Ticks can spread diseases like Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and ehrlichiosis. Use these tips to protect yourself, your family, and pets from tick bites.
Tick-Proof Your Yard
Ticks need high humidity to survive, so keeping your yard dry and sunny helps keep them away:
- Trim grass and clear underbrush.
- Remove woodpiles and leaf litter.
- Lay down wood chips or gravel as barriers between lawns and wooded areas where ticks are common.
- Keep playgrounds, patios, and decks away from trees and yard edges.
- Apply permethrin sprays between March and May. Reapply as needed.
- Reduce deer activity, since they bring ticks into yards:
- Use deer-resistant plants and avoid those that attract deer, like those with berries, nuts, and seeds
- Use physical barriers.
Avoid Tick Habitats
- Walk in the center of trails. Avoid tall grass, brush, and leaf litter.
- Stay out of wooded or heavily shaded areas where ticks live.
- Avoid sitting directly on logs, fallen trees, or the ground.
Dress for Protection
- Wear light-colored clothing to spot ticks easily.
- Tuck pants into socks and boots and shirts into pants.
- Wear long sleeves and button cuffs at the wrist.
- Pre-treat clothing, shoes, and gear with 0.5% permethrin (do not apply to skin).
Use Tick Repellent
- Use EPA-approved repellents like those with DEET, Picaridin, or Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus.
- Check the EPA search tool to find the best repellent for you.
- Follow label instructions for safe use.
Prevent Ticks on Your Pets
Check for Ticks Often
- Check yourself, children, and pets after outdoor activities, even in your own yard.
- Shower within two hours of being outdoors to wash off ticks.
- Put clothes in the dryer on high heat for 10 minutes to kill any remaining ticks.
- Pay extra attention to hidden areas like armpits, groin, scalp, and behind knees.
- Remove ticks immediately if you find one.
- Use fine-tipped tweezers to grab the tick close to the skin and pull straight out.
- Do not twist or squeeze. This can leave parts behind.
- Do not use nail polish, petroleum jelly, alcohol, or heat to remove the tick.
- Clean the bite area with soap and warm water.
- Watch for signs of sickness (rash, fever) in the following weeks.
Submit a Tick for Identification
Different types of ticks live in Virginia and can spread diseases. For more information including pictures of how to identify them, visit the Virginia Department of Health Tick Identification Page.
Blacklegged Tick (Deer Tick)
- Common in shady suburban forests areas.
- Nymphs (spring-summer) pose the highest risk for disease transmission.
Lone Star Tick
- Common in leaf litter and shaded grass in lower elevation areas statewide.
- Aggressive biter most active from late winter to mid-summer.
American Dog Tick
- Found statewide, preferring sunny, open areas with low tree cover.
- Adult females (spring-summer) are most likely to spread disease.
Asian Longhorned Tick
- Invasive species first detected in the U.S. in 2017.
- Mainly affects livestock, wildlife, and pets.
- Active year-round.
If you develop a rash or fever within several days to weeks after removing a tick, contact your healthcare provider.
Ticks in Virginia can spread several illnesses. The list below includes some of the most common diseases, but ticks can carry others as well. For more information and diseases, visit the Virginia Department of Health Tick-Borne Diseases Page.
Bacterial Diseases
- Lyme disease – Spread by Blacklegged ticks. The most common tick-borne illness in Virginia.
- Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF) – Many tick species, including American Dog ticks, can spread it.
- Ehrlichiosis – Most commonly spread by Lone Star ticks.
- Anaplasmosis – Most often spread by Blacklegged ticks.
These diseases can be treated with antibiotics.
Tick-Related Allergy
- Alpha-Gal Syndrome – A tick-induced allergy to red meat, linked to Lone Star ticks.