What is a tick?  Ticks are related to spiders.  They have 8 legs but they don't eat insects or spin webs.  All ticks are small, but blacklegged ticks (sometimes called deer ticks) are very small.  Ticks live in places where there is alot of tall grass, shrubs, and leaves.  Ticks wait for an animal (like a deer, mouse or dog) or a person to walk by.  Then they grab on to the animal or human. 

Ticks find a good place to attach themselves on a person or animal.  They might hide in your hair, or behind a knee or even in your underwear.

Black legged ticks (deer ticks) can cause Lyme Disease.  They carry the bacterium, Borrelia Burgdorferi.  It can be transmitted to humans through the bite of the tick.  The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has more information about Lyme Disease.  www.cdc.gov/lyme 

Avoid direct contact with ticks.  Avoid wooded and bushy areas with high grass and leaf litter. 

Use repellents that contain 20 - 30% DEET on exposed skin and clothing for protection that lasts up to several hours.  Products that contain permethrin should be used on clothing. 

Bathe or shower as soon as possible after coming indoors to wash off and more easily find ticks that are crawling on you.  Conduct a full-body tick check.  Parents should check their children for ticks under arms, in and around the ears, inside the belly button, behind the knee, between the legs, around the waist and especially in their hair. 

Wear light colored clothing so you can see ticks on your clothes.  Wear long sleeves and pants.  Tuck pants into socks.   

Examine gear and pets.  Ticks can ride into the home on clothing and pets, then attach to a person later, so examine pets, coats, and day packs.  Tumble clothes in a dryer on high heat for an hour to kill remaining ticks.

If you find a tick attached to your skin, don't panic!  Click here to see how to remove a tick properly.