•
•
•
containing permethrin. Permethrin can
be used to treat boots, clothing and
camping gear and remain protective
through several washings.
Use Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA)-registered insect repellents
containing DEET 1 , picaridin, IR3535,
Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus, or 2-unde-
canone. EPA’s helpful search tool 2 can
help you find the product that best
suits your needs. Always follow product
instructions.
Do not use insect repellent on babies
younger than 2 months old.
Do not use products containing oil of
lemon eucalyptus (OLE) or para-men-
thane-diol (PMD) on children under 3
years old.
Outdoor workers can find additional
information at the NIOSH Tick-borne
Diseases Safety and Health Topic 3 .
help wash off unattached ticks and it is a
good opportunity to do a tick check.
Check your body for ticks after being
outdoors. Conduct a full body check upon
return from potentially tick-infested areas,
which even includes your back yard. Use a
hand-held or full-length mirror to view all
parts of your body. Check these parts of
your body and your child’s body for ticks:
• Under the arms
• In and around the ears
• Inside belly button
• Back of the knees
• In and around the hair
• Between the legs
• Around the waist
WHAT TO DO IF YOU FIND AN
•
ATTACHED TICK
Remove the attached tick as soon as
you notice it by grasping with tweezers, as
close to the skin as possible, and pulling it
AFTER YOU COME INDOORS
straight out. For detailed information about
Check your clothing for ticks. Ticks
tick removal, see the tick removal page 4 .
Watch for signs of illness such as rash
may be carried into the house on clothing.
Any ticks that are found should be removed. or fever in the days and weeks following the
bite, and see a health care provider if these
Tumble dry clothes in a dryer on high heat
develop. Your risk of acquiring a tick-borne
for 10 minutes to kill ticks on dry clothing
illness depends on many factors, including
after you come indoors. If the clothes are
damp, additional time may be needed. If the where you live, what type of tick bit you,
and how long the tick was attached. If you
clothes require washing first, hot water is
become ill after a tick bite, see a health care
recommended. Cold and medium tempera-
provider.
ture water will not kill ticks effectively.
Shower soon after being outdoors.
REDUCE TICKS IN YOUR YARD
Showering within two hours of coming
indoors has been shown to reduce your risk • Modify your landscape to create Tick-
Safe Zones 5 . The Connecticut Tick
of getting Lyme disease. Showering may
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