Your Family's Safety

Landscape Modifications

Be aware that ticks may become active any time the temperature is above freezing.

Identify Tick Habitats Around Your Home.

Deer ticks require a damp, humid environment to survive. Ticks are usually found in:

• Wooded areas & forest edges. These areas are the most common deer tick habitat.
• Leaf Litter. Humid conditions found under leaf litter provide an ideal living environment for ticks.
• Overgrown fields. These areas provide an ideal habitat for both ticks and their hosts.

Modify your environment by cutting lawns and removing leaf litter. Keep children’s play areas away from wooded edges and tall grass. Deer ticks will not thrive in sunlit areas.

Ideal location for childrens playcenter.	Poor location for childrens playcenter.

• When walking through tall grass or leaf litter, wear light colored clothing. LL Bean has a line of Insect Shield treated clothing that will repel ticks and other insects. You can also apply Sawyer permethrin repellent to play or recreational clothes that will provide you and your family tick protection.  Insect repellent containing at least 20% DEET is also recommended for exposed skin.

• Daily tick checks reduce your risk of contracting Lyme disease. Because of their small (poppy seed) size, nymph ticks present the greatest threat. You need to check yourself, your pets, and especially small children DAILY after outdoor activity, particularly in the months of May, June and July. When showering or bathing, do a full body inspection for a rash or attached ticks. Remember that the nymph tick is about the size of the head of a straight pin. Pay special attention to checking favorite tick spots, such as backs of knees, groin, waist, armpits, and the scalp. You may be able to feel the tick even if it is too small to see.

Make your yard less tick friendly by doing the following:

• Clean up your yard and keep the lawn mowed.
• Let the sunshine in. Sunny areas are less apt to harbor ticks.
• Keep children's play areas away from the wooded edge.
• Remove leaf litter and brush from your property and perimeter.
• Move bird feeders and wood piles away from your home.
• Don't forget about your pets. Consider a fenced-in area, run or invisible fence to keep pets away from tick habitat.