Fortunately, most ticks don't carry diseases.
When you or your pet spend time in wooded or grassy areas, you are inviting targets for hungry ticks. Although most ticks do not carry diseases, there is the risk of contracting Lyme disease, tularemia or another malady from one. Permethrin, DEET and other chemicals used to repel bugs are powerful and potentially dangerous if misused. Follow the manufacturer's directions and remember that even when using an effective repellent, a tick may find its way onto you, your children or your pets. Does this Spark an idea?
DEET
DEET is marketed widely as a tick and insect repellent. Products containing 20 percent or more DEET sprayed directly on skin or clothing can repel ticks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, while evidence for using DEET against mosquitoes is not disputed, the effectiveness of DEET as tick repellent is questioned by organizations such as LymeNet Europe.
Permethrin
Permethrin is less effective when used on skin, but when it is sprayed on clothes it can remain effective for several weeks, according to LymeNet Europe. Products containing 0.5 percent permethrin can be sprayed on clothing and footwear to repel ticks. Ticks that contact permethrin on clothes fall off immediately.
Protective Clothing
Wear a hat to keep ticks out of your hair. Wear a long-sleeved shirt tucked into long trousers with the legs tucked into the socks. Add closed-toe footwear to keep ticks from crawling up your legs. You won't win any fashion awards, but you will reduce the chance of finding a tick on your body.
Prevention
Pets and deer are the most probable carriers of ticks into your yard. Avoid landscaping with plants that deer like. Use a tick-repelling collar or shampoo on your pet and perform regular tick checks. To repel ticks from your home and yard, make and maintain a tick-safe zone between your boundary and the woods by keeping grass clipped short and removing leaf litter and brush from your yard.
Checking for Ticks
Check your children and yourself for ticks after walking or working in an area that may contain ticks. Look in and around ears, belly buttons and hair. Check under the arms, around the waist, between the legs and the back of the knees. Remove any ticks that you find either on your body or in clothing. Showering within two hours of being in a tick-infested area can reduce your chance of being bitten by any ticks you may have missed earlier.
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