Removal · field guidance

Ticks drop from trees onto people

Ticks do not climb trees to fall on you; they wait on grass and low shrubs and crawl up from your feet.

Steps

schema.org/HowTo
  1. 01
    DO NOT assume ticks attack from above by dropping out of trees.
  2. 02
    Most human-biting ticks (Ixodes, Dermacentor, Amblyomma) quest from grass tips, low shrubs, and leaf litter, typically within a few feet of the ground.
  3. 03
    They climb onto a host that brushes past them and then crawl upward looking for a thin patch of skin, which is why people often find ticks above the waist after they actually got on at the ankle.
  4. 04
    Protect yourself from the ground up: tuck pants into socks, treat shoes and pants with permethrin, and use repellent on exposed skin.
  5. 05
    Do a tick check from the ankles up after coming inside.

Wild facts

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