Avoid Tick Bites: 7 Effective Prevention Strategies

Ticks are small, eight-legged arachnids that can be found in wooded areas and grassy fields. And unfortunately, when a tick attaches itself to your skin, it can cause infection and possible diseases. That’s why it’s important to take preventative measures to avoid tick bites.

Keep reading for the best seven tips for protecting yourself from tick bites.

1. Wear Long Pants and Long-Sleeved Shirts Outside

When you’re outside in an area where ticks may be present, wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts to protect your skin from coming into contact with them. Wearing light-colored clothing can help make it easier to spot any ticks that may be on you or crawling on you as you move around outdoors. However, it should also be noted that white clothing, particularly white shoes and/or white socks are more attractive to ticks.

2. Stay Away From Tall Grass & Leaf Litter

Tall grasses and leaf litter are attractive habitats for ticks because they provide plenty of shade during the daytime hours when they’re most active. To avoid coming into contact with them, stay away from these types of environments whenever possible when going outside.

3. Avoid Areas With Lots Of Brush, Branches & Twigs

Avoiding areas that have lots of branches and twigs can also help reduce the risk of encountering any ticks while exploring or working in nature. Brush piles, fallen logs, etc. should be avoided if possible, as these provide hiding spots for many species of ticks. Brush dumping areas and rock walls are also areas to avoid since they are popular rodent harborage areas and rodents are notorious for being infested with ticks.

4. Keep Your Yard Clean & Tidy

Keeping your yard clean and tidy is another way of reducing the likelihood of encountering any ticks while outside in wooded or grassy areas. That includes removing leaves, cutting tall grasses back, mowing regularly, removing debris piles, etc. — these actions will all help reduce the tick population around your home.

5. Use Tick Repellent Products

There are various products available online and at stores that can help repel ticks away from humans. These products work by releasing an odorless chemical vapor into the surrounding air, which will repel most species of ticks away from an area after being sprayed down with the product.

6. Check Your Skin Regularly After Coming Indoors

When you come indoors after spending time outside in tick-infested areas, check your body thoroughly for any ticks that may have attached themselves to your skin while you were out there.

Pay special attention to areas such as behind the knees, between the fingers and toes, inside the belly button, and behind the ears. If you find a tick on your body, use tweezers to carefully remove it without crushing its body or leaving any parts of its body embedded in your skin.

7. Consider Professional Tick Control Services

For best results, professional pest control services offer comprehensive plans designed specifically for controlling pests such as ticks within residential or commercial spaces. Contact a local professional exterminator like Ford’s Hometown Services, so they can assess and treat any potential infestations before they become a problem.