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Preventing Tick Bites
Avoid direct contact with ticks
- Avoid wooded or bushy areas with high grass
- Walk in the center of trails
Repel Ticks
- Use repellants that contain 20 to 30 percent DEET on exposed skin and clothing for several hours of protection
Find and Remove Ticks from Your Body
- Bathe or shower as soon as possible after coming indoors
- Conduct a full body check
- Examine gear and pets
- Tumble dry clothes in dryer on high heat for an hour to kill ticks
Avoid direct contact with ticks
- Avoid wooded or bushy areas with high grass
- Walk in the center of trails
Repel Ticks
- Use repellants that contain 20 to 30 percent DEET on exposed skin and clothing for several hours of protection
Find and Remove Ticks from Your Body
- Bathe or shower as soon as possible after coming indoors
- Conduct a full body check
- Examine gear and pets
- Tumble dry clothes in dryer on high heat for an hour to kill ticks
Removing Ticks
1. Use fine tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible
2. Pull upward with steady, even pressure. Do not twist or jerk the tick
3. After removing the tick, thoroughly clean the skin area with rubbing alcohol
4. Dispose of live tick by submersing it in alcohol, placing in a sealed bag, and wrapping tightly with tape
5. Never crush a tick with your fingers
If you develop a rash or fever within several weeks of removing a tick, see your doctor as soon as possible. Be sure to tell them about your recent tick bite.
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Preventing Tick Bites on your Pet
Dogs are susceptible to tick bites and tick borne disease. Signs of tick-borne disease may not appear for 7 to 21 days or longer after the bite. To reduce the chances that ticks will transmit disease to you or your pets:
- Check your pets daily for ticks - If you find a tick remove it right away - Ask your vet to conduct a tick check at each exam - Talk to your vet about using a tick preventative Note: cats are extremely sensitive to a variety of chemicals. Always consult with your vet before applying any repellants. Information obtained from the Ohio Department of Health
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Did you know that you can submit a tick for species identification?
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The Ohio Department of Health accepts ticks (or photos of ticks) year-round for species identification. The CDC does not recommend testing ticks for diagnostic purposes. Call 614-752-1029 with any questions.
Submitting a Tick: • Place the tick in a leak-proof container, such as a pill bottle. If the tick is alive, add a small drop of water. If the tick is dead, add a few drops of rubbing alcohol. Seal the container in a plastic bag. • Complete the form below. Place the form and the tick in a padded envelope for shipping OR you can submit the tick to our Environmental Health Services staff, and we can submit the tick for testing on your behalf. Call or email us to plan a time to drop off your tick specimen at eh@tchdnow.org or 330-343-5550. • Mail the tick to: Zoonotic Disease Program Tick ID Ohio Department of Health 8995 East Main Street, Building 22 Reynoldsburg, OH 43068 • Instead of mailing the tick, photos can be sent to zoonoses@odh.ohio.gov along with the form below. |
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