Tick season is here once again, and the experts are ready.
“There is no longer a firm end to tick season,” says Erin Dawicki, PA, cofounder and CEO of LymeAlert, a company that offers an at-home Lyme disease test kit.
Here, tick experts share the habits that make them shudder and the routines they follow to avoid ticks — and what they do if a tick manages to slip through their defenses.
1. Don’t Hike in Shorts and T-Shirts — Always Cover Up
Shorts, tank tops, and short-sleeve tees can keep you cool when the weather is hot, but they leave skin exposed to ticks, Dawicki says.
“Covering as much skin as you can is best,” says Amanda Roome, PhD, co-director of the Binghamton University Tick-Borne Disease Center in Cooperstown, New York. She suggests wearing long pants and long sleeves. “Less skin exposure gives ticks less of an opportunity to bite.”
Dawicki also recommends tucking your pants into your socks. Opt for light-colored clothing, which makes ticks easier to spot, Dr. Roome adds.
2. Don’t Walk Through Tall Grasses — Always Stay on the Main Path
Ticks typically live in tall grasses and other wooded, brushy areas. Avoid these areas to lower your risk of encountering a tick, Dr. Lareau says.
It won’t completely eliminate the tick risk, however, because these insects can be found anywhere outdoors, Dawicki says. So it’s always a good idea to be vigilant.
Pets can also transport ticks. Lareau suggests making sure your pets are up to date on their tick preventive medications so they don’t bring a tick to you.
3. Don’t Wait to Check for Ticks — Always Check During and After Time Outdoors
“People often forget tick checks while they’re spending time outdoors,” Roome says. “Checks don’t need to wait until the activity is done. Scanning yourself while you’re outdoors can help you find crawling ticks and remove them before they bite.”
You should also do a tick check as soon as you come inside, Lareau says. “The key to preventing tick-borne illness is decreasing the time the tick is attached if you can’t avoid ticks altogether.”
Ticks are tiny, dark, flat, and oval-shaped.
Do a full-body check, including under your arms, in and around your ears, inside your belly button, around joints, and in your hair, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). You can use a hand-held or full-length mirror for areas that are difficult to see. Check your children, too.
4. Don’t Linger in Your Outside Clothes — Always Change When You Go Inside
If you keep wearing your hiking or yard work clothes once you’re inside, you could transport ticks into your home or keep them on your body for longer, increasing the likelihood that they’ll bite. So getting out of your outdoor clothing that may have ticks on them is helpful, Roome says.
Ticks “typically crawl around for a bit before they decide to bite, so finding them before they bite is key,” she says.
5. Never Toss Outdoor Clothing in the Hamper — Throw Them in the Dryer Right Away
When you change out of your outdoor clothing, don’t just toss them in the hamper. Ticks could survive there for a short time, Roome says.
A better option is to put your clothing into the dryer on high heat for at least 10 minutes, Dawicki says. “Ticks need a lot of moisture, and they are sensitive to being dried out, which is why this is an effective method of killing ticks.”
6. Don’t Wait to Shower — Wash Off Ticks Before They Bite
Undressing and doing a tick check are crucial steps to preventing tick bites. Showering afterward helps, too, by washing off unattached ticks before they bite, Dawicki says.
“Showering gives you the perfect opportunity to do a thorough, full-body check in a well-lit area,” Lareau says.
7. Don’t Try to Burn Off a Tick — Use Fine-Tip Tweezers
If you notice a tick has attached itself to you, avoid burning the tick with a match or covering it with nail polish or petroleum jelly. You could injure yourself, and these methods aren’t effective. This could also encourage the tick to “regurgitate,” potentially speeding disease transmission, Roome adds.
The best way to remove a tick is to use fine-tip tweezers and grab the tick as close to the skin’s surface as possible and slowly pull it straight out, Dawicki says. Then, clean the bite area and your hands with soap and water, Lareau says.
8. Don’t Skip Tick Repellent — Choose a Proven Insecticide
The CDC recommends using a bug spray containing DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE), para-menthane-diol (PMD), or 2-undecanone.
Permethrin products are also effective, but should not be applied directly to your skin. “Permethrin spray is very effective at killing ticks,” Roome says. “It’s an acaricide that kills ticks on contact and is meant for clothing or gear.” You can buy permethrin and spray clothes yourself, or purchase clothing already treated with it.
A study published in 2011 in the Journal of Medical Entomology found that people who sprayed their shoes and socks with permethrin were about 74 times less likely to get a tick bite than those who didn’t use the repellent.
9. Don’t Ignore the Signs of Tick-Borne Diseases — Get Medical Treatment as Soon as Possible
“Many people are not aware that early detection is crucial when it comes to treating Lyme disease,” Dawicki says.
- A bull’s-eye rash
- Fatigue
- Fever
- Headache
- Muscle and joint aches and pains
- Stiff neck
- Swollen lymph nodes
Alpha-gal syndrome is a type of food allergy to red meat and other animal products that develops after a tick bite, usually from a kind called the lone star tick. The reaction can start two to six hours after eating one of these items and symptoms can include:
- Hives
- Itching
- Swelling of the lips, face, throat, or eyelids
- Shortness of breath
- Diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, or stomach pains
If you experience any of these symptoms, seek medical care immediately, Lareau says.
The Takeaway
- Tick season has traditionally been April to September, but milder winters mean it’s lasting longer. Ticks can survive any temperature above freezing.
- Rates of tick-borne diseases, including Lyme disease and Alpha-gal syndrome, have been increasing.
- You can lower your risk of tick bites by wearing pants and long sleeves while outdoors, using tick repellent, and avoiding tick-prone areas
- It’s also important to change out of outdoor clothing once you go inside and do a full-body tick check. Remove attached ticks with tweezers.
- Know the signs of tick-borne illnesses, such as a bull’s-eye rash, stomach symptoms, fever, itching, swelling, and hives, and seek medical attention if you experience them.
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