Check for ticks

Do a daily full body tick check on yourself, your children and other family members, your pets and your gear.

Shower or bathe as soon as possible after being outdoors. This is a great time to help find ticks that are crawling on you. Ticks can be difficult to find. Use a mirror to view all parts of your body. Family members can help.  

Ticks are small so look carefully in the following areas:

• in and around the hair
• in and around ears
• under the arms 
• inside belly button
• around the waist
• between the legs
• behind the knees 

Put your clothes in a dryer on high heat for at least 10 minutes to kill ticks. If your clothes are damp, you may need to dry them for longer. If you wash your clothes, use hot water and dry on high heat. Ticks can survive a cold/warm wash cycle.

Do a check for ticks on clothing and outdoor gear, such as backpacks, and pets. Although pets can't spread Lyme disease directly to humans, they can carry infected ticks into your home or yard.  

Check your pet for ticks:  

• In and around the ears
• Around the eyelids
• Under the collar
• Under the front legs 
• Between the back legs
• Between the toes
• Around the tail