The most common ticks in the Philly region, and how to protect yourself

Every spring, after months of dormancy or attachment to a host, ticks reemerge. Spending time outdoors increases the likelihood of encountering one.

“They find their way to the tip of grass or branches, and they sit there and wait with their two front legs out,” says Michael Bentley, vice president of training and education for the National Pest Management Association. “At the ends of their legs are these two little hooks that act like Velcro, and once something walks by, they latch on.”

Ticks need blood to survive and many species feed on humans, potentially transmitting diseases like Lyme disease, the most common tick-borne illness in the Northeast. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Pennsylvania has had the highest incidence of Lyme disease in the country in 11 of the past 13 years.

“We have this perfect storm for how ticks survive and how individuals become exposed, with large pockets of forested areas and communities that border those forests, and a lot of outdoor recreation,” says Nicole Chinnici, director of East Stroudsburg University’s Dr. Jane Huffman Wildlife Genetics Institute.

There are steps you can take to protect yourself. Here’s how to identify the most common tick species in the region, ways to lower your chances of getting bitten, and what to do if a tick latches on.

There are three common species that can affect both humans and animals:

Ticks can vary in size and color, but like other arachnids, they have eight legs, except in the larva stage, when they have six.

While each species has distinctive features, it can be difficult to identify ticks without training. When engorged with blood, their identifying characteristics can be diminished.

“If you get bit, the best recommendation is to try to remove it properly and as soon as possible, save it, and bring it to a pest management professional or medical professional,” Bentley says.

Ticks can carry multiple diseases, complicating medical diagnosis and treatment without knowing the species. Save the tick in a Ziploc bag and take it to your doctor or a lab like East Stroudsburg University’s Dr. Jane Huffman Wildlife Genetics Institute, which offers free tick identification and testing for Pennsylvania residents. Find mailing instructions at ticklab.org. They’ll accept ticks dead or alive and provide a report within three business days showing any diseases you’ve been exposed to. “Bring that to your doctor,” says Chinnici. “That tick can tell you about a lot of the symptoms you may be experiencing.”

“You don’t want to use anything other than fine-tipped tweezers,” says Bentley. “Trying to burn it with a match or smother it with petroleum jelly, for example, is going to agitate the tick and cause it to physically regurgitate into the wound, and it’s the saliva that’s the carrying agent for diseases.”

Do you have to get every tick tested? It’s better to be safe than sorry, says Chinnici. If you can’t save the tick for testing, monitor your body for health changes and communicate any symptoms to your doctor. Fever, chills, rash, headache, fatigue, muscle and joint aches, and swollen lymph nodes are early signs of Lyme disease. Symptoms vary across other tick-borne illnesses.

Ticks are most active from April through September and thrive in grassy, brushy, and wooded areas. This makes it important to be mindful not only when hiking but even when spending time in your backyard.

Your best defense, says Bentley, is to conduct a thorough, full-body check for ticks whenever you return from outdoor activities.

“Do it before you hop into your car or as soon as you step inside, and be sure to take your time,” says Bentley. “Ticks are going to look for a fold, a nook, or a cranny where they can remain relatively protected, so you want to make sure you’re checking from head to toe, including your armpit areas, hair, and any area that naturally creates a seam on your body, like around your sock lines or where your pants hug your body.”

Other places to check include inside your belly button, around your ears, between your legs, and behind your knees.

Consider showering as soon as you return. Showering within two hours of coming indoors has been shown to reduce the risk of Lyme disease and may be effective in reducing other tick-borne diseases, says the CDC. It may help wash off unattached ticks.

Throw your clothes into the dryer while you’re at it. “Sometimes ticks can be crawling on your clothes, and just 10 to 20 minutes in the dryer at high heat will kill them,” says Chinnici.

If you have pets, check them from head to toe, especially inside their ears and between their toes, says Bentley. Treat your pets with tick-preventative products to prevent them from carrying ticks indoors. Consult your veterinarian about the best options for your pet.

Before heading outside, consider using insect repellent. Look for Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellents that contain DEET, picaridin, IR3535, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (OLE), para-menthane-diol (PMD), or 2-undecanone.

You can also spray your clothes with products containing 0.5% permethrin, a pesticide that kills ticks, or look for clothes that are pretreated with permethrin, sold by brands like REI and L.L. Bean.

When hiking, avoid the edges of the trail, and wear protective clothing, like long pants and high socks. “Choose light-colored clothing simply because it makes it easier to see ticks on you,” says Bentley.

To reduce tick populations in your yard, keep your lawn trimmed and clear any tall grasses and brush. Thick vegetation is a great environment for ticks and their hosts, like mice, says Bentley.

Keep playground equipment away from yard edges or create a three-foot-wide barrier of wood chips or gravel between your lawn and wooded areas.

It’s also important to remove leaf litter. “Ticks like cool and moist areas, so you want to create a warmer and dryer area. You may even want to trim back the trees to allow for more sunlight,” says Chinnici.

“There’s no silver bullet for avoiding ticks, but doing a combination of home, personal, and pet prevention is what’s going to make a difference,” she adds.