How to Prevent Tick Bites

You don’t need to avoid the outdoors altogether! A few simple steps can dramatically reduce your risk of tick bites. The advice below comes from the NHS, UKHSA, Lyme Disease Action, and other research organizations.

Looking for mosquito advice too? Some prevention habits overlap, but mosquito control also includes standing-water checks and evening bite prevention. See Prevent Mosquito Bites.

Before You Go Out

  • Cover up! Wear long trousers tucked into socks, long sleeves, and closed-toe shoes when walking through long grass, woodland, or heathland.
  • Stick to paths. Ticks wait on vegetation tips to latch on as you brush past. Walking on marked paths reduces contact (and preserves our wild areas).
  • Use insect repellent. Apply a DEET-based repellent (20–50%) to exposed skin and clothing. Products containing permethrin can be applied to clothing and gear for longer-lasting protection, but are not to be applied directly to skin.
  • Try wearing light-coloured clothing. This makes it easier to spot ticks crawling on you before they have a chance to attach.
Video preview: practical tips for reducing tick bites
Video: practical tips for reducing tick bites while outdoors (opens on YouTube).

After You Come In

  • Check your whole body. Ticks are tiny! Nymphs are about the size of a poppy seed. Pay special attention to the hairline, behind the ears, armpits, waistband, groin, and behind the knees.
  • Don't forget to check children and pets. Run your hands over skin and fur; feel for small bumps.
  • Shower within two hours of coming indoors. This can wash off unattached ticks and gives you another chance to spot them.
  • Tumble-dry clothes on high heat for 10 minutes to kill any ticks that hitched a ride. Washing alone does not reliably kill them.
Diagram showing where to check your body for ticks

Diagram: where to check your body for ticks (source: CDC).

Protecting Pets

  • Ask your vet about options for tick preventive treatments. These may include spot-on solutions, collars, or tablets for dogs and cats.
  • Check pets after every walk, especially around the ears, eyes, muzzle, legs, belly, and between toes.
  • Remove any attached ticks promptly using a tick removal tool.

Perform a Tick Check

This short video is useful for learning how to spot ticks, but note that Ixodes scapularis is a Lyme-carrying North American relative of Ixodes ricinus and I. hexagonus. It is not found in the UK.

Video preview: tick checking and identification guide
Video: tick checking and identification guide (opens on YouTube).

Found a Tick?

Don’t panic. Remove it as soon as possible using a fine-tipped tick tool or tweezers. The sooner a tick is removed, the lower the chance of infection. Monitor the bite area for up to 4 weeks and see your GP if you develop a rash or feel unwell — read more on our Lyme disease page.

Learn More