Wear long pants and sleeves that are tight at the waist, wrists, ankles and neck if you’re hiking in grassy or wooded areas.
Get regular check-ups if you experience common Lyme symptoms, especially if you spend time in high-risk areas.
If you discover a feeding tick, use a safe removal method. Proper tick removal will greatly reduce your risk of infection.
Check the exposed, hairy regions of your body daily during camping trips. Ticks like to hide in hair. Don’t forget to check your scalp!
Avoid endemic Lyme areas during the late spring/summer. Keep the grass in your yard cut and the hedges trimmed and neat.
Check your body and clothes for ticks after being in the garden or the woods. Ticks can cling to the folds of your clothing and bite you when you put the shirt/pants back on.
Wear insect repellent when travelling through high-risk areas. Check your friends and family for ticks and have them do the same for you – you can’t see your entire back and scalp.
Keep your yard clear of potential tick habitats, like piles of dead leaves, long grasses, bushes and woodpiles.
Discourage deer from coming into your yard. Deer are one of the main hosts for Lyme-carrying ticks.
Work with your veterinarian to ensure your pets are tick-free.
The Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation is dedicated to promoting research, education, diagnosis and treatment of Lyme and associated diseases.
