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Managing Ticks and Preventing Tick Bites
Ticks cannot jump or fly, but often climb grasses and shrubs in order to come in contact with people or animals walking by so they can attach themselves and feed on blood.
Ticks have the potential to transmit diseases such as Lyme disease. Most tick-borne diseases require the tick to be attached and feeding for several hours before the person gets infected. Tick bites are often painless at first and most people do not know they have been bitten so checking yourself and your pet for ticks immediately after being in an infested area is important.
Numerous species of ticks exist in the United States and worldwide, but not all species of ticks transmit disease. If you need assistance identifying a tick, try contacting your local health department or university extension office for assistance.
Tips for protecting you and your pets from ticks:
- Check yourself, your children and your pets regularly and remove any ticks you may find.
- When outdoors try to avoid contact with tall grasses and shrubs that may be harboring ticks.
- Wear closed-toed shoes and light-colored clothing so you can see ticks on your clothing. Tuck pant legs into socks to prevent ticks from finding your ankles.
- Consider using a tick repellent on exposed skin and clothing according to label directions. Many insect repellents are also effective against ticks, our Insect Repellent Locator, or My Repellent Finder App, can help you find one that will meet your needs.
- Reduce the ticks in your yard by keeping leaf litter, tall grasses, shrubs and bushes away from areas you use regularly.
- Keeping deer and rodents out of your yard can help to reduce the number of ticks.
- If further tick control around your home is necessary, you may also consider treating your yard with pesticides designed to control ticks. Always read and follow label directions.
- Pets can bring ticks into your home. Consider talking to your veterinarian about the options for controlling ticks on your pets.
If you have questions about this, or any pesticide-related topic, please call NPIC at 1-800-858-7378 (7:30am-3:30pm PST), or email at npic@ace.orst.edu.
Topics on this page:
Additional Resources:
Tick Bite Prevention
- Choosing and Using Insect Repellents - NPIC
- Insect Repellent Locator - NPIC
- Stop Ticks - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- Lyme Disease Prevention and Control - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- Tick Bite Prevention and Insect Repellent Use - Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station
- Protect Yourself from Tick-Borne Diseases - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- Protect Yourself from Tick Bites - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- Workplace Tick-Borne Diseases - National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
Diseases Transmitted by Ticks
- Lyme Disease - NPIC
- Tick-borne Rickettsial Diseases (TBRD) - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- Anaplasmosis - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- Babesiosis - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- Ehrlichiosis - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF) - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- Other Spotted Fevers - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness (STARI) - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- Tick-borne Relapsing Fever (TBRF) - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- Tularemia - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- Community Agencies that Manage Public Health Pests - NPIC
Biology of Ticks
- Tick Biology for the Homeowner - Cornell University Cooperative Extension Service
- Background Information on the Biology of Ticks - University of California, Davis
- Ticks - University of Florida IFAS Extension
- The Brown Dog Tick - Featured Creatures, University of Florida IFAS Extension
- Ticks - University of Missouri Extension
Controlling Ticks
- Community Agencies that Manage Public Health Pests - NPIC
- Control Ticks Around Your Home - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- Keep Pets Safe Around Pesticides (p.2-Fleas and Ticks) - Oregon State University Extension
- IPM Tactics For Tick Control - Alabama Cooperative Extension
- Integrated Pest Management Manual: Ticks - National Park Service
- Tick Management Handbook - Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station
- School IPM Action Plan for Eastern U.S. Ticks - eXtension Network
- Maine School IPM Fact Sheet: Ticks - Maine Medical Center Research Institute
- Urban Integrated Pest Management: Ticks - Southern Region Urban IPM Committee
