Personal Protection is the Most Important Defense Against Lyme Disease

Ticks are most active from April to August, but in mild winters ticks can be active all year long. Tick checks should be conducted daily, no matter where you are or what time of year it is. It takes only a couple of seconds for a tick to grasp on to clothing. Dress properly when entering areas which may be tick habitats.

• Wear light-colored long pants so you can easily spot ticks.
• Tuck pant legs into socks and tuck shirt into pants.
• Tape pant legs and wear long shirt sleeves when working near the ground.
• Cover hair with a hat and contain long hair, especially when gardening.

Avoid these tick habitats from April to October: 

• Weeds, tall grass, shrubs, and low trees
• Areas under decks and along foundations
• Ornamental ground cover—pachysandra and ivy
• Wood piles and stone walls

Conduct daily tick checks and launder clothing after leaving any suspect tick habitat.

• Conduct daily inspections of the whole body, including hairline, waist, under-arms, groin, and back of knees.
• Remove ticks promptly. Use thin-tipped tweezers or forceps and grasp where mouthparts enter the skin. Pull upward in a slow, steady motion.
• Do not squeeze tick or use other methods of removal.
• Clean bite area with an antiseptic or soap and water.
• Remove and check clothing for ticks. Place clothing in a dryer, on high, for 20 minutes to kill unseen ticks.
• Be alert for early symptoms of Lyme disease: a large expanding rash or flu-like symptoms. Seek medical attention.
• Use DEET insect repellents and registered Permethrin products to further reduce tick exposure.
• Other methods of tick removal (burning with match or smothering with Vaseline) irritate the tick, causing it to regurgitate.

Don't forget your pets

Protect your pets. People often think of Lyme disease as a threat to humans, but it is also a threat to dogs and cats. Ticks can hide easily in a pet’s fur and attach for a blood meal. Always look for and remove ticks as pets can become infected with Lyme disease or other tick-borne diseases. Pets can carry ticks into the house where they can attach to humans. Be particularly careful if your pets sleep with you.

More about Pet protection

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