To optimize protection against mosquitoes and ticks and reduce the risk of diseases they transmit:
Wear a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, and socks.
Treat clothing with permethrin or purchase pretreated clothing.
Permethrin-treated clothing will retain repellent activity through multiple washes.
Repellents used on skin can also be applied to clothing but provide shorter duration of protection (same duration as on skin) and must be reapplied after laundering.
Apply lotion, liquid, or spray repellent to exposed skin.
For Mosquitoes
Ensure adequate protection during times of day when mosquitoes are most active.
Dengue, yellow fever, and chikungunya vector mosquitoes bite mainly from dawn to dusk.
Malaria, West Nile, and Japanese encephalitis vector mosquitoes bite mainly from dusk to dawn.
Use common sense. Reapply repellents as protection wanes and mosquitoes start to bite.
For Ticks
Check yourself daily (your entire body) and remove attached ticks promptly.