How To Protect Yourself From Ticks and Mosquitos

How To Protect Yourself From TICKS

  1. Cover up any exposed skin when it is hot outside, especially when you are venturing into wooded or grassy areas. Wear long sleeves, long pants, socks, shoes, and a hat. Tie long hair up into a ponytail or bun.
  2. Use insect repellant on any exposed skin any time that you are outside, especially in wooded areas. Ticks do not fly or jump, so spraying repellant on your shoes can help can great deal.
  3. Check yourself for ticks anytime you come in from the outdoors. This includes checking the entire body, hidden areas behind the knees, under the armpits, behind the ears, and in the belly button. Make sure to check the hair also. Once a tick is embedded into the skin, there are certain safety precaution that you should take when removing it. For more information on tick removal, reference How To Remove A Tick.
  4. See a doctor for a tick bite if you develop a red, target shaped rash. This could be Lyme’s Disease. If you have a red or black spotty rash, this could also be signs of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.

Read More About Ticks

How To Protect Yourself From MOSQUITOS

  1. Cover any exposed skin, especially when near bodies of water such as ponds and swamps.
  2. Use air conditioning instead of keeping your windows open. Cooler air keeps mosquitos at bay. If you do not have air conditioning and you need to open your windows, make sure there are screens on them to prevent insects from entering your house.
  3. Apply insect repellent anytime that you go outdoors, especially in moist or grassy areas. Mosquitos are drawn to water and humidity.
  4. If you are traveling, make sure you learn about specific health risks for the region that you are traveling to. Some parts of the world have a higher risk of Malaria. If you are bitten, reference  How To Treat A Mosquito Bite
  5. See a doctor for a mosquito bite if you have a fever, rash, chills, vomiting, diarrhea, joint pain, or headaches. This could be Malaria or West Nile Virus.

Ingredients To Look For In An Insect Repellant

DEET

Picaridin

IR3535

Oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE)

Para-menthane-diol (PMD)

2-undecanone

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