Before entering tick habitat, take the following precautions:

• Consider applying a tick repellent to exposed skin that has one of the following EPA-registered active ingredients: DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE), or para-menthane-diol (PMD).
• Consider treating clothes/personal outdoor equipment with an acaricide containing permethrin.
• Wear light-colored clothing (this makes it easier to spot ticks).
• Wear long pants, long sleeves, and long socks whenever possible (this makes it more difficult for the tick to get to your skin).

While in tick habitat:

• Stay on trails (adult ticks are typically more abundant on the uphill sides of trails).
• Avoid contact with nymph habitat (leaf litter, logs, tree trunks, etc.).
• Periodically check for ticks on people and animals.

After exiting tick habitat:

• Tumble dry clothes in a dryer on high heat for 10 minutes to kill ticks after you come indoors.
• Shower after coming indoors and carefully check for ticks.
• Properly remove any attached ticks immediately.

Reduce tick abundance around the home:

• Utilize landscaping techniques that limit cover for ticks near the home, such as removing leaf litter around homes and using gravel or woodchip barriers between lawns and wooded areas. See the Tick Management Handbook prepared by the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven for detailed information. 

• If properly timed, application of acaricides (pesticides designed to kill ticks) can be effective in reducing tick populations near homes. Residents should contact a private pest control company if they are interested in this service.