In New England, you have to strip down as soon as you come in the house from time outside gardening or hiking or walking in the woods. All winter long also, as we've had mild winters and they don't go into hibernation. Both daughter and I found ticks on ourselves this spring, the same day, and had to go to doc to get doxyclycline. We have it on hand now. We spray our yard, but who knows what that poison is doing to us.