Tick Avoidance Tips

For yourself:

• Don’t walk barelegged in tall grass, wooded areas or marshlands.
• Try to stay in the centre of a cleared trail to avoid contact with overgrown grass, brush, and leaf litter.
• Wear long sleeves, slacks and fully-closed boots or shoes when walking in grassy or wooded areas.
• Tuck your pant legs into your socks.
• Conduct a “tick check” on yourself, your family and your pets after exposure to tick habitat.
• Wear light-coloured clothing to make the ticks easier to find.
• Insect repellents containing DEET (N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) are useful and can be sprayed onto clothing, especially pants and socks. Please read the label when using any repellents, in particular when using them on young children. For safety tips on using personal insect repellents containing DEET, visit the following website: www.hc-sc.gc.ca and search “insect repellents.”

For your pets:

• Check your pets for ticks daily, especially after they spend time outdoors.
• If you find a tick on your pet, remove it right away.
• Ask your veterinarian to conduct a tick check at each exam.
• Talk to your veterinarian about tickborne diseases in your area.
• Reduce tick habitat in your yard.
• Talk with your veterinarian about using tick preventive products on your pet.

For your yard:

• Remove ideal tick habitat from your property, such as brush and leaf litter.
• Keep your lawn short (<16cm).
• Place a 3-ft wide barrier of wood chips or gravel between lawns and wooded areas and around patios and play equipment. This will restrict tick migration into recreational areas.
• Keep tables, swing sets, play equipment, etc. away from woods, shrubs and tall grass. Place in a sunny location, if possible.
• Remove possible rodent habitats around your property (e.g. stack wood neatly in dry areas away from house).