. This helps protect your scalp.

• Wear light-colored clothing. This makes it easier to spot ticks.

Use repellent

Repellents containing DEET and picaridin are most effective. Studies show that DEET is safe for children over 2 months of age and picaridin is safe for children. Oil of lemon eucalyptus is safe for children over 3 years of age, but is less effective. For more information, see Use repellents.

Treat clothing and gear with permethrin

Permethrin is a pesticide that can be used to treat clothing and gear. It kills ticks on contact and is safe for children over 2 months of age. You can treat clothing with permethrin spray, have clothing professionally treated with permethrin, or buy clothes that have been pre-treated with permethrin. For more information, see Tick-proof your clothing.

CDC

Do tick checks

You can do tick checks on younger children and show older children how to do them themselves. It’s important for kids to be able to identify ticks, and to learn how to do tick checks so they can do them when they are away from home, like at sleepaway camp. For more information, see Do a tick check.

Shower or bathe after coming in from outdoors

Children should shower or be bathed after spending time outdoors. Bath time for younger children is a great time for you to do a tick check on them. Encourage older children to look for ticks on themselves while they are showering.

Are there extra precautions to think about for kids?

Children can make tick encounters less likely by avoiding the places that ticks prefer. Ticks like moist, shady areas, so encourage your children to play in the center of the lawn and sunnier spots of grass. Children should avoid playing in or at the edge of the woods, and should also stay away from wood piles, leaf piles, and stone walls — all places where you’re more likely to find ticks. Place swing sets away from these trouble spots. For more information, see Protecting Your Yard.

How should I talk to my children about tick safety?

Playing outside is good for children’s physical, social, and mental health. When talking to your kids about tick safety, the goal is for your kids to learn how to protect themselves without fearing the great outdoors.

Teach your children:

• Why you want to prevent tick bites. You don’t need to get into detail, and younger children may not even need this information. The point is to get your kids into the habit of practicing tick-safe behaviors.

• What ticks look like. For more information, see Lyme Disease Overview.

• Where to play at recess. It’s generally best to avoid the woody perimeters of playing fields and to stick to sunny, central spots.

• How to do a tick check. For more information, see Do a tick check.

• What to do if they find a tick on themselves. Tell a trusted adult, a teacher or school nurse if they’re at school, or a caregiver at home.