Tick Awareness: What You Need to Know

Whether hiking in the woods or enjoying your backyard, tick prevention and awareness are essential.

When the weather warms up, ticks become more active. These tiny pests may be small, but the diseases they carry are significant. Tick awareness is essential for protecting yourself, your family, and your pets from potentially dangerous tick-borne illnesses.

Why Tick Awareness Matters

Ticks can transmit diseases to humans through their bite. Diseases routinely found in Illinois tick populations include Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Each of these illnesses begins with mild flu-like symptoms but can lead to long-term complications if not treated promptly.

To protect yourself from ticks, it’s imperative to understand when and where ticks are most active. The following information will help you reduce your risk and enjoy the outdoors.

Where Ticks Hide

Ticks prefer moist, shady areas with tall grass and leaf litter. You’re most likely to encounter them:

Along forest trails.
In overgrown fields.
Near wood piles and brush.
Around the edge of your yard or garden.
On outdoor pets who roam through vegetation.

It’s important to stay alert—not only in the woods but also in your backyard.

Simple Ways to Prevent Tick Bites

Avoiding a tick bite is far better than treating a tick-borne disease. These preventive steps can help keep you safe:
1. Dress for Protection

Wear long sleeves and pants when walking in grassy or wooded areas.
Tuck your pant legs into socks or boots.
Light-colored clothing makes it easier to spot ticks.

2. Use Tick Repellent

Treat clothing and gear with permethrin, which repels and kills ticks on contact.
Apply insect repellent containing 20%–30% DEET, picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus to exposed skin. NOTE: Using oil of lemon eucalyptus is not recommended for children under 3 years old.
Reapply repellent every 2-4 hours, depending on the product, as sweat, humidity, and water can wash away the repellent.
Always follow the specific recommendations for use on the repellent product label.
Consult your veterinarian for appropriate tick repellents for your pet.

3. Check Yourself and Others
After spending time outdoors, check for ticks:

Behind the knees, the hair, and the ears.
Around the waist and hairline.
Under arms and along the back.

Always check children and pets thoroughly. Early detection can prevent disease.
4. Bathe or Shower Promptly
Shower within two hours of coming indoors to lower the risk of tick bites. Before and during showering is also an ideal time to check your body for crawling or attached ticks.
5. Keep Your Yard Tidy
You can help deter ticks from living near your home by:

Mowing your lawn regularly.
Clearing tall weeds and brush.
Creating mulch or gravel barriers between the woods and play areas.
Stacking firewood neatly in a dry area.

What to Do If You Find a Tick

If you find a tick attached to your skin:

Carefully remove it using fine-tipped tweezers. Grasp the tick close to the skin. Steadily pull it straight out.
Clean the bite area with soap, water, or antiseptic.
Dispose of the tick by submerging it in rubbing alcohol or flushing it down the toilet. Do not crush it with your fingers.

Monitor your health for fever, rash, fatigue, or body aches over the next few weeks. If you experience these or other flu-like symptoms, contact your health care provider and tell them you’ve had a recent tick bite.

Stay Informed and Stay Safe

You don’t have to avoid nature to stay healthy—just take smart steps to protect yourself.

If you have questions about tick prevention or tick-borne illnesses, contact the Moultrie County Health Department (MCHD) at (217) 728-4114 or visit the MCHD’s website at www.moultriehealth.org.

Stay informed, be protected, and enjoy the outdoors safely this season.