Tick Safety and Lyme Disease Prevention

• Introduction to Tick Safety and Lyme Disease
• Various Tick Behaviors and Lyme Disease Transmission
• Tick Prevention Techniques
• How to Identify and Remove Ticks
• Recognizing Lyme Disease Symptoms
• Determining When Medical Assistance is Advised

General Information

Ticks are more than just a nuisance — they’re disease carriers, and Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne illness in the United States. This course is designed to educate individuals, outdoor workers, parents, and nature-lovers on how to identify ticks, reduce exposure, and take immediate action to prevent Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses.

Whether you're hiking, gardening, or just spending time outside, this course equips you with the tools and knowledge to stay safe.

Top 10 Tick Prevention Tips in the United States

1. Stay on Clear Trails
   When hiking or walking outdoors, stick to the center of trails and avoid brushing against tall grass, shrubs, or leaf litter — prime tick habitats.
2. Wear Protective Clothing
   • Long sleeves and pants
   • Light-colored clothes (easier to spot ticks)
   • Tuck pants into socks and shirts into pants for extra protection
3. Use EPA-Approved Insect Repellents
   Apply repellents containing DEET, Picaridin, IR3535, or Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus on exposed skin. Use Permethrin-treated clothing or gear for extra protection.
4. Check for Ticks Frequently
   Perform tick checks during and after outdoor activities — especially behind knees, around the waist, underarms, in hair, and around the ears.
5. Shower Within 2 Hours of Coming Indoors
   Showering helps wash away unattached ticks and is a great opportunity to do a thorough tick check.
6. Examine Gear, Pets, and Clothes
   Ticks can hitch a ride on clothing, backpacks, and pets. Inspect and tumble clothes on high heat for 10–15 minutes to kill ticks.
7. Treat Pets Regularly
   Use veterinarian-recommended tick preventives for dogs and cats, even if they’re mostly indoors.
8. Create a Tick-Safe Yard
   • Keep grass mowed
   • Remove leaf litter and brush
   • Create a barrier of wood chips or gravel between your lawn and wooded areas
   • Stack wood neatly in dry areas to discourage rodents (which carry ticks)
9. Avoid Sitting on the Ground in Tick-Prone Areas
   Ticks crawl up from the ground and vegetation — sitting in wooded or grassy areas can increase risk.
10. Know the High-Risk Seasons and Regions

• Ticks are most active in spring and summer (May–August), but some are active year-round in milder climates.
• High-risk regions include the Northeast, Midwest, and parts of the Pacific Coast.

Top 10 Tips to Prevent Lyme Disease in the United States

1. Avoid Tick-Infested Areas

• Stay out of wooded, brushy, and grassy areas—especially in spring and summer.
• Walk in the center of trails when hiking or exploring outdoors.

2. Use Tick Repellent

• Apply EPA-approved repellents with:
  • DEET (20–30% for skin)
  • Picaridin
  • IR3535
  • Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (natural option)
• Treat clothing and gear with Permethrin (kills ticks on contact).

3. Dress to Protect

• Wear long sleeves and pants; tuck pants into socks.
• Opt for light-colored clothing to more easily spot ticks.

4. Check for Ticks Daily

• After being outdoors, do a full-body tick check:
  • Underarms, belly button, behind ears, hairline, waist, knees, and groin.
• Use a mirror for hard-to-see spots.

5. Shower Within 2 Hours

• Showering soon after coming indoors reduces the chance of tick bites and helps with early tick detection.

6. Inspect Clothes, Pets, and Gear

• Ticks can hitch a ride indoors. Carefully check:
  • Backpacks, coats, shoes
  • Dogs and cats (especially around ears, collar, and between toes)

7. Tumble-Dry Clothes

• Put clothes in the dryer on high heat for 10–15 minutes to kill any ticks.

8. Create a Tick-Safe Yard

• Mow regularly and clear leaf litter.
• Place wood chips or gravel between wooded areas and your lawn.
• Keep play equipment away from tall grass or forest edges.

9. Remove Ticks Quickly and Correctly

• Use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick close to the skin.
• Pull upward gently and steadily.
• Clean the area with rubbing alcohol or soap and water.

10. Know the Symptoms & Act Fast

• Early symptoms: fever, chills, fatigue, muscle aches, and a bullseye rash (erythema migrans).
• If you’ve been bitten and develop symptoms, contact a healthcare provider right away — early treatment with antibiotics is effective.

Click here for more information on tick safety provided by the Center for Disease Control

Click here for OSHA information on tick disease control and prevention