An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure! Here are a few tick bite prevention steps you can take to avoid tick borne illnesses.

One great place to start is by tick proofing your yard. Clear brush and leaves where ticks may live. Ticks like to lay their eggs on dead leaves, so raking up leaves is helpful. Mow your lawn regularly since ticks like to climb up blades of grass as they await their next host to grab on to. 

Ticks like wooded, high humidity areas, not sunny areas of the yard – so consider this when spending time outdoors. Place woodpiles away from the house. Building a fence to keep out deer can also be helpful. Wildflowers and herbal gardens have very few ticks. 

SPENDING TIME OUTDOORS

When hiking or spending time outdoors, cover up with long sleeves and long pants. Ticks like to grab on to bare skin. Tucking pants into socks is a good idea. When hiking, stick to well groomed paths and avoid tall grasses. 

Use insect repellants. Permethrin can be applied to clothes. Lemon eucalyptus oil, rose of geranium essential oil (you can combine with almond oil), and other natural repellants on the market may be helpful for tick bite prevention.

Perform tick checks on yourself, clothes and gear, pets, and children after time outdoors. Ticks like moist places like your armpits and groin, and especially check under your hair. Wearing light colored clothes makes it easier to spot ticks. 

Remove your clothes as soon as possible after a hike and put clothes into the dryer right away for an hour- the dryness should kill any ticks present. Then you can wash and dry clothes as normal. Shower as soon as possible after a hike to take care of any ticks that may be present and haven’t attached yet.

WHAT IF A TICK HAS ALREADY LATCHED ON?

Remove a tick as soon as possible with tweezers using a steady straight out movement, grabbing as close to the head as possible. Do not twist and turn the tick while pulling out or burn the tick. Pull it straight out gently and steadily. Wash the area thoroughly. You can then place the tick in a plastic bag with a moist paper towel should you want to have it tested for your peace of mind after a tick bite. It’s also a good idea to be vigilant for any symptoms of tick borne illness so you can seek medical care immediately.

Enjoying the great outdoors can be an important part of health and happiness. Keeping these tick bite prevention tips in mind could be a great way to enjoy nature while staying safe from tick borne illness.