All residents can take simple, everyday precautions to protect themselves against vector-borne illnesses that can be transmitted through mosquito and tick bites by doing the following: 

• Use an EPA-approved insect repellent: When outdoors, use insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, or oil of lemon eucalyptus on exposed skin and/or clothing. Always follow the directions on the package.
• Wear protective clothing: Wear long sleeves and pants when weather permits.
• Keep mosquitoes from laying eggs near you: Mosquitoes can lay eggs even in small amounts of standing water. Get rid of mosquito breeding sites by emptying standing water from flower pots, bird baths, kids’ toys/pools, and tires. 
• Landscape for tick prevention: Keep the grass mowed, and remove leaf litter, brush, and weeds at the edge of the lawn. 
• Consider pesticide application: Pesticides can be applied as targeted treatments to reduce mosquito and tick populations. 
• Perform regular tick checks: Ticks can attach to any part of the human body but prefer body creases and areas with hair such as the groin, armpit, ankle, and scalp. Be sure to check yourself, your kids, and your pets for ticks after spending time outdoors. 
• Submit a tick or ‘tick pic’: Submitting a picture of the offender to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services helps everyone in an effort to stop the spread of disease. Experts can help identify the type of tick that bit you!
• Download “The Tick App”: This new app that you can put on your phone shows you how to avoid ticks and tick-borne diseases.