Lyme disease can be prevented by avoiding contact with ticks or by removing them before they can transmit disease.
When working or playing outside in areas that ticks inhabit—tall grass and weeds, scrubby areas, woods, and leaf litter—walk in the center of trails to avoid tall grass and brush.
Keep your lawn mowed, cut overgrown brush, and clear any leaf litter away from your home.
Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants. Create a “tick barrier” by tucking your pants into your socks or boots.
Apply a DEET- or permethrin-containing product to clothing, especially pants from knees to cuffs.
How can I find ticks on myself or members of my family?
You'll be able to spot ticks more easily if you wear light-colored clothing, which improves the chance of seeing ticks before they attach to the skin.
Examine the skin very carefully (especially thighs, groin, arms, underarms, legs, and scalp) after being outdoors.
The likelihood of infection is related to the amount of time the tick is attached. Infection is much less likely when ticks have been attached for less than 24 hours.
How should I remove ticks when I find them?
Using tweezers, grasp the tick as close to your skin as possible and gently lift it away, pulling gradually with steady pressure. Don't yank the tick out. Try not to squeeze the tick during removal because you may inject infectious material into the bite.
If the tick doesn't come off easily, twist the tweezers using a corkscrewlike motion.
Various “folk” methods for removing ticks such as holding a lit cigarette against it or covering it with Vaseline are not good ideas.