How do I prevent ticks & bites?
Ticks are everywhere, and most people don't realize when they've been exposed. Here's how to change that.
Growing up in a very outdoorsy family, every time we'd embark on a hiking expedition my mom would slather my siblings and me in DEET, and shriek at us every time we veered toward the edge of the trail. When we got home, we'd have to take turns stripping down while she took a flashlight and meticulously inspected every nook and cranny. At the time, I thought she was being, well, my mother. It turns out she just knew a thing or two about Lyme prevention. If you read this, you will too.
Maintain a Safe Home
Manage Your Environment
Your yard is often where tick exposure begins. Ticks thrive within the first few feet of wooded edges, in leaf litter, long grass, and stone walls.
Clear brush and leaf litter, and stack wood neatly away from the lawn
Use wood chip or gravel barriers to separate grass from wooded areas
Reduce wildlife attractants like deer and rodents through landscaping and fencing
Protect Your Pets
Pets are one of the most common ways ticks enter a home. They can carry ticks inside without showing any signs, and they can contract Lyme, too.
Talk to your vet about tick prevention and vaccination; some dogs can be vaccinated as early as eight weeks old
Check pets regularly, even after time in your own backyard
Use a TiCK MiTT — run it over their fur to catch loose ticks before they latch on
Before You Head Out
Know When and Where Ticks Are Active
Tick season is longer than most people think—and it’s changing. It peaks from April through September, but is expanding as climate temperatures rise. In many parts of the country, ticks are active year-round. Ticks don't fly — they wait on grasses and low brush and latch on when you brush past. And while they don’t fly, they may fall from trees or high bushes.
Walk in the center of trails and avoid wooded edges, stone walls, and leaf piles
Avoid sitting on logs or leaning against trees
Use EPA-Registered Repellents
Repellents are a very effective line of defense. Not all are equal — what you use and where you apply it matters.
On skin: DEET, Picaridin, and IR3535 are the most effective. Oil of lemon eucalyptus is a viable alternative, though generally less potent
On clothing: treat with 0.5% permethrin, active for up to six weeks and multiple washes
Treating footwear alone has been shown to reduce tick bites by 74%
Dress for It
The right clothing puts a physical barrier between you and a tick bite. Light colors also make ticks easier to spot before they reach skin.
Light-colored, long-sleeved shirts and long pants with pant legs tucked into socks
A hat with hair tucked in
Close-toed shoes any time you're in a tick-prone area
After You're Back
Check Your Body
Removing a tick quickly reduces your risk, but the common belief that you're safe if you remove it within 24 hours isn't the whole story. Ticks can transmit bacteria in under 24 hours, and in some cases, after just six hours of attachment. You often have no way of knowing how long it was there anyway—a thorough check before you come inside is the bare minimum.
Check the scalp, ears, hairline, underarms, back of knees, groin, and belly button
Do the same for children and pets every time
Feel for small bumps — embedded ticks can be as small as a poppy seed
Inspect all gear before putting it away—clothing, backpacks, and camping equipment can all carry ticks inside
Shower and Do Laundry
A shower after time outdoors is one of the simplest prevention steps there is. It washes off unattached ticks and gives you a final chance to check for anything missed.
Shower promptly after being outdoors
Wash clothes in hot water, or tumble-dry on high for at least one hour
If You Find a Tick
Finding a tick is not a reason to panic — it's a reason to act intentionally. How you remove it matters, and what you do next matters too.
→ Read our full guide: I Found a Tick. Now What?
Tucking your pants into your socks and stinking like DEET isn't the most glamorous look. But it's a lot more appealing than the alternative. Prevention is the only reliable tool we have.
