Tick bite prevention and correct removal is crucial when it comes to avoiding Lyme disease. There are a few simple steps you can take to reduce your chances of being bitten by a tick. Watch our awareness animation and take a look at the information below.
Tick bite prevention and removal
- Carry a tick removal tool with you at all times. We recommend products made by our 2026 Awareness Campaign partner Tick Twister®and we are delighted to offer an exclusive 25% charity discount using the code LDUK25 for single units. For orders of 100 units or more, we are delighted to offer a 35% charity discount using the code LDUK35 and free next day delivery. For every unit sold, 25p will be donated to Lyme Disease UK. Find out more here.
- Use insect repellent during outdoor activities. We recommend using products made by our 2026 Awareness Campaign partner THEYE® who offer an exclusive 15% charity discount with the code LYME-DISEASE-UK. Find out more here.
- Avoid walking through long grass and stick to pathways.
- Tuck trousers into socks if walking in grassy, wooded and overgrown areas.
- Wear light-coloured clothing so you can spot and brush off any ticks.
- Check for ticks when you get home. Check children and pets too.
Remember that you could be exposed to ticks whenever you spend time outdoors, including in grassy areas, woodlands, parks, or even your own garden.
If you are taking part in a high risk activity, it is possible to buy pre-treated clothing from camping or outdoor activity shops that has been sprayed with the repellent permethrin. You can also spray clothing and shoes with this product yourself. Use repellents safely. Always read the label and product information before use.
Check your clothes and body for ticks when you are outdoors and again when you get home. Check children and pets too. Brush off any ticks that are unattached.
Areas that ticks may be found include skin folds, armpits, groin, waistband area, back of the neck and hairline. Data from UKHSA’s Tick Surveillance Scheme shows that adults are commonly bitten on the legs, whilst children are commonly bitten on the head or neck area. Bites can occur on any part of the body and more than one tick can be attached at one time.
Wash your clothes at a high temperature (60 degrees plus) and put all clothes in the tumble dryer on the highest heat possible to kill any ticks remaining on clothing.
If you have been bitten
If you find an embedded tick, remove it as quickly as possible using the correct tick removal technique. If you have difficulty removing a tick, contact your pharmacist, GP or 111 for advice.
- Never apply heat, oil or unsuitable products. These can irritate the tick and cause it to spread bacteria into the wound.
- Ideally use a tick remover tool to avoid squashing the tick or use fine-tipped tweezers if no tool is available.
- Grasp the tick close to the skin. Pull gently upwards. Do not twist.
- Afterwards clean the bite area and your hands thoroughly with antibacterial wash/soap and water.
- Check your clothes and body for other ticks. Check your children and pets as well.
- Monitor symptoms, which could be delayed.
Consult your GP if you’ve been bitten by a tick or visited an area where ticks are present within the past three months and are experiencing flu-like symptoms or a spreading round or oval rash.
Be tick aware – stay safe and well
- Lyme disease can be transmitted by the bite of an infected tick.
- Ticks can be as small as a poppy seed. Bites are normally painless, so can easily be missed.
- Not everyone with Lyme disease develops a rash. It is important to look out for symptoms as well.
- The rash can appear up to 3 months after being bitten by an infected tick, but usually appears within 1 to 4 weeks. It can last for several weeks.
- Early symptoms can include fatigue, headaches, flu-like illness, facial palsy, migratory muscle and joint pain, nausea, and a stiff neck.