Enjoy the Summer by Protecting Yourself from Ticks

July 22, 2025

Summer is the perfect time for outdoor activities, but don’t let ticks ruin the fun.

Ticks resemble small spiders and often carry diseases. The tiny pests can be found in long grasses and weeds, leaf piles, the woods, and even in your own yard. It's important to take preventative measures to avoid tick bites and know what to do if you find a tick on you.

Nationally, and especially in the northeast, 2025 is shaping up to be a peak year for emergency department visits for tick bites.

Lyme disease is the most commonly reported tick-borne disease in Pennsylvania. More than 16,000 cases of Lyme disease were reported in 2024, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH). Tick season runs from May through July in the commonwealth.

Here are a few important things to know:

• An ounce of prevention:  Treat clothing and gear with products containing 0.5 percent permethrin. Permethrin can be used to treat boots, clothing, and camping gear, and it remains protective through several washings.

• DOH also recommends using Environmental Protection Agency-registered insect repellents, containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (OLE), para-menthane-diol (PMD), or 2-undecanone.  

• Keep your distance: Avoid contact with ticks by staying clear of wooded and brush-filled areas with high grass and leaves. When walking on trails, stay to the center.
• Check for uninvited guests:  Ticks may be carried into the house on clothing. Any ticks that are found should be removed. Tumble dry clothes in a dryer on high heat for 10 minutes to kill ticks on dry clothing after you come indoors. If the clothes are damp, additional time may be needed. If the clothes require washing first, hot water is recommended. Cold and medium temperature water will not kill ticks.
• Don’t forget your pets:  Ticks can ride into the home on clothing and pets, then attach to a person later, so carefully examine pets, coats, and bags.
• Keep it clean:  Showering within two hours of coming indoors has been shown to reduce your risk of getting Lyme disease and may be effective in reducing the risk of other tickborne diseases.  

For more information about ticks and disease prevention read online.