Because they cannot fly or jump, many tick species climb up onto the grass tips and wait. When they detect a passing host, they simply climb aboard. Just casting a shadow on some ticks can give away your presence. Ticks can also detect animals by their breath, smell, warmth, moisture or the vibrations caused by their movements.

Ticks spread diseases such as Lyme disease by biting a person or animal infected with the disease, then passing it on to their next host via the tick's saliva. Ticks need to feed on blood to survive each stage of life, from egg to larva, nymph to adult. If one of these meals contains a blood-borne pathogen (or disease-causing microbe), the tick can pass it on when it feeds on a new host in its next life stage.

After gardening, camping, hiking or playing outdoors, it's a good idea to give children and pets a full body check when they come inside. Use a mirror or a partner and pay particular attention to these areas: armpits, ears, belly button, back of knees, scalp, hair, between the legs and around the waist. Showering within two hours of being outside will also help as you will flush out any ticks that have not yet bitten.

Once bitten, it is not a good idea to remove the tick. To stay attached while feeding, many ticks secrete a cement-like substance through the feeding tube. The tick's saliva can also cause the pain associated with the bite to go unnoticed, allowing it to feed for up to several days.

Use tweezers to squeeze the tick very close to the surface of the skin. Pull up firmly, but do not pull too hard. The aim is to remove all parts of the mouth together with the body. Tick saliva can carry disease, so it is important not to leave the head behind when removing it. Thoroughly clean and disinfect the area with alcohol, iodine scrub, soap and water.

If you develop signs and symptoms of a tick-borne disease such as Lyme disease, see your doctor for an assessment. Keeping a tick that you have removed from your skin can also help you identify the species, and different species carry different diseases. Record your bite by placing the tick in a resealable sandwich bag along with a note, including the date and where you were when you were bitten.

Different tick species carry different diseases. Lyme disease is most commonly spread by black-legged ticks, also known as deer ticks. Rocky Mountain spotted fever is spread by the wood tick and the brown dog tick.

Learn about the tick species in your area.

Ticks can invade your yard or home by latching onto dogs, cats, mice, deer and other animals. Create a barrier of wood chips or gravel between your lawn and wooded areas and stack wood in neat piles away from your home to reduce the tick population in your yard. In addition, mowing your lawn and removing trash can help eliminate tick habitats.

In addition, one of the best ways to prevent tick bites is to avoid habitats where ticks live whenever possible, such as long grass, shrubs, foliage, or woods. Use tick-proofing products for pets on your cats and dogs. Wearing an insect repellent such as BubbleBite Anti Mosquito Spray or BubbleBite Anti Mosquito Skin Care Cream also helps prevent tick bites.

If you spin clothes and camping gear in a tumble dryer at high temperature for 10 minutes, you can kill off the blind ticks.