Tick Season in BC

What can be done to reduce the risk when outdoors?

• Wear light coloured clothing, long sleeves, pants and closed shoes or boots when walking outdoors in wooded or grassy areas. Tuck your pants into your socks and your shirt into your pants for added protection.
• Use insect repellent containing DEET on all uncovered skin. Reapply as frequently as directed on the containers.
• Check clothing and scalp when leaving an area where ticks may live. Use a mirror or have someone help you check hard-to-see areas and make sure you check your whole body. • Regularly check household pets for ticks.
• Walk on cleared trails.

What can be done to reduce the risk at home?

• Keep the grass cut short.
• Remove leaf litter and weeds, particularly at the edge of the yard where it can build up.
• Control rodent activity (e.g. seal stonewalls and openings into the home).
• Move wood piles and bird feeders away from the home.
• Try and keep pets out of the woods.
• Consider fencing which may exclude deer from entering your property.
• Trim tree branches to allow for more sunlight into your yard.
• Create a one metre wood-chip, mulch or gravel border between your lawn and any wooded areas or stonewalls.
• Move swing-sets or playgrounds away from wooded areas.
• Widen and maintain trails on your property