Ticks
Where Do Ticks Live?
What Types of Ticks are in Our Area?
What Diseases Do Ticks Carry?
- Click here to find out What Diseases Ticks Carry.
- Click here to learn about what diseases are in our area using the interactive map provided by the Illinois Department of Public Health.
How Do I Protect Myself?
Reducing exposure to ticks is the best defense against tickborne diseases. Tick exposure can occur year-round, and it is recommended that you perform bodily tick checks on yourselves, your loved ones and your pets daily.
Before you go outdoors:
- Know where to expect ticks. Ticks live in grassy, brushy, or wooded areas, or even on animals. Spending time outside walking your dog, camping, gardening, or hunting could bring you in close contact with ticks. Many people get ticks in their own yard or neighborhood.
- Treat clothing and gear with products containing 0.5% permethrin. Permethrin can be used to treat boots, clothing and camping gear and remain protective through several washings. Alternatively, you can buy permethrin-treated clothing and gear.
- Avoid contact with ticks. Avoid wooded and brushy areas with high grass and leaf litter. Walk in the center of trails.
- Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellents containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (OLE), para-menthane-diol (PMD), or 2-undecanone. EPA's helpful search tool can help you find the product that best suits your needs. Always follow product instructions. Do not use products containing OLE or PMD on children under 3 years old. When used as directed, EPA-registered insect repellents are proven safe and effective, even for pregnant and breastfeeding women.
- If you are using sunscreen, apply sunscreen first and insect repellant second.
Click here for EPA Registered Insect Repellants Information.
Click here for EPA's Repellant Search Tool.
What to Do if Bitten by a Tick
- Stay calm and remove the tick using tweezers.
- Grasp the tick with fine tip tweezers where the head enters the skin.
- Pull the tick straight out with slow, steady pressure.
- Wash the bite area with soap and water and apply an antiseptic.
- Have the tick identified! (See below)
- Follow up with your medical provider for any medical treatments or advice
Tick Identification
1. Save It
You've just found or removed a tick from yourself or a pet. Your first thought may be to flush it down the toilet or to smash it. STOP! SAVE your tick! Identifying your tick is the first step towards securing your peace of mind.
2.Take a Picture
TAKE A PICTURE of your tick: try your best to get a clear and in-focus picture of the TOP SIDE of the tick. The clearer the picture, the easier the tick will be to identify! Feel free to send multiple pictures!
3.Upload Your Picture & Location
Click here or scan the QR Code below for the Kendall County Tick Identification Service.
The digital form routes directly to the Kendall County Health Department Tick Program staff, who can assist you in identifying your tick. Staff are familiar with local tick varieties, and within 72 hours, they will send a response email identifying the tick.
Please note, if the tick was not collected in northeastern Illinois, we may not be able to identify it.
If the request is received over the weekend or holiday, the question will be addressed on the following business day.
4.Identify It
Identifying your tick correctly is crucial. There are different life stages and different species of ticks, each with varying risks of carrying tickborne disease. Knowing what type of tick bit you, your loved ones, or your dog is a major step in Lyme disease prevention. Take a look at the following tick identification guide to learn a little bit about what we look for.
5.Consult
Once you have your tick identified, you are armed with essential information to share with your health care provider. The Kendall County Health Department cannot provide direct medical advice; however, we hope that the information provided through this service can help you make the best decisions for your health. This department highly recommends consulting directly with your physician, especially if it is confirmed that you were bitten by a Deer Tick, the tick capable of carrying Lyme Disease.
For more information, contact Environmental Health Services at 630-553-8026.