PROTECT YOURSELF

Cover up, even when it’s hot. Wear a hat and a bandanna around your neck to cover up even more skin; if you have long hair, pull it back into a ponytail or braids. Use insect repellent on

exposed skin. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Environmental Protection Agency recommend using mosquito repellents that have as their active ingredient

either DEET; Picaridin; IR3535; oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE) or para-menthane-diol (PMD); or 2-undecanone. Only DEET, Picaridin and IR3535 are effective agents against ticks. Check yourself for ticks after

a hike. Make sure to feel your scalp under your hair, and check folds of skin, your private parts, behind your ears and behind your knees.

— NEW YORK TIMES