Tick Prevention: Enjoy the Outdoors Without the Bite

Ticks transmit Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Simple habits drastically cut your risk.

Personal Protection

• Light-colored, tightly woven clothing; tuck pants into socks.
• DEET-based repellent on exposed skin and clothes (avoid kids’ faces/hands).

Landscape Management

• Remove deer-attracting plants; add deer-resistant ones (yarrow, lavender, creeping juniper).
• 7-ft+ fence for deer exclusion.
• Mow lawns, clear brush—eliminate tick questing stations.

After Outdoor Time

• Full-body tick check (scalp, ears, groin, behind knees).
• Inspect pets daily.
• Treat pets with vet-approved preventative.

If You Find a Tick

Grasp with fine tweezers at skin line; pull straight out. Clean bite, apply antiseptic. Transmission takes ~24 hrs—prompt removal usually prevents disease.

Don’t let fear keep you inside. Vigilance lets you savor nature safely.