How to Check for Ticks After Being Outside
A good tick check shouldn't start hours after you get home. It should become part of coming inside.
After spending time in grassy, wooded or brushy areas—even your own backyard—check your body, clothing, children and pets for ticks. Look carefully in hidden areas where ticks can be easy to miss, and pay attention to both ticks that are still crawling and ticks that have already attached.
The CDC recommends performing a full-body tick check after returning from areas where ticks may be present.
The important part is knowing where to look, what to feel for and what to do when you find one.
The Simple Post-Outdoor Tick Check
After hiking, gardening, walking the dog, playing in the yard, camping or spending time anywhere ticks may be present:
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Check clothing and gear for crawling ticks.
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Check exposed skin and then do a full-body check.
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Help children check the areas they can't easily see themselves.
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Check pets from nose to tail.
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Know whether the tick you find is crawling or already attached.
That last step matters because a loose, crawling tick and an embedded tick require two different responses.
How to Check Yourself for Ticks
Start with a visual check, but don't rely on your eyes alone.
Ticks can be very small and can end up in places that are difficult to see. Use a full-length or handheld mirror to check areas you can't view easily, and slowly run your hands over the skin as you go.
According to the CDC, areas that deserve extra attention include:
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Under the arms
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In and around the ears
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Inside the belly button
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Behind the knees
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In and around the hair and hairline
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Between the legs
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Around the waist
Don't stop at the areas that were exposed outdoors. A tick can crawl underneath clothing before finding a place to attach.
Don't just look for attached ticks
One of the easiest things to forget during a tick check is that the tick you brought home may still be moving.
Check skin, socks, shoes, waistbands and other clothing for tiny crawling ticks before they have the chance to settle somewhere harder to find.
The CDC's current Lyme disease prevention guidance specifically recommends checking the body, clothing, gear and pets during and after outdoor activity and notes that tools such as a lint roller may help pick up unattached ticks.
How to Check Children for Ticks
Kids aren't always going to notice a tick crawling on them—and many of the areas that need checking are difficult for them to inspect on their own.
After outdoor play, help children do a full-body check.
Pay close attention to:
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Hair and scalp
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Behind and around the ears
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Neck and hairline
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Underarms
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Waistband
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Belly button
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Behind the knees
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Between the legs
The CDC specifically recommends that parents help children check thoroughly after potential tick exposure.
For younger children, making this part of the normal “shoes off, tick check, wash up” routine can be much easier than treating every outdoor adventure like an emergency.
The goal isn't to make kids afraid of being outside.
It's to make checking for ticks as automatic as washing muddy hands.
How to Check Your Clothes for Ticks
Ticks don't have to be attached to your body to make it indoors.
They can remain on clothing and gear and potentially crawl onto a person later, which is why the CDC recommends checking clothing after coming inside.
Check:
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Socks
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Shoes and boots
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Pant cuffs
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Waistbands
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Jackets
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Hats
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Backpacks
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Blankets
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Outdoor gear
Pay special attention to seams, folds and darker areas where a tiny tick may be difficult to spot.
For dry clothing, the CDC recommends tumble-drying on high heat for 10 minutes after coming indoors to kill ticks that may still be on clothing. Damp clothing may require additional drying time.
Should You Shower After Being Outside?
A shower can be another useful part of your post-outdoor routine.
The CDC recommends showering within two hours of coming indoors to help wash off unattached ticks while also creating an opportunity to perform a more thorough body check.
But a shower shouldn't replace physically checking your body.
Use it as another layer of the routine:
Check. Shower. Check again.
How to Check a Dog for Ticks
People aren't the only ones who need checking.
The CDC recommends checking pets for ticks daily, particularly after they have spent time outdoors, and the American Veterinary Medical Association recommends examining pets immediately after returning from tick-prone activities such as hiking, camping or hunting.
Start at your dog's head and slowly work toward the tail.
Use your fingers to part the fur and look and feel at the same time. On dogs with thick, long or dark coats, touch can be especially important because a tick can be difficult to see through the fur.
Pay extra attention to:
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Around and inside the ears
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Head and neck
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Under the collar
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Under the front legs
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Groin
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Between the toes and around the paw pads
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Around the tail
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Eyelids and face
Veterinary guidance identifies these hidden areas as common places where ticks may go unnoticed.
Don't forget the collar
Take your dog's collar off during the check.
It is easy to run your hands over the rest of a dog's body and completely miss the strip of skin underneath a collar or harness.
And remember: your dog's tick check isn't only about finding attached ticks. A tick can still be crawling through the coat, which means it may be much harder to locate by sight alone.
Crawling Tick vs. Attached Tick: What's the Difference?
This is the distinction we wish more people knew.
