How to Avoid Tick Bites

When in tick habitat (grassy, brushy, or woodland areas), several precautions can minimize your chances of being bitten by a tick.

• Tuck your pant legs into your socks. Tuck your shirt into your pants. Ticks grab onto feet and legs and then climb up. This precaution will keep them on the outside of your clothes, where they can be spotted and picked off.
• Wear light colored clothing. Dark ticks can most easily be spotted against a light background.
• Inspect your clothes for ticks often while in tick habitat. Have a companion inspect your back.
• Wear repellents, applied according to label instructions. Application to shoes, socks, cuffs and pant legs are most effective against ticks.
• Inspect your head and body thoroughly when you get in from the field. Have a companion check your back, or use a mirror.
• When working in tick habitat on a regular basis, do not wear work clothing home. This will reduce the chances of bringing ticks home and exposing family members.

What to do if Bitten by a Tick

Remove the tick as soon as possible. The easiest method is to grasp the tick with fine tweezers, as near to the skin as you can, and to gently pull it out. You may want to save the tick in a small jar for later identification. Check to see whether the mouthparts broke off in the wound. If they did, seek medical attention to get them removed. If you get any symptoms of Lyme disease in the following week to several months, see a physician immediately. Be sure to tell the doctor that you were bitten by a tick. A blood test can help determine if you have been exposed to Lyme disease.

http://www.nps.gov/seki/ticks.htm
Last update: February 21, 1997