Ticks aren’t only a wilderness problem.
They wait at the frayed edge of a mowed path, in tall grass past the last trim and in low brush. A local park loop with grass or brush can have ticks too.
Protection happens in a few places, and each one does its own job:
- Before you go: repellent and treated clothing
- On the trail: the center of the path
- After the walk: the tick check and a shower within two hours, which catch a tick early
- Your dog: a daily check and a tick preventive from your vet
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Why the check matters: Lyme and the 24-hour window
The main worry is Lyme disease. It spreads through bites from infected blacklegged ticks, which many people call deer ticks.
Lyme is concentrated in the Northeast, the mid-Atlantic and the upper Midwest. Many people pick up ticks in their own yard or neighborhood, not just in the woods.
Young ticks, called nymphs, are about the size of a poppy seed, so they’re hard to see. Ticks can turn up year-round, but they’re most active from April to September.
According to the CDC, a tick usually has to be attached for more than 24 hours before it can pass on Lyme.
Removing a tick within 24 hours can greatly reduce the chance of Lyme disease. That window is why the check after a walk matters.
Before you go: repellent and treated clothing
Start with clothing: long-sleeved shirts and pants. Picking what to wear for the day’s weather is a good time to add that layer.
Light colors make a crawling tick easier to spot, and pants tucked into socks or boots close the gap at your ankles.
For skin, the CDC recommends a repellent registered with the EPA that contains one of these:
- DEET
- Picaridin
- IR3535
- Oil of lemon eucalyptus
- PMD
- 2-undecanone
Don’t use oil of lemon eucalyptus or PMD on children under 3. If you wear sunscreen, put it on first and the repellent second.
The EPA offers a free tool to find the repellent that is right for you. It searches skin-applied products registered with the agency.
Permethrin is a different tool. Permethrin at 0.5% can treat boots, clothing and camping gear, and it keeps working through several washings. You can also buy pre-treated clothing and gear.
Permethrin never goes on your skin.
One widely sold option is Sawyer’s permethrin spray for clothing and gear. Sawyer says it bonds to fabric for up to 6 weeks or 6 washings, whichever comes first.
Sawyer Premium Permethrin, 24 oz
For clothing, boots, gear and tents, never skin
Up to 6 weeks or 6 washings, per Sawyer
Check stock and price on Amazon
On the trail: stay in the center of the path
Ticks live in grassy, brushy or wooded areas, the CDC notes. Keep these habits on easy nature walks too.
Ticks can’t fly or jump. They wait on the tips of grasses and shrubs, a habit called questing, and climb aboard when something brushes past.
Walk in the center of the trail, and steer clear of high grass and leaf litter.
If you like to pause and watch birds near a hedge line, take that stop a step back from the brush.
The tick check after every walk
Do a full body check when you come back, even from your own backyard. A hand mirror or a full-length mirror helps you see every part of your body.
The CDC’s list of places to look:
- Under the arms
- In and around the ears
- Inside the belly button
- Back of the knees
- In and around the hair
- Between the legs
- Around the waist
Next, shower. The CDC says showering within two hours of coming indoors has been shown to reduce your risk of Lyme disease. It’s also a good chance to check.
Clothes need attention too. Tumble dry dry clothes on high heat for 10 minutes; damp clothes need more time.
If clothes need washing first, use hot water. Ticks can also ride in on coats, daypacks and pets, so look those over.
If you find a tick, remove it now
Remove a tick as soon as possible. Don’t wait for a doctor’s appointment.
- Grip close to the skin. Use clean, fine-tipped tweezers and grasp the tick as low as you can.
- Pull straight up. Use steady, even pressure. Don’t twist or jerk, because the mouthparts can break off and stay in the skin.
- Clean up. Clean the bite and your hands with rubbing alcohol, soap and water, or hand sanitizer.
- Dispose of it safely. Get rid of it by sealing it in a container, wrapping it tightly in tape, flushing it, or putting it in alcohol. Don’t crush it with your fingers.
Skip petroleum jelly, heat and nail polish to make a tick let go. They may agitate the tick and push infected fluid into the skin.
If you may need to see a doctor later, remember the date and place of the bite. You’ll be asked when and where it happened.
What to watch for after a bite
A small red bump that shows up right away, like a mosquito bite, is common. It usually goes away in 1 to 2 days and isn’t a sign of Lyme disease.
The Lyme rash is different. It begins 3 to 30 days after the bite, about 7 days on average. It shows up in roughly 70 to 80 percent of infected people.
The rash expands over several days and can reach 12 inches or more across. It may feel warm but is rarely itchy or painful.
It doesn’t always look like a bull’s-eye. Fever, chills, headache, fatigue and aches can also appear without any rash.
The CDC’s advice: if a rash or fever appears within several weeks of removing a tick, see your doctor. Say when and where the bite happened.
If the bite happened where Lyme is common, ask your healthcare provider whether a single dose of an antibiotic after a bite is right for you. The CDC names doxycycline for this.
Your dog brings ticks home too
Pets can bring ticks into the house, and those ticks can then bite people. Check your dog daily and remove any ticks you find.
CDC’s guide to checking a dog lists these places:
- In and around the ears
- Around the eyelids
- Under the collar
- Under the front legs
- Between the toes
- Between the back legs
- Around the tail
Ask your vet about a tick preventive product for your dog.
After a bite, watch for changes in behavior or appetite. Signs of tickborne disease may take 7 to 21 days or longer to appear.
Dogs can get Lyme disease, but there’s no evidence they pass it straight to people.