Tips For Avoiding Ticks This Season
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- It's the season when many families worry about ticks and the diseases they transmit.
Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne illness, and experts say the parasites are thriving in the U.S.
Deer ticks, originally found in the Northeast, are now in the Midwest in bigger numbers.
Lone star ticks, found in the south, are moving north.
Experts say the best way to protect against ticks is insect repellent.
"Ticks are going to be at the edges of the path where there may be tall grasses," said Dr. Bobbi Pritt, the director of the Mayo Clinic's Parasitology Laboratory. "By staying in the middle of the path, that's one way to just stay away from where ticks would be."
Long sleeves and pants tucked into socks are recommended for outdoors.
It's also important to have others check you for ticks.
For more information on ticks and preventing bites, click here.