Prevention

There is currently no vaccine or medication that prevents alpha-gal syndrome. The only known way to reduce your risk is to avoid tick bites — especially from the lone star tick, the primary vector for AGS in the United States. For people who already have AGS, preventing additional tick bites is equally important, since each new bite can re-sensitize the immune system and potentially worsen the allergy.

Personal tick protection

Repellents that work:

• Permethrin-treated clothing is one of the most effective defenses. Permethrin kills ticks on contact and remains effective through multiple washes. You can buy pre-treated clothing or apply permethrin spray to your own gear. Treat shoes, socks, pants, and shirts — ticks typically crawl upward from ground level.
• EPA-registered skin repellents containing DEET (20–30%), picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus provide additional protection on exposed skin. Apply according to label directions and reapply after swimming or heavy sweating.

Clothing choices:

• Wear long pants tucked into socks and long-sleeved shirts when spending time in wooded, brushy, or grassy areas.
• Light-colored clothing makes ticks easier to spot before they reach skin.
• Closed-toe shoes rather than sandals — ticks are most commonly picked up at ankle height.

Tick checks:

• Perform a full-body tick check within two hours of coming indoors. Use a mirror or ask someone to check areas you cannot see easily.
• Pay special attention to hidden areas: behind ears, along the hairline, underarms, behind knees, around the waist, and the groin area. Lone star ticks are small and easy to miss.
• Shower within two hours of outdoor activity — this helps wash off unattached ticks and gives you an opportunity to check your body thoroughly.

After outdoor activity:

• Tumble dry clothing on high heat for at least ten minutes. Heat kills ticks more reliably than washing — ticks can survive a cycle in the washing machine.
• Check gear, backpacks, and any items that were on the ground.

Yard and property management

Your yard is where most residential tick exposure happens. Reducing tick habitat around your home makes a meaningful difference:

• Keep grass mowed short and clear leaf litter, brush piles, and tall weeds — especially along the edges of your yard where it meets wooded areas. This border zone is where tick density is highest.
• Create a barrier. A three-foot-wide strip of wood chips or gravel between your lawn and wooded areas discourages tick migration into yard space.
• Move play equipment and seating areas away from yard edges and tree lines, and place them in sunny, dry areas where ticks are less likely to survive.
• Manage wildlife access. Deer are major carriers of ticks. Fencing, deer-resistant plants, or removing attractants (bird feeders near the house, unsecured garbage) can reduce deer traffic through your property.
• Consider professional tick treatment. Targeted yard sprays applied in late spring and early fall can significantly reduce tick populations. Ask about treatments that target the yard perimeter and wooded borders.

Protecting pets

Pets that spend time outdoors can carry ticks directly into your home and onto furniture and bedding:

• Use veterinarian-recommended tick prevention year-round. Oral preventatives (like NexGard or Bravecto) and topical treatments (like Frontline) are the most common options. Talk to your vet about what works best for your area.
• Check pets for ticks after they come inside, especially around ears, between toes, and under collars.
• Keep pet bedding clean and inspect it regularly.

Understanding your risk area

Lone star ticks are most prevalent in the southeastern and eastern United States, but their range is expanding northward and westward. Tick activity is highest from April through September, though in warmer climates ticks can be active year-round.

Our tick surveillance heat map shows regional tick activity data from CDC surveillance to help you understand the risk level in your area.

If you find an attached tick

Remove the tick as soon as possible using fine-tipped tweezers:

1. Grasp the tick as close to the skin surface as possible.
2. Pull upward with steady, even pressure. Do not twist, jerk, or squeeze the tick body.
3. Clean the bite area with rubbing alcohol or soap and water.
4. Save the tick (in a sealed bag or taped to a card) in case your doctor wants to identify the species.

Do not use home remedies like nail polish, petroleum jelly, or heat to remove ticks — these methods can cause the tick to release more saliva into the wound.

If you develop symptoms of AGS (delayed hives, GI distress, or swelling after eating mammalian foods) in the weeks following a tick bite, consult an allergist and request an alpha-gal IgE blood test.

Recommended tick prevention products

Looking for specific products? Our recommended products page includes the permethrin sprays, picaridin repellents, tick removal tools, and pre-treated clothing mentioned in this guide — selected based on real AGS patient experience.

This page is educational only and not medical advice.