By Terri McCormick

Spring brings blooming flowers, outdoor photo sessions, and excited teens heading off to prom. It also brings something far less glamorous: ticks.

With warmer temperatures, ticks become highly active in the spring months, just as families begin spending more time outdoors. Parks, gardens, and wooded backdrops may look picture-perfect, but they often contain the exact environments where ticks thrive.

Ticks do not jump or fly. They rely on a behavior called questing. They climb onto grass or low vegetation, extend their front legs, and wait to latch onto a person or animal passing by.

Prom photo locations often overlap with the places ticks naturally live and quest:

• Leaf litter under trees
• Tall grass along edges
• Shaded mulched landscaping and leaf-covered areas
• Shrubs and low branches
• Edges of wooded areas

And this is where prom attire becomes part of the story.

Long dresses act almost like soft fabric veils, sweeping through the exact height where ticks are already questing. As the dress moves through grass or brush, it quietly picks up ticks that cling to the hem or outer layers of fabric. These ticks are simply hitching a ride until they find a place to attach.

A real-life prom night wake-up call

Last spring, when my son headed to prom, I reminded him to watch for ticks during outdoor photos. I even handed him tweezers and an alcohol-soaked cotton ball tucked inside a small bag.

He laughed, a little embarrassed, but slipped it into his jacket pocket.

Later that night, on the bus ride to the venue, my son and his date took my advice and checked the hem of her long, flowing dress. What first looked like tiny specks of dirt turned out to be unattached ticks—several clinging to the fabric but not attached to her skin.

Using the kit I had given him, they carefully removed the ticks from the dress and used the alcohol‑soaked cotton ball and baggie to contain them.

His date was grateful. He was relieved he had the tools. And I was reminded that even joyful moments can benefit from a little awareness.

How families can reduce risk

A few simple steps can help reduce risk:

Before photos

• Apply EPA-registered repellent to legs, ankles, and shoes
• Consider treating clothing and shoes with permethrin
• Choose locations with short, well-maintained grass

During photos

• Lift long dresses slightly when walking through grass
• Avoid sitting on logs, stone walls, or leaf litter
• Stay on paths when possible

After photos

• Check dress hems, ankles, and shoes
• Look behind the knees and along waistbands
• Remove any unattached ticks from clothing
• Save any ticks found for identification or testing
• When teens get home after prom, they should shower and change clothes
• Pay special attention to common tick‑hiding spots: behind the knees, around the waistline, under the arms, behind the ears, at the hairline, inside the belly button, and along bra or sock lines

If a tick is attached to the skin, proper removal is essential. Teens should always tell a parent or trusted adult so they can ensure the tick is removed correctly and decide whether medical care or follow‑up is needed.

Tick Removal 101

If you find a tick attached to the skin:

• Use fine‑tipped tweezers
• Grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible
• Pull upward with steady, even pressure
• Clean the bite area with soap and water or alcohol
• Save the tick in a sealed bag or container
• Monitor for symptoms in the days and weeks that follow

Do NOT:

• Twist the tick
• Burn it
• Smother it with oils, petroleum jelly, or chemicals
• Crush it with your bare hands

Prom is a milestone, a night teens remember for years. A few simple precautions can help keep it that way.

Ticks are out there, even when we are dressed up.  Awareness can make all the difference.

Terri McCormick is a writer and advocate with LymeDisease.org. She is author of the forthcoming book Being Misdiagnosed: Stories That Reveal the Hidden Epidemic of Lyme Disease.