Ticks carry Lyme and other diseases, but a few habits dramatically cut your risk. Here’s the full guide: where they hide, how to protect yourself outdoors, how to check for and remove them safely, how to make your yard and pets far less tick-friendly, and when to call a doctor.
Please note: This is general guidance, not medical advice, and not a substitute for professional care. Always consult your physician, veterinarian, or another licensed professional about your specific situation. In an emergency, call 911.
Know where ticks are — and why they matter
Ticks can carry Lyme disease and several other illnesses (anaplasmosis, babesiosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, alpha-gal), so preventing bites is worth the effort. They don’t jump or drop from trees — they wait on the tips of grass and brush and grab on as you pass.
Highest-risk zones:
- Tall grass, weeds and brush
- Leaf litter and the shady edge where your lawn meets the woods
- Along stone walls, wood piles and ground-cover
- Anywhere deer and mice travel
Peak season is spring through fall, but a warm spell any time of year can wake them.
Protect yourself outdoors
Before you head into grass or woods:
- Use an EPA-registered repellent on skin: DEET (20–30%), picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus
- Treat clothing, boots and gear with permethrin (lasts several washes) — never put permethrin on skin
- Tuck pants into socks and shirt into pants
- Wear light-colored clothing so ticks are easy to spot
- Walk in the center of trails, away from the brushy edges
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Daily tick checks & safe removal
After time outdoors, check everyone (yourself, kids, pets):
- Check behind the knees, groin, armpits, waistband, belly button, hairline, ears and scalp
- Shower within 2 hours to wash off unattached ticks
- Tumble clothes in a hot dryer for 10 minutes to kill hitchhikers
To remove an attached tick:
- Use fine-tipped tweezers or a tick-removal tool
- Grip as close to the skin as possible and pull straight up — steady and slow
- Don’t twist, squeeze, or use matches, nail polish or petroleum jelly
- Clean the bite with soap and water or alcohol; note the date
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the tick was attached more than ~36 hours, you can’t remove it cleanly, or you develop a rash (including a bull’s-eye), fever, chills, aches or fatigue in the days-to-weeks after a bite. Early treatment matters — tell them the date and, if you saved the tick, bring it.
Make your yard less tick-friendly
A lot of bites happen at home — and your yard is controllable:
- Mow regularly and rake up leaf litter and tall grass
- Create a 3-foot barrier of wood chips or gravel between lawn and woods/stone walls
- Keep play sets, patios and seating in the sun, away from the edge
- Move wood piles off the ground and away from the house (they attract mice)
- Discourage deer with fencing and deer-resistant plants
- Consider an EPA-registered yard tick treatment on the perimeter (or hire a pro)
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Protect your pets from ticks
Dogs and cats pick up ticks easily and carry them indoors:
- Keep pets on a vet-recommended tick preventive (monthly chew, spot-on, or collar) year-round in many areas
- Check them over after they’re outside — ears, neck, chest, toes, armpits and tail
- Ask your vet about the Lyme vaccine for dogs in high-risk areas
- A quick daily once-over protects them and your whole household
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Resources & when to call
- Call your doctor for a rash, fever or aches after a bite — note the date; early treatment is very effective
- Poison Control: 1-800-222-1222 — repellent ingestion or exposure concerns
- Tick identification, disease info & maps: cdc.gov/ticks
- For pets: your vet for tick prevention and the Lyme vaccine
More home & yard tips
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