From Dnrec.delaware.gov:
DNREC’s tick program conducts year-round, statewide active and passive surveillance for ticks and tick-borne pathogens. Knowing when and where different tick species occur in the state, and whether or not they’re infected with pathogens such as the agent of Lyme disease, helps protect public health.
- There are five species of ticks commonly found in Delaware. Learn how to identify them and what health issues they might cause.
- While Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne infection in Delaware, there are other tick-associated diseases to be aware of in case you suffer a tick bite.
- Use the Tick Interactions Form to report any interactions you have had with a tick and get the information you need.
To avoid tick bites:
- Dress smart: When entering wooded or grassy areas, wear long pants, long sleeves, and tuck your pants into socks to minimize exposed skin. Light-colored clothing makes ticks easier to spot.
- Avoid tick habitats: Avoid walking in tall grass, leaf litter, or in wooded or brushy areas. Walk in the center of trails
- Tick repellent: Use insect repellents containing at least 20% DEET*, picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus on your skin and clothing. This simple step creates an extra layer of protection.
- Tick checks: After enjoying the outdoors, check yourself, your kids, and pets for ticks and immediately take a bath or shower. Ticks like to hide in warm, hidden areas, so inspect armpits, groins, and behind the knees. If you find a tick, remove it promptly using fine-tipped tweezers. Grasp the tick as close to your skin as possible and pull it out gently.
- Yard care: Keep your yard tick-free by mowing the lawn regularly, removing leaf piles, and creating a buffer zone with gravel or wood chips between your lawn and wooded areas.
- Repellent: Use as directed.
In case you find a tick on your person, child, or pet
- Remove it as soon as possible and seek medical treatment if you develop a fever, rash, or flu-like symptoms within 30 days of the bite.
- To dispose of a live tick found on the body, the Centers for Disease Control recommends flushing it down the toilet. Do not crush the tick with your fingers. After removing the tick, thoroughly clean the bite area and your hands with soap and water, rubbing alcohol, or hand sanitizer.
- If you would like to bring the tick to your health care provider for identification, place it in a sealed container or put it in a capped container of rubbing alcohol. Knowing the type of tick involved in the bite can help determine which diseases you may be at risk for. Additional DNREC guidance is to save ticks in a zip-seal bag in case they are needed for future medical reference.
- State Tick Biologist Dr. Kennedy also suggests Delawareans take a photo of the tick after it has been removed and include it when submitting a Tick Interaction Report at de.gov/ticks to learn more about the risks associated with a tick encounter.
For tick-borne disease information, visit dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dph/epi/tick.html. Report tick interactions at dnrec.delaware.gov/fish-wildlife/ticks/reporting/.
