Southern tick-associated rash illness primary prevention
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: : Vishnu Vardhan Serla M.B.B.S. [2]
Primary Prevention
Tick-borne illness may be prevented by avoiding tick habitat (dense woods and brushy areas), using insect repellents containing DEET or permethrin, wearing long pants and socks, and performing tick checks and promptly removing ticks after outdoor activity. Additional prevention tips are available.
Reducing exposure to ticks is the best defense against Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and other tickborne infections. There are several approaches you and your family can use to prevent and control Lyme disease:
1. On People:
Preventing Tick Bites
While it is a good idea to take preventive measures against ticks year-round, be extra vigilant in warmer months (April-September) when ticks are most active.
Avoid Direct Contact with Ticks
- Avoid wooded and bushy areas with high grass and leaf litter.
- Walk in the center of trails.
Repel Ticks with DEET or Permethrin
- Use repellents that contain 20% or more DEET (N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide) on the exposed skin for protection that lasts up to several hours. Always follow product instructions. Parents should apply this product to their children, avoiding hands, eyes, and mouth.
- Use products that contain permethrin on clothing. Treat clothing and gear, such as boots, pants, socks and tents. It remains protective through several washings. Pre-treated clothing is available and remains protective for up to 70 washings.
- Other repellents registered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) may be found at http://cfpub.epa.gov/oppref/insect/.
2. On Pets:
Preventing Ticks on Your Pets
Dogs are very susceptible to tick bites and tickborne diseases. Vaccines are not available for all the tickborne diseases that dogs can get, and they don’t keep the dogs from bringing ticks into your home. For these reasons, it’s important to use a tick preventive product on your dog.
Tick bites on dogs may be hard to detect. Signs of tickborne disease may not appear for 7-21 days or longer after a tick bite, so watch your dog closely for changes in behavior or appetite if you suspect that your pet has been bitten by a tick.
To reduce the chances that a tick will transmit disease to you or your pets:
- Check your pets for ticks daily, especially after they spend time outdoors.
- If you find a tick on your dog, remove it right away.
- Ask your veterinarian to conduct a tick check at each exam.
- Talk to your veterinarian about tickborne diseases in your area.
- Reduce tick habitat in your yard.
- Talk with your veterinarian about using tick preventives on your pet.
Note: Cats are extremely sensitive to a variety of chemicals. Do not apply any insect acaricides or repellents to your cats without first consulting your veterinarian!
Kill Ticks on Dogs
A pesticide product that kills ticks is known as an acaricide. Acaricides that can be used on dogs include dusts, impregnated collars, sprays, or topical treatments. Some acaricides kill the tick on contact. Others may be absorbed into the bloodstream of a dog and kill ticks that attach and feed.
Pros:
- Helps to reduce the number of ticks in the environment
- Prevents tickborne disease
Cons:
- Tick bites can cause a painful wound and may become infected.
- When bitten, a dog may become infected with a number of diseases. This depends on the type of tick, which diseases it is carrying (if any), and how quickly a product kills the feeding tick.
Examples of topically applied products (active ingredients):
- Fipronil
- Pyrethroids (permethrin, etc.)
- Amitraz
Repel Ticks on Dogs
A repellent product may prevent the tick from coming into contact with an animal at all or have anti-feeding effects once the tick comes into contact with the chemical, thus preventing a bite.
Pros:
- Prevents bite wounds and possible resulting infections
- Prevents tickborne disease
Cons:
- Will not reduce the number of ticks in the environment (doesn't kill ticks)
Examples of topically applied products (active ingredients):
- Pyrethroids (permethrin, etc.)
Reference to any commercial entity or product or service on this page should not be construed as an endorsement by the Government of the company, its products, or its services.
3. In the Yard
Preventing Ticks in the Yard
Apply Pesticides Outdoors to Control Ticks
Pesticides for ticks, known as acaricides, can reduce the number of ticks in your yard. These benefits have been best-studied for Ixodes scapularis (the black-legged tick), and include:
- Consistent and timely pest control
- Easy to apply
- Relatively inexpensive
- Safe if applied according to the label
Only small amounts of acaricide applied at the right time of year are necessary. Application should focus on control of nymphal I. scapularis ticks, the stage most likely to transmit Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, and babesiosis, by spraying once in May or early June. An October application of acaricide may be used to control adult blacklegged ticks, however, they less commonly transmit disease. The use and timing of acaricides to control other ticks of public health concern is less well studied, but may still be helpful.
If you have health concerns about applying acaricides:
- Check with local health or agricultural officials about the best time to apply acaricide in your area.
- Identify rules and regulations related to pesticide application on residential properties (Environmental Protection Agency and your state determine the availability of pesticides).
- Consider using a professional pesticide company to apply pesticides at your home.
Create a Tick-safe Zone to Reduce Ticks in the Yard
The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station has developed a comprehensive Tick Management Handbook [PDF - 8.53 MB] for preventing tick bites. Here are some simple landscaping techniques that can help reduce tick populations:
- Remove leaf litter.
- Clear tall grasses and brush around homes and at the edge of lawns.
- Place a 3-ft wide barrier of wood chips or gravel between lawns and wooded areas to restrict tick migration into recreational areas.
- Mow the lawn frequently.
- Stack wood neatly and in a dry area (discourages rodents).
- Keep playground equipment, decks, and patios away from yard edges and trees.
- Discourage unwelcome animals (such as deer, raccoons, and stray dogs) from entering your yard by constructing fences.
- Remove old furniture, mattresses, or trash from the yard that may give ticks a place to hide.