Love to play outside? Ways to protect kids this tick season

The warmer weather means a lot more time spent outdoors, but it also means the return of pests like ticks and mosquitos.

“Ticks can be active all year long as long as the temperature is above freezing, but the most prevalence is in the warmer, moist months like June and July,” said Eric Braun, Technical Services Manager at Rentokil Terminix.

Areas to avoid when playing outside include the weedy, overgrown areas as well as wooded areas.

“That microenvironment created by the leaves on the ground are perfect for ticks to live in,” said Eric.

Eric’s top five tips to protect your family include:

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1. Keep lawns trimmed and shrubs neat, as mosquitos and ticks prefer to rest in tall grass and dense vegetation.
2. Consider wearing lighter color clothing, as lighter colors are less attractive to mosquitoes than darker colors. Lighter colored clothing can also aid in detecting ticks more easily.
3. Mosquitoes can breed in as little as one tablespoon of water. Drain standing water from kiddie pools, yard adornments, dog bowls, etc. at least once weekly
4. Use an EPA-approved insect repellent, such as DEET, according to label directions. The higher the percentage of DEET in a product, the longer it will last.
5. Consider a collaborative approach for increased protection. Professional pest control services offer a more comprehensive solution to help keep your yard safe for family fun all season long.

“If you have a tick what you want to do is you want to make sure you don’t squeeze the tick. Grab a needle nose pliers or a small tweezer and grab the tick by its mouth as close to the skin as possible and pull gently, straight out until the tick is removed,” said Eric.

Visit the Terminix’s mascot, Harry the Praying Mantis, website here for more information and resources geared towards kids!