Be Ready For Ticks!

Connect with a TickExpert the moment you need one

You’re standing at the start of a trail and the sign says —

What should you do?

There are a few, simple things you CAN do right in this moment to better protect yourself, your family and your pets from tick bites. And, there are several best practice actions to take once you get home, or if you do find a tick, and also before going on your next outside adventure to maximize your protection. If the sign you see looks like this one, you can find out what to do with a simple smartphone click on the QR code.

interested in a sign?

RIGHT NOW … 3 actions to reduce tick risk

Tuck in your shirt tail and tuck your pant legs into your socks

Keep ticks on the outside of your clothes

Stay in the middle of trails

Ticks are more abundant along the trail edges

Know what to look for

Find out which ticks are active in each region at different times of year

JUST GOT HOME … more steps to reduce tick risk

Dry clothes first, then wash

Most ticks are VERY sensitive to dryness. The very first action to take after returning from an outdoor adventure is to remove clothing and throw it in the dryer.

Perform a thorough tick check

The simplest way to protect yourself is to remove a tick before it has a chance to transmit disease-causing pathogens.

FOUND A TICK … now what? Follow best practices!

animation of a tick being grasped at the head by pointy tweezers

Remove a tick safely

Learn how to properly remove a tick.

learn how

Take a photo

Click our photo tips below to learn how to take your best tick photo ever!

Photo tips

Submit your tick!

Our TickSpotters program provides users with accurate, timely tick identification information, as well as science-based risk assessments tailored to their tick.

connect with our tick experts

GOING OUTSIDE AGAIN … Be ready for ticks!

TickSmart Prevention

Everyday practices for TickSafe living

TickSmart™ focuses on providing people at risk for dangerous tick encounters with simple, effective strategies – everyday practices – for TickSafe living. Our goal is to make tick-bite protection easy so that you’ll actually “do it”.

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About Be Ready For Ticks!

TickEncounter is proud to partner with Stony Brook Southampton Hospital Regional Tick-Borne Disease Resource Center to help people Be Ready For Ticks.

Be Ready For Ticks is a Just-in-time education approach to tick-bite and tickborne disease prevention. Learning what you can do in the moment–when it’s relevant and can be applied–is especially critical when details matter, as in the case of preventing tick bites or practicing best next actions after a tick-bite is discovered.

The Regional Tick-Borne Disease Resource Center at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital educates the public, promotes collaboration and educational opportunities within the medical community, and facilitates access to the diagnosis and treatment of tick-borne diseases.

contact southampton regional tick-borne disease resource center

TickEncounter is an affiliate of NEWVEC, New England Regional Center of Excellence in Vector-borne Diseases. NEWVEC is dedicated to operational research, training the next generation of public-health entomologists, and cultivating a rich Community of Practice to address stakeholder needs.

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