As warmer weather calls us to enjoy the great outdoors, it’s also a signal to resume old habits—wearing sunglasses and donning a helmet as needed—and to take up an important new one: tick checks.
While tick exposure can happen any time of the year, your chance of getting bit by a tick is highest between April and November. The key to avoiding bites and preventing tick-borne illnesses is finding and removing ticks from your clothes and body before they attach.
When searching for ticks, it helps to know that they prefer to bite warm, moist, and hairy areas of the body.
Common areas for tick bites:
- Groin
- Armpits
- Back of the knees
- Scalp
- Behind the ears
- Hairline, especially at the neck
- Inside the belly button
- Waist and hips
- Between fingers and toes
Scan your clothing and body for ticks as soon as you come in from the outdoors. The longer a tick stays attached, the greater the risk if contracted a tick-borne illness.
If you’re alone, use a mirror to help check difficult-to-see areas. Taking a shower can also help wash off unattached ticks.
If you’re worried about ticks on your clothes or gear, put them in the dryer on high heat for at least 10 minutes.
For more information on tick bite prevention and checks, click to read this article by Marie George, MD, SVMC's Infectious Disease Specialist.