The routine
Keep going outside. Add five intentional minutes.
Prevention works best as a system. If one layer is imperfect—short sleeves on a hot day, for example—the other layers still matter.
Prepare
Repellent, practical clothing and a plan for where you are going.
Reduce contact
Use cleared paths and limit contact with brush, leaf litter and tall grass.
Check and reset
Inspect people, pets, gear and clothes, then shower and dry clothing.
This checklist follows Public Health Agency of Canada prevention guidance, including DEET or Icaridin repellent, light-coloured coverage, cleared paths, tick checks, showering and high dryer heat. Read the full federal guidance ↗
Before you go
Set up the layers you can control.
- Use a Health Canada-approved insect repellent containing DEET or Icaridin (also called picaridin) and follow the label directions.
- Wear light-coloured clothing so crawling ticks are easier to see.
- Choose closed-toe shoes and, when practical, long sleeves and long pants tucked into socks.
- Consider clothing treated with permethrin. Follow the product instructions; do not use a clothing treatment directly on skin.
- Bring fine-tipped tweezers, a small container or resealable bag and your phone for photos.
- Know the local setting: wooded or brushy areas, tall grass, leaf litter and trail edges can increase contact.
Use only a product appropriate for the child’s age and follow its label. Adults should apply repellent to their hands first, then to a child’s skin, avoiding hands, eyes, mouth and irritated skin.
While outside
Reduce contact without policing every step.
Ticks do not fly or jump. They attach after contact, so the goal is to reduce brushing against the places they may wait.
- Stay near the centre of cleared paths when it is practical to do so.
- Avoid sitting directly in leaf litter or placing bags and clothing in tall grass.
- Reapply repellent only as the product label directs, especially after water, sweat or extended time outdoors.
- Do a quick visual scan at natural breaks if you have been moving through brush or long grass.
- Keep prevention calm for children: make “shoes, spray, check” the routine, not a warning.
Long sleeves and tucked pants provide useful coverage, but may be impractical in high heat. Prioritize breathable light-coloured clothing, approved repellent, cleared paths and a careful check afterward. Watch for heat illness and adapt to the person and conditions.
After possible exposure
Run the full reset—people, clothing, gear and pets.
- Check the entire body as soon as practical, using a mirror or another person for hard-to-see areas.
- Help children check carefully, including the head, hairline and areas where clothing sits close to skin.
- Shower or bathe within two hours of coming indoors to help find unattached ticks and do a thorough check.
- Check backpacks, blankets, shoes and outdoor gear before bringing them into living areas.
- Put dry clothing in a dryer on high heat for at least 10 minutes. Wet or damp clothing may need longer.
- Check pets and ask a veterinarian about suitable tick-prevention products; products meant for dogs may be unsafe for cats.
Full-body check
Look where ticks are easy to miss.
Use your fingertips as well as your eyes. An attached nymph can feel like a tiny scab or bump.
Check everywhere—not only these spots. For children, pay particular attention around the head and hairline.
Around home and cottage
Make the edge less inviting.
Yard changes focus on the moist, shaded habitat ticks and their hosts use. They reduce favourable conditions; they do not create a tick-proof boundary.
Leaves and brush
Remove leaf litter, brush and weeds from lawn edges and high-use areas.
Create a dry border
Use gravel or wood chips between lawns and wooded or brushy edges.
Move activity zones
Place play equipment, seating and wood piles away from yard edges and shade.
Mow and trim
Keep grass cut and prune vegetation so high-use areas are sunnier and drier.
Limit animal attractants
Secure garbage and reduce food or shelter that attracts rodents and other wildlife.
Keep checking
Yard work lowers habitat suitability, but family and pet checks remain important.
If prevention missed one
Found an attached tick? Switch from prevention to response.
Remove it promptly with clean fine-tipped tweezers, pulling upward slowly and steadily from as close to the skin as possible. Clean the area, take photos and record the date and likely location of exposure.
ONChoose your path
Prepare before—or get help after.
AfterTick supports two different needs: advance planning for foreseeable exposure and clinician-guided review after a bite. Eligibility and care are always individual.
AfterTick is not an emergency service. Seek urgent or emergency care for severe or rapidly worsening symptoms.
Practical questions
Tick prevention, answered.
Do I need long sleeves every time I go outside?
Match the layers to the setting. More coverage is useful in brush, tall grass, leaf litter and wooded areas. On hot days, combine practical light-coloured clothing with approved repellent, cleared paths and a careful post-outing tick check.
Which repellent helps prevent tick bites in Canada?
Health Canada-approved insect repellents containing DEET or Icaridin can be used against ticks. Follow the product label, including age restrictions and application directions.
Can I get a tick while staying on a path?
Yes. Staying on cleared paths can reduce contact with vegetation but cannot remove all exposure. Ticks may be carried by people, pets or wildlife, so check after time in potential habitat.
Can pets bring ticks into the home?
Yes. Pets can carry unattached or attached ticks. Check pets after outdoor time and ask a veterinarian about appropriate tick-prevention products.
Where should I look during a tick check?
Check the entire body, including the scalp and hairline, in and around the ears, under the arms, around the waist and navel, groin, behind the knees and between the legs.
Primary references
Sources and editorial notes.
- Public Health Agency of Canada: Prevent tick bites ↗
Repellent, clothing, paths, checks, clothing care, yard measures and pet guidance. - Public Health Agency of Canada: Ticks ↗
Tick behaviour, habitat and Canadian activity. - Government of Ontario: Tick-borne diseases ↗
Ontario-specific exposure, removal and health information.