Ticks are still out there—here’s how to avoid them

As summer winds down and Labor Day approaches, many people are eager to squeeze in a few last moments outdoors. But, while tick activity has tapered off a bit since peaking in June, the risk for bites remains unusually high, especially in the Northeast and around Philadelphia.

Penn Today spoke with Sharon Tsay, an assistant professor of clinical medicine in the Department of Infectious Diseases at the Perelman School of Medicine, to discuss the tiny arachnids that attach themselves to the skin when they bite and can carry disease-causing germs. She offers tips for how to avoid them and what to do if bitten, including how to recognize the early symptoms of tick-borne illnesses such as Lyme disease.

Tip 1: Wear protective clothing such as long pants, socks, and shoes (not sandals), especially in high grass and/or wooded areas.

Ticks, Tsay says, aren’t “flying insects.” To find hosts, they rely on direct contact, such as when an animal like a deer or a human brushes against tall grass or a bush or tree. Therefore, she advises that people hiking in the woods or near them should wear long pants with socks and shoes. “If you’re going to be somewhere really heavily wooded,” she says, “you may even want to tuck your pants into your socks.”

But ticks can be found in less-wooded areas, including suburban backyards, as well. “I think a lot of people think that tick exposure really only happens if you’re in the deep woods or if you’re somewhere that’s highly wooded,” Tsay says. “But people can get tick bites anywhere that has long grass and opportunities for animals to pass through.”

Tip 2: Use insect repellent.

According to Tsay, there is a wide variety of insect repellents that are effective against mosquitos and ticks, such as DEET and picaridin, that can be sprayed directly onto human skin and clothing. She suggests that people use the Environmental Protection Agency’s search tool, available on the CDC’s tick bite prevention page, to find the repellent that is best for them.

For those with ongoing exposure, such as campers, Tsay recommends treating clothing and gear with permethrin, which repels both mosquitoes and ticks and remains effective through multiple washes.

Tip 3: Wash clothes and shower within an hour or two after returning from outdoor activity and remove any ticks found.

“If you’re coming in from some dedicated outdoor activity, check your clothing,” Tsay says. She explains that ticks are typically brown or black, so light-colored clothing can make them easier to spot, although some—like the deer tick that can harbor the bacterium that causes Lyme disease—are “very, very small,” like a poppy seed.

“If you find any on your clothes, throw them in the washer,” she says, explaining that laundering will kill the ticks, including those that may not be visible.

Showering, Tsay explains, not only allows for a thorough self-check, but the friction from soaping and rinsing can also help remove ticks that haven’t yet attached. “If you notice a tick on your body and can’t easily brush it off,” she says, “the goal is to remove it completely.” Tsay suggests using tweezers or something similar to pull off attached ticks.

Tip 4: Be alert to symptoms such as rash, fever, and other flu-like symptoms.

Tick bites aren’t just irritating; they can transmit disease-causing agents, which is the bigger concern, Tsay says. One prominent example is the bacterium that causes Lyme disease, which is regularly found in this area.

The main symptom of Lyme disease is a rash—typically the classic target or bullseye shape—often accompanied by fever or other flu-like symptoms, Tsay says. These symptoms typically occur within a few days of the tick bite. She recommends that people see their primary care physicians if they develop symptoms.

“I tell my patients that, if they develop symptoms within this first couple of weeks and they see their doctors, they’ll often prescribe them treatment without any further testing,” she says. “That’s standard protocol, and that’s OK.” But, Tsay adds, after that period of time, doctors might order blood tests for Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases for which there are treatments.

Although ticks are an everyday part of summer these days, people should go outside and enjoy themselves, Tsay says. Taking these precautions can help keep hiking, camping, and even mowing the lawn tick-free.