Preventing Tick Bites

It is not usually feasible to control ticks themselves, especially since they are most common in our parks and open spaces. Instead, you can reduce your risk of tick-borne illness by avoiding tick bites, and removing ticks properly if you are bitten.

A person is outside in a grassy area near some green trees. The person is facing away from the camera. The person has long, light-colored hair, a white long-sleeve shirt, and a backpack. The person is holding a container of bug repellent and spraying the exposed skin on their arm.

Tick Prevention

The best way to reduce your risk of tick-borne illness is to avoid being bitten by a tick.

Poster with the silhouette of a person's body, with arrows pointing to all the areas you should be sure to check for ticks: scalp, behind ears, back of neck, armpits, belly button, groin, and behind knees.

Tick Check

After outdoor activities in areas where there may be ticks, check yourself, your children, your pets, and your gear carefully for ticks.

A computer-generated image of a zoomed-in view of someone's skin and hair. There is a black and brown tick attached to the skin. A pair of fine-tipped tweezers grabs the tick very close to the skin to pull the tick up and out of the skin.

Tick Removal

Promptly removing a tick can reduce your chances of becoming infected with a tick-borne disease. Always check yourself for ticks after outdoor activity. If you find a tick on you, remove it right away. In most cases, a tick removed within 48 hours of attachment will not transmit disease.

FAQS about TICKS

Different kinds of ticks can carry different diseases. Not all tick-borne diseases are found in ticks in San Mateo County. You can learn more on our tick-borne disease page.

Preventing Ticks in Your Yard

If you or your pet are getting ticks in your own yard, there are things you can do make the environment less hospitable to ticks. However, you should still continue to take precautions against tick bites, including checking for ticks after going outdoors.

More Information About Ticks

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) webpage has extensive information on protecting outdoor workers from tick-borne disease.

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