Use insect repellent
Use an EPA-registered repellent on exposed skin when mosquitoes or ticks are around.
- How often
- As needed
- Time
- 1 min
- Recommended for
- 44 factors
How to do it
- Choose an EPA-registered repellent with DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE), para-menthane-diol (PMD) or 2-undecanone.
- Use EPA's search tool to pick one by bug and by how long you need protection.
- Read and follow the label every time.
- If you also use sunscreen, put the sunscreen on first and the repellent second.
- For children, spray it on your own hands and apply it to their face. Keep it off their hands, eyes, mouth and any cuts.
Why it helps
Mosquitoes and ticks can spread diseases such as West Nile virus and Lyme disease. EPA-registered repellents have been evaluated for safety and effectiveness when used as directed.
Be careful
Don't use insect repellent on babies younger than 2 months. Use mosquito netting over strollers and carriers instead. Don't use products with oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE) or PMD on children under 3. Don't spray repellent under clothing. Repellents do not protect against bees, wasps or other stinging insects.
Recommended for
Alabama
Long, humid summers, strong sun, and ticks most of the year.
placeArkansas
Tick country with humid summers and a strong southern sun.
hobbyBirdwatching and photography
Long walks outdoors with binoculars or a heavy camera around your neck.
placeColorado
Thin air, stronger sun, high-radon soil and summer smoke.
placeConnecticut
The town Lyme disease is named for, plus short winter days.
placeDelaware
A high-Lyme state with humid summers on the coast.
placeDistrict of Columbia
Urban heat, summer ozone and ticks even inside the city.
occupationFarmer
Dawn-to-dusk physical work outdoors, around machines and animals.
hobbyGardening
Kneeling, digging, lifting and pulling weeds for hours in the sun.
placeGeorgia
Humid heat, strong sun, southern ticks and radon around Atlanta.
hobbyHiking
Miles of uneven ground, steep descents and long days outdoors.
hobbyHunting
Gunfire, tree stands, cold dawns and heavy hauls out of the woods.
placeIdaho
Mountain radon, smoky summers, cold winters and weak winter sun.
placeIndiana
High-radon soil, gray winters, humid summers and a lot of private wells.
placeKansas
High-radon soil, hard summer heat and ticks in the grass.
placeKentucky
Alpha-gal tick country with radon pockets and muggy summers.
occupationLandscaper
Mowing, digging and lifting outdoors in every kind of weather.
placeLouisiana
Gulf humidity, a long mosquito season and mold after floods.
placeMaine
One of the highest Lyme rates in the US, plus radon and arsenic in wells.
placeMaryland
High-Lyme suburbs, radon in the central counties and humid summers.
placeMassachusetts
Lyme country, cold winters and the original vitamin D winter study.
placeMichigan
Long gray winters, lake-effect cold and arsenic in some wells.
placeMinnesota
Deep cold, dark winters, high radon, Lyme ticks and arsenic in wells.
placeMississippi
Long, humid summers, southern ticks and a strong Gulf sun.
placeMissouri
Tick hot spot of the Midwest, with hot summers and radon near Kansas City.
placeMontana
High-radon ground, smoky summers, bitter winters and a short winter sun.
hobbyMountain biking
Rough trails, steep drops and a lot of jolting through your arms.
placeNebraska
Radon under the house, mosquitoes in late summer, deep cold in winter.
placeNew Hampshire
Granite bedrock, tick-filled woods, and long, dark winters.
placeNew Jersey
Lyme ticks in the suburbs and radon in the northwestern hills.
placeNew York
Lyme country upstate and on Long Island, with long, gray winters.
placeNorth Carolina
Humid summers, spotted fever ticks, and radon in the mountains.
placeNorth Dakota
Radon in every county, brutal wind chill, and West Nile in summer.
placeOklahoma
Long hot summers and ticks that can spread spotted fever and alpha-gal.
placePennsylvania
Most counties in EPA's top radon zone, and plenty of Lyme ticks.
placeRhode Island
Small state, big Lyme numbers, and radon in the south.
placeSouth Carolina
Steamy summers, strong southern sun, and lone star ticks.
placeSouth Dakota
Radon in the east, West Nile in summer, and hard Plains winters.
placeTennessee
Spotted fever ticks, humid heat, and radon in Middle and East Tennessee.
placeTexas
Long, dangerous summer heat, strong sun, and mosquito season.
placeVermont
Lyme ticks in green summers, little sun and deep cold in winter.
placeVirginia
Where Lyme ticks and lone star ticks overlap, plus radon in the west.
placeWest Virginia
Lyme ticks moving in, and radon in the eastern hills.
placeWisconsin
Lyme ticks in every county, nitrate in some wells, and long dark winters.