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Preventing tick bitesSpanish										Related Pages
										Series of three images showing a woman treating clothing with permethrin
Tick exposure can occur year-round, but ticks are most active during warmer months (April-September). Know which ticks are most common in your area.
Before You Go Outdoors
**Know where to expect ticks.** Ticks live in grassy, brushy, or wooded areas, or even on animals. Spending time outside walking your dog, camping, gardening, or hunting could bring you in close contact with ticks. Many people get ticks in their own yard or neighborhood.
**Treat clothing and gear** with products containing 0.5% permethrin. Permethrin can be used to treat boots, clothing and camping gear and remain protective through several washings. Alternatively, you can buy permethrin-treated clothing and gear.
**Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellentsexternal icon** containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (OLE), para-menthane-diol (PMD), or 2-undecanone. EPA’s helpful search toolexternal icon can help you find the product that best suits your needs. Always follow product instructions. Do not use products containing OLE or PMD on children under 3 years old.
**Avoid Contact with Ticks**
Avoid wooded and brushy areas with high grass and leaf litter.
Walk in the center of trails.After You Come Indoors
**Check your clothing for ticks.** Ticks may be carried into the house on clothing. Any ticks that are found should be removed. Tumble dry clothes in a dryer on high heat for 10 minutes to kill ticks on dry clothing after you come indoors. If the clothes are damp, additional time may be needed. If the clothes require washing first, hot water is recommended. Cold and medium temperature water will not kill ticks.
**Examine gear and pets.** Ticks can ride into the home on clothing and pets, then attach to a person later, so carefully examine pets, coats, and daypacks.
**Shower soon after being outdoors.** Showering within two hours of coming indoors has been shown to reduce your risk of getting Lyme disease and may be effective in reducing the risk of other tickborne diseases. Showering may help wash off unattached ticks and it is a good opportunity to do a tick check.
**Check your body for ticks after being outdoors**. Conduct a full body check upon return from potentially tick-infested areas, including your own backyard. Use a hand-held or full-length mirror to view all parts of your body. Check these parts of your body and your child’s body for ticks:
Under the arms
In and around the ears
Inside belly button
Back of the knees
In and around the hair
Between the legs
Around the waistClipart image of a woman illustrating where on the body to look for ticks: in and around the hair, in and around ears, under the arms, inside belly button, between the legs, back of the knees
							
					
						Page last reviewed:  July 1, 2020					Content source: 	Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID), Division of Vector-Borne Diseases (DVBD) homeTicks HomeAvoiding ticksOn peopleOn petsIn the yardRemoving a tickplus iconTick Bite BotSymptoms of tickborne illnessRegions where ticks liveHow ticks spread diseaseDiseases transmitted by ticksTick bite data trackerTickborne disease continuing educationTickborne Diseases of the United States—reference guideTick surveillanceplus iconBlacklegged tickWestern blacklegged tickAmerican dog tickLone star tickTickborne pathogensData setsReported tickborne disease casesplus iconGeographic DistributionAsian longhorned ticksAlpha-gal syndromeplus iconProducts that may contain alpha-galFor Public Health OfficialsPublications, Training, and Resourcesplus iconAlpha-gal Syndrome FactsheetAlpha-gal Syndrome For Healthcare Providers FactsheetCommunications resourcesplus iconTicks Image GalleryTickborne disease videosplus iconTickborne disease webinars


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