Block tick bites and Lyme disease
When warm weather arrives, you might get the urge to walk barefoot through the grass. But before you stroll through your lawn or head out on a hiking trail, you’ll want to protect yourself and your loved ones from ticks that often lurk in tall grass, thick brush, and wooded areas. Many ticks carry disease, so do what you can to keep ticks from taking a bite out of you.
To prevent tick bites and tick-borne diseases:
- Help keep ticks off your skin by wearing long sleeves, long pants, and long socks.
- Ward off ticks by using an insect repellant that contains at least 20% DEET (for the skin) or permethrin (for clothes).
- Avoid ticks by walking in the center of trails and steer clear of tall vegetation.
- If you’ve been in an area where ticks are common, bathe or shower as soon as possible, and wash or tumble your clothes in a dryer on high heat.
- Check your body carefully for ticks. They dig and burrow into the skin before they bite and feed.
- Removing ticks right away can help prevent disease.
- If you develop a rash or fever after removing a tick, see your doctor.
