Ticks are active during the warm months of Spring and Summer, and participating in outdoor activities during this time can lead to the transmission of tickborne disease. The tickborne diseases most often found in Virginia are Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and ehrlichiosis.

How can I prevent tick-borne diseases?
The best way to prevent getting infected with a tick-borne disease is to avoid entering areas that are likely to be infested with ticks, particularly in the spring and summer when nymphal ticks feed. Ticks favor a moist, shaded environment, especially areas with leaf litter and low-lying vegetation in wooded, brushy or overgrown grassy habitat.

If you are going to be in areas that are tick infested, wear light-colored clothing so that ticks can be spotted more easily and be removed before becoming attached. Wearing long-sleeved shirts and tucking pants into socks or boot tops may help keep ticks from reaching your skin. Ticks are usually located close to the ground, so wearing high rubber boots may provide additional protection.

If you must enter areas that are likely to be infested with ticks, the risk of tick attachment will most effectively be reduced by applying an insect repellent that contains DEET (PDF, Large file, 140K) to clothing and exposed skin, and applying permethrin (which kills ticks on contact) to clothes. DEET can be used safely on children and adults but should be applied according to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines to reduce the possibility of toxicity.

You should follow these guidelines to prevent tick-borne diseases:

• Avoid tick-infested areas such as tall grass and dense vegetation.
• Walk in the center of mowed trails to avoid brushing against vegetation.
• Keep grass cut and underbrush thinned in yards. Follow directions carefully if chemical pesticides are used for tick control or hire a professional.
• Eliminate the living places of small rodents.
• Wear light-colored clothing so that ticks are easier to see and remove.
• Tuck pant legs into socks and boots. Wear long-sleeved shirts buttoned at the wrists.
• Conduct tick checks on yourself, your children and your pets every 4 to 6 hours.
• Apply tick repellent to areas of the body and clothing that may come in contact with grass and brush.Select repellents specifically for ticks; ones containing 30 percent DEET or 0.5 percent permethrin are effective in repelling ticks. Follow directions carefully and do not overuse. Some tick repellents can cause toxic or allergic reactions. Permethrin products only work on clothing, not skin.
• Ask your veterinarian to recommend tick control methods for your pets. Animals can get Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever, but they do not transmit these diseases to humans.

If you are bitten by a tick you should remove it promptly, and you may wish to consult with your health care provider. If you develop any signs and symptoms of early Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, or ehrlichiosis you should promptly seek medical attention.

How do I remove an embedded tick?
The transmission of diseases from an infected tick is unlikely to occur before several hours of tick attachment. For this reason, daily checks for ticks and promptly removing any attached tick that you find will help prevent infection. Embedded ticks should be removed using fine-tipped tweezers. DO NOT use petroleum jelly, a hot match, nail polish, or other products. With a steady motion, pull the tick's body away from the skin. Cleanse the area with an antiseptic.

To remove attached ticks, use the following procedure:

1. Use fine-tipped tweezers or shield your fingers with a tissue, paper towel, or rubber gloves.
2. Grasp the tick as close to the skin surface as possible and pull upward with steady, even pressure. Do not twist or jerk the tick; this may cause the mouthparts to break off and remain in the skin. (If this happens, remove mouthparts with tweezers. Consult your healthcare provider if infection occurs.
3. Do not squeeze, crush, or puncture the body of the tick because its fluids (saliva, hemolymph, gut contents) may contain infectious organisms.
4. Do not handle the tick with bare hands because infectious agents may enter through mucous membranes or breaks in the skin. This precaution is particularly directed to individuals who remove ticks from domestic animals with unprotected fingers. Children, elderly persons, and immunocompromised persons may be at greater risk of infection and should avoid this procedure.
5. After removing the tick, thoroughly disinfect the bite site and wash your hands with soap and water.
6. You may wish to save the tick for identification in case you become ill within 2 to 3 weeks. Your doctor can use the information to assist in making an accurate diagnosis. Place the tick in a plastic bag and put it in your freezer. Write the date of the bite on a piece of paper with a pencil and place it in the bag.

How can I reduce the abundance of ticks in and around my home?

The number of ticks in endemic residential areas may be reduced by removing leaf litter, brush- and wood-piles around houses and at the edges of yards, and by clearing trees and brush to admit more sunlight and reduce the amount of suitable habitat for deer, rodents, and ticks. Tick populations have also been effectively suppressed through the application of pesticides to residential properties. Community-based interventions to reduce deer populations or to kill ticks on deer androdents have not been extensively implemented, but may be effective in reducing the community-wide risk of tick-borne diseases. New approaches such as deer feeding stations equipped with pesticide applicators to kill ticks on deer, and baited devices to kill ticks on rodents, are currently under evaluation.