Let’s prepare to protect: Prevention 101
Blog by Hayley ScaranoGrowing up in a very outdoorsy family, every time we’d embark on a hiking expedition (which was often), my mom would slather my siblings and me in DEET, and shriek at us every time we veered toward the edge of the trail, into the brush. When we got home, we’d have to take turns fully stripping down while she took a flashlight and meticulously inspected every nook and cranny of our bodies — not a nook or cranny was exempt if you know what I mean. At the time, I thought she was being, well, my mother (read: insane). It turns out she just knew a thing or two about Lyme prevention, and if you read this blog post, you will too!
Maintain a Safe Home
1. Manage Your Environment
Create a “tick-safe zone” by clearing your yard of brush and leaf litter, stacking wood neatly, and separating wood from lawns with barriers.
Reduce wildlife attractants — such as deer and rodents — through landscaping and fencing.
2. Protect Your Pets
Talk to your vet about vaccinating your pets, and start them young! Some dogs may be vaccinated at as early as eight weeks old.
Regularly check your pets, even if they’re just playing in your backyard. Pets can act as “tick taxis” and bring ticks into your home, and they can also contract Lyme themselves.
Run the TiCK MiTT over your pet’s fur to catch loose ticks before they latch on.
Know Before You Go: How Can I Prepare For an Outdoor Adventure?
1. Avoid Tick Habitats When Able
Add in knowledge about Tick season / trails
Ticks thrive in wooded areas, leaf litter, long grass, and stone walls, especially within ~9 feet from woodbines. Avoid these areas to the best of your ability.
Walk in the center of trails and avoid sitting on logs or standing near forest edges.2. Use Approved Repellents
Apply EPA-registered skin repellents: DEET, Picaridin, or IR3535. Oil of lemon and eucalyptus are viable options as well, and while you might be drawn to these less stinky options, they are likely less effective than the stronger, stinkier stuff.
Treat clothing with permethrin, a tick-killing insecticide safe for humans. One treatment of 0.5% permethrin stays active for up to six weeks, and multiple clothing washes.
2. Wear Protective Clothing
Wear light-colored, long-sleeved shirts and long pants, with pant legs tucked into socks.
Wear a hat and tuck your hair in to reduce exposure and make ticks easier to spot.
Wear close-toed shoes, and avoid being barefoot in tick-frequented areas.
What is a tick frequented area, you might ask? You may have heard they’re only on the east coast, for example. You may have heard wrong. Ticks can be anywhere. Stay vigilant.
Tick Check Checklist: How Can I Protect Myself After?
1. Tick & Body Checks
After outdoor activities, thoroughly inspect yourself, your loved ones and your pets — be careful not to miss hidden areas like scalp, ears, under arms, back of knees, groin, belly button, and hairline.
Ticks may hatch a ride on gear (clothing, backpacks, camping equipment). Ensure you have no unwelcome stowaways by inspecting your gear before putting it away.
Pro tip: Listen to the Brad Paisley song Ticks. Tick prevention can be sexy!
Perform your tick check ASAP. Removing a tick within 24 hours dramatically reduces your risk of contracting Lyme.
TiCK MiTTs aren’t just for pets! Rub a mitt over your body, clothing and gear to ditch any loose ticks. The mitt will NOT remove embedded ticks, so this is not a replacement for tick checks! Purchase a MiTT and read more about the product here.
2. Remove Ticks Correctly
If you see a tick, don’t panic. You caught it early!
Do not yank it out. Doing so could cause the tick’s mouth to remain in your body, along with its diseases.
Act as soon as you see it. Using fine-tipped tweezers (always have a pair handy on a hike, camping trip or in your luggage), grip the tick as close to the skin as possible, and pull straight up. Do not twist or crush the tick.
If you remove a tick that was attached (not just crawling on you), send it in for testing. Knowing if your tick was infected is beneficial for your own health and that of the public. Find information on how to send your tick in for testing here.
3. Hygiene & Laundry
Following your tick check, shower or bathe promptly after being outdoors to wash off unattached ticks.
Wash your clothes in hot water or tumble-dry on high for at least 1 hour to kill any lingering ticks.
This might sound excessive, or exhausting. You might think that tucking your pants into your socks and your hair into your hat, all the while stinking like DEET, doesn’t sound that cute. You know what’s less cute? Walking around smelling like garlic, because you’ve been prescribed garlic pills for your Lyme treatment. More on that later, when we discuss treatment.
Remember: Prevention is sexy. Lyme & tick-borne diseases are not.
Check out these following resources for more info:
