What should you do to avoid catching a tick? - briefly
Wear long sleeves, long pants, and tick‑repellent clothing, and inspect your skin and clothing for ticks after every outdoor excursion. Stay on cleared trails and avoid dense, brushy areas where ticks are prevalent.
What should you do to avoid catching a tick? - in detail
To prevent tick attachment, follow these precise measures before, during, and after exposure to tick‑infested environments.
- Wear light‑colored, long‑sleeved shirts and long trousers. Tuck shirts into pants and secure pant legs with elastic cuffs or gaiters to close gaps.
- Apply a repellent containing at least 20 % DEET, picaridin, IR3535, or oil of lemon eucalyptus to exposed skin and clothing. Reapply according to product guidelines, especially after sweating or swimming.
- Treat outdoor apparel with permethrin (0.5 % concentration). Permethrin remains effective through several washes and kills ticks on contact.
- Remain on cleared paths; avoid brushing against low vegetation, leaf litter, and tall grass where ticks quest for hosts.
- Conduct a thorough body inspection within two hours of leaving the area. Examine scalp, behind ears, underarms, groin, and between toes. Use a mirror for hard‑to‑see spots.
- Remove any attached tick promptly. Grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible with fine‑pointed tweezers, pull upward with steady pressure, and avoid crushing the body. Disinfect the bite site afterward.
- Wash clothing and gear at 60 °C (140 °F) or tumble dry on high heat for at least 10 minutes to kill any remaining ticks.
- Maintain your yard by keeping grass trimmed, removing leaf litter, and creating a barrier of wood chips or gravel between lawn and wooded areas.
By consistently applying these practices, the likelihood of acquiring a tick and the associated risk of disease transmission are markedly reduced.