When spending time outdoors – especially in rural or forested areas – stop ticks from hitching a ride by:
- Walking in the centre of trails, avoiding wooded and bushy areas with high grass and leaf litter.
- Wearing a long-sleeved shirt and trousers, tucking trousers into socks.
- Applying Repel insect repellent to exposed skin.
- Soaking your clothing, hat, boots, and socks with a solution of permethrin. A safe, proven contact insecticide, permethrin remains effective even after several washes.
DIY permethrin kits are available at Travel Doctor-TMVC clinics.
Most tick-borne illnesses do not develop until the tick has been attached for more than 24 hours.
Thoroughly scan your body at the end of each day. Check for ticks under arms, in and around the ears, inside the navel, behind the knees, in the groin area, around the waist, and in hair.