According to the
Center for Disease Control, a daily tick check is a good habit to get into now that we’re in the outdoorsy season. Here are their recommendations for checking your kids after a day at summer camp.
Check your body for ticks after being outdoors, even in your own yard. Conduct a body check upon return from potentially tick-infested areas by searching your entire body for ticks. Use a hand-held or full-length mirror to view all parts of your body and remove any tick you find. Check these parts of your body and your child’s body particularly for ticks:
- Under the arms
- In and around the ears
- Inside belly button
- Back of the knees
- In and around the hair
- Between the legs
- Around the waist
Shower soon after being outdoors -- doing so within two hours of coming indoors has been shown to reduce the risk of being bitten by a tick.
Want more tips on dealing with ticks? Click here!
When returning from potentially tick-infested areas, do the tick-check as outlined above, but particularly go through children’s hair. Remove any tick you find on your child’s body.
Don’t forget to check your clothing. Ticks may be carried into the house on clothing and pets, too!
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Any ticks that are found should be removed and can be drowned in a drop of liquid soap, or dropped in a small container of alcohol. Call your pediatrician or vet if you have any concerns. Save the tick if you can, since your physician may want to see it. There are a variety of ticks in our environment and treatments may vary.