The Tick Check

This matters more than any product you can buy. A genuine daily habit during peak season does more for your family's safety than anything else on this site.

Shower within a couple of hours of coming inside. The shower helps you find ticks before they've attached and washes off any that are still wandering. Do a real check, not a quick scan.

Ticks go to the warmest, most sheltered spots. Check behind the knees, the groin, in and around the ears, armpits, around the waist, inside the belly button, and across the scalp. That last one requires running your fingers through your hair, not glancing in the mirror. Using a mirror for hard-to-see spots on your back is worth doing.

Check kids every time. They're lower to the ground, they push through vegetation, and they won't notice something crawling on them. Check pets too. A dog that comes in from outside and jumps on the couch is carrying whatever came in on its coat into your living space.

After the Check

Toss outdoor clothes in the dryer on high heat for an hour before washing. Heat kills ticks more reliably than water. Washing first is fine, but the hot dryer still needs the full hour afterward. Studies show ticks can survive a regular wash cycle even in warm water.