Prevent Musquito and Tick Bites

Spending time together outdoors is practiced for the whole family. Don't let bug bites ruin your fun.

Most problems bites are harmless, but some mosquitoes and ticks spread viruses and bacteria that tin make y'all sick. Some of these viruses and bacteria are very serious – and may be mortiferous.

  • Mosquitoes spread viruses like Zika, West Nile virus, chikungunya, Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE), and dengue ("DEN-gee") fever.
  • Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever are just two of the serious diseases you can get from ticks.

The good news is that you can have steps to protect yourself and your family from musquito and tick bites.

Protect yourself from mosquitoes and ticks.

When yous spend time outside, take these steps to protect yourself:

  • Article of clothing long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and socks to encompass your skin.
  • Apply bug repellent (also called bug spray or insect repellent) on your skin and wearable.
  • Bank check everyone for ticks later on spending time outside.
  • Take a shower after existence exterior to help launder abroad ticks.

Protect your pets, too.

  • Use a veterinarian-approved tick collar or spot-on repellent on your pets. Dogs and cats need different tick control medicines, so make certain to get the right one.
  • Remember to check your pets for ticks.

Proceed mosquitoes away from your home.

Mosquitoes lay their eggs well-nigh water. To aid keep mosquitoes away:

  • Once a calendar week, check items most your home that can hold h2o (like planters, birdbaths, or trash cans). Dump out the water and scrub the inside of the item.
  • Get rid of things you lot're non using that can collect water (like buckets, tires, or quondam toys).
  • Change the water in your kids' wading pool at least once a week. Exist certain to store the pool on its side.
  • Use screens on windows and doors to keep mosquitoes outside. Repair any holes in the screens.

Continue ticks away from your home.

Many types of ticks live in areas with woods, bushes, or high grass. Animals like mice, dogs, and deer may also behave ticks in their fur. To help go along ticks abroad from your home:

  • Articulate bushes, alpine grasses, and fallen leaves from around your habitation. Mow the lawn often.
  • Use woods chips or gravel to separate your patio or play equipment from wooded or brushy areas.
  • Remove plants that attract deer and put upwards a fence to proceed deer out of your yard.
  • Consider applying tick control products to your yard. You lot can do this yourself or rent a pest control company.

Use bug (insect) repellent.

Bug repellent makes it harder for mosquitoes and ticks to find y'all.

What type of repellent do I demand?

  • To prevent tick bites, use a spray or balm with 20 to 30% DEET. Check the label.
  • To forestall mosquito bites, use an insect repellent with DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE), or para-menthane-diol (PMD).
  • It's a good idea to employ sunscreen when you are outside, but use a carve up sunscreen lotion. Don't use problems repellent that has sunscreen already mixed in.
  • Use a spray with permethrin on your wearing apparel, shoes, and camping gear to repel and impale ticks and mosquitoes. Never use permethrin directly on your skin.

How practise I use bug (insect) repellent?

  • Use sunscreen outset, then put on problems repellent.
  • Spray it on your exposed skin earlier y'all go outside.
  • Don't spray repellent directly on your face. Instead, utilize your hands to advisedly rub it on your confront. You lot can also use wipes that comprise bug repellent to protect your face.
  • Don't use repellent on babies nether 2 months old. Instead, cover their stroller or car seat with musquito netting.
  • Don't use OLE or PMD on children under 3 years old.
  • Wash repellent off pare with soap and water when you go inside.

Wear long pants, shirts with long sleeves, and socks.

Cover upwardly your pare so that it'southward harder for mosquitoes and ticks to bite you. This is especially helpful in the morning and evening when many mosquitoes frequently bite.

Take a shower after existence exterior in an area that might take ticks.

A shower tin help get ticks off of y'all and lower your risk of Lyme disease. Try to shower within 2 hours of going dorsum inside.

Check for ticks after spending time outside – even in your yard.

Cheque everybody in the family, including pets. Cheque the unabridged body, especially:

  • Nether the arms
  • In and around the ears
  • Backside the knees and in the groin (crotch)
  • Around the waist and inside the bellybutton
  • In and around hair

Accept Action: Treat Tick Bites

Utilize tweezers to remove a tick as soon as you see it.

  • Catch the tick near its head or mouth (the part closest to your pare).
  • Gently pull the whole tick directly out. Exist conscientious not to shell or twist the tick.
  • Wash your hands and the bite with soap and water.
  • Put rubbing alcohol on the bite.
  • Don't employ a hot lucifer to impale and remove a tick.

Get rid of the tick safely

Become rid of the tick by putting it in rubbing alcohol or flushing it down the toilet. You can besides put a tick in the trash if information technology's in a sealed container or wrapped tightly in record.

Retrieve, never crush a tick with your fingers.

Tell the md if y'all get sick after a tick bite.

If you lot or your child gets a rash or fever after getting bitten by a tick, phone call the doctor. Tell the physician most the tick bite, when information technology happened, and where you lot think you were when you got the bite.

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