To prevent bites by Rocky Mountain wood ticks you can:

1. Avoid high risk montane habitats (especially south-facing areas with grass-brush-trees) during the April-June peak tick activity period.
   
   
2. Wear long pants tucked into your socks and a shirt tucked into your pants when spending time in risk areas. This forces the tick to travel a long distance to find exposed skin and increases the chance of the tick either falling off or being detected and removed before having a chance to bite.
   
   
3. Wear light-colored clothing to improve the chance of seeing a crawling tick.
   
   
4. Stop regularly to scan your pants and shirt for ticks in risk areas.
   
   
5. Check for ticks daily when coming home after spending time in risk areas.
   
   
6. Use a tick repellent if you are comfortable doing so. Information regarding tick repellents is available from CDC: http://www.cdc.gov/Features/StopTicks/

Recommendations for removal of attached ticks:

1. Using a pair of sharp forceps, grab the tick as close to the skin as possible and pull straight out. There is no evidence that it helps to douse the tick in oil, nail polish, vaseline etc or to use a flame to aid in removal. Clean the skin around the bite site after removal.
   
   
2. Avoid squeezing the body of the tick since this can rupture its skin and potentially expose you to infectious material.