A crawling or loose tick
The tick is moving on:
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Skin
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Clothing
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Pet fur
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Gear
It has not embedded itself into the skin.
An attached tick
The tick has bitten and is anchored to the skin with its mouthparts.
These are two different stages of a tick encounter—and they shouldn't be treated like the same problem.
What Should You Do if You Find a Crawling Tick?
Remove it.
For a visible crawling tick, you may be able to pick it off or capture it before it attaches.
The harder problem is finding the tiny ones in the first place—especially against hair, dark clothing or pet fur.
That's the problem TiCK MiTT was designed to solve.
TiCK MiTT is a reusable, chemical-free tick-checking mitt designed to grab loose, crawling ticks from skin, clothing and pet fur as you gently wipe. It does not replace a tool for removing a tick that has already embedded in the skin.
Think of it as part of the CHECK stage of your routine:
Outside → come inside → TiCK MiTT → visual check → shower/change
It's an extra way to look for something that can be surprisingly easy to miss.
What Should You Do if the Tick Is Already Attached?
Once a tick is embedded, stop treating it like a crawling tick.
It needs to be removed properly and as soon as possible.
Current CDC guidance recommends grasping an attached tick as close to the skin's surface as possible with fine-tipped tweezers and pulling upward with steady, even pressure. The CDC advises against using substances such as petroleum jelly, nail polish or heat to try to force the tick to detach.
TiCK MiTT is not intended for embedded tick removal.
For this stage, use an appropriate embedded-tick removal method or a purpose-designed tool such as TiCK SiDEKiCK.
And if you find one attached tick, continue your check. The CDC recommends carefully looking for additional ticks after an attached tick is found.
What Should You Do After Removing an Attached Tick?
After the tick has been removed:
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Clean the bite area and your hands.
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Continue checking the rest of the body for additional ticks.
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Pay attention to how you feel in the days and weeks afterward.
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Contact a healthcare provider if you develop concerning symptoms or have questions about your individual exposure.
CDC guidance says people who develop symptoms such as a rash or fever after a tick bite or potential tick exposure should seek medical care and mention the tick exposure to their healthcare provider.
If you choose to test the removed tick, remember that testing the tick is not the same as testing or diagnosing the person or pet who was bitten.
TiCK TEST is designed to test the tick itself for Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. Its result can provide additional information to discuss with a healthcare provider, but it is not a diagnosis and does not replace medical care.
Your 5-Minute Tick Check Routine
The best tick check is the one your family actually remembers to do.
Try creating the same routine every time you come home:
1. Gear
Check backpacks, blankets, shoes, hats and outdoor equipment.
2. Clothes
Look over clothing and remove anything you wore outdoors.
3. People
Check exposed skin first, followed by hidden areas from head to toe.
4. Pets
Run your hands through fur and check ears, collar areas, legs, paws, belly and tail.
5. Crawling vs. attached
If you find a tick, determine whether it is still loose or already embedded so you can use the appropriate removal method.
CHECK → REMOVE → KNOW WHAT COMES NEXT.
Frequently Asked Questions About Tick Checks
When should you check for ticks?
Check after spending time in places where ticks may be present, including wooded, grassy or brushy environments—and remember that exposure can happen in a backyard, not only on a hiking trail. The CDC recommends checking after outdoor exposure.
Can ticks come inside on clothing?
Yes. The CDC notes that ticks can be carried into the home on clothing, which is one reason checking clothing and gear after being outdoors is recommended.
Can dogs bring ticks inside?
Yes. Pets can carry ticks indoors, including ticks that have not yet attached. The CDC recommends checking pets daily, especially after time outdoors.
Does showering remove ticks?
Showering may help wash away ticks that have not yet attached, but it should not replace a full-body tick check. The CDC recommends showering within two hours after coming indoors as part of post-outdoor tick precautions.
Where do ticks commonly hide on people?
Areas worth checking carefully include under the arms, around the ears, around the hair and scalp, inside the belly button, behind the knees, between the legs and around the waist.
Where should I check my dog for ticks?
Check the entire body while paying particular attention to the ears, under the collar, armpits, groin, toes, tail and other hidden areas.
Can TiCK MiTT remove an attached tick?
No. TiCK MiTT is designed for loose, crawling ticks on skin, clothing and pet fur. An attached tick requires an appropriate embedded-tick removal method.
Make the Tick Check Part of Coming Home
Spending time outside shouldn't mean spending the rest of the day worrying about ticks.
What helps is having a routine.
Check the clothes.
Check the kids.
Check yourself.
Check the dog.
Know what to do if you find something.
Because when tick checks become part of coming home, they're much harder to forget.
This article is provided for general educational purposes and is not a substitute for medical or veterinary advice. If you have questions about a tick bite, symptoms or your pet's health, contact an appropriate healthcare professional or veterinarian.
