How can I protect my children from ticks?

To protect your children from ticks, use repellants (follow label directions) and dress them in proper clothing. Public health specialist Peter DeLucia, MPA, discusses some important prevention tips for kids, including thorough tick checks.

Transcript

00:00

Apply the product with your hands. Put it on your hands and put it on the child's skin. You don't want to put it on the child's hands

00:06

because typically they'll use their hands, put their hands in their mouth, things like that. So you want to be in control of that product when you put it on your children.

00:13

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00:22

In order to protect your children from ticks, you want to use repellents, have them dress properly. Remember when using repellents to protect your children

00:31

from ticks, you want to make sure you follow the label, make sure you don't use over 30% of DEET in the product.

00:38

Also apply the product with your hands. Put it on your hands and put it on the child's skin. You don't want to put it on the child's hands

00:45

because typically they'll use their hands, put their hands in their mouth, things like that. So you want to be in control of that product when you put it on your children.

00:53

Make them dress properly. Light colored clothing, once again, if you want to tuck their socks into their pants.

00:59

But the reality is kids run around, things get loose. The most important thing you could do after your children are out in the woods

01:06

and playing in the grass is to do a tick check. Thoroughly check their body from head to toe and remove any ticks that are on them.

01:14

The quicker you do this, the better. You don't have to be in a super rush. It takes at least 36 hours for the tick

01:22

to be attached to transmit Lyme disease. Do that thorough tick check and get those ticks off your children.