Enjoy the Outdoors - Bug-Free!

Protect your family from mosquitoes and ticks! This is especially important during the wet and warm months of the year, from late spring and throughout the fall. Mosquitoes and ticks can spread many illnesses, like Lyme disease and West Nile Virus, that can make you and your family sick.

Always use repellent, wear protective clothing, and be on the lookout for symptoms like fevers, headaches, or rash.

Learn more simple ways to protect yourself from mosquitoes and ticks, P-02080! (PDF)

Reduce mosquitoes by getting rid of standing water

Mosquitoes need a water source to breed. Remove leaves and yard debris to reduce water pools, and replace water in bird baths regularly. Check out other tips for addressing mosquitoes.

Protect yourself from ticks

Ticks are carriers of diseases like Lyme disease, and are usually found in high grass or wooded areas. Wear long-sleeved shirts and tuck your pants into your socks to prevent ticks from biting. Wear light-colored clothes to spot ticks easily. Check yourself for ticks after you have been outside. Remove the tick immediately with tweezers (making sure the head remains intact), and disinfect the bite site with rubbing alcohol, an iodine scrub, or soap and water.

Wear repellents to keep bugs away

The type of repellent you need depends on whether you will be in an area that has ticks along with mosquitoes. Some repellents are better at repelling mosquitoes than ticks. Ticks are found throughout Wisconsin, so you likely need to use a repellent with DEET as it works well against both ticks and mosquitoes. However, children and pregnant or breastfeeding women may want to limit their use of DEET.

Eucalyptus oil and other natural remedies can work effectively at keeping mosquitoes away, but they may have to be applied more often. Decide what repellent is best for you with this interactive tool.