’Tis the season for ticks. Summer months are popular for camping, but they’re also prime for contracting Lyme disease. Early diagnosis reduces the risk of long-term illness, so you should know the symptoms. But, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, prevention is the best protection.

Prevent Use insect repellent with 20 to 30 percent DEET on exposed skin and clothing when you’re in tick-infested areas. Have your child wear light colors so you can easily spot a tick on his clothing, as well as long pants, long sleeves and socks. Avoid wooded and bushy areas with high grass.

Detect Early symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue and a skin rash that often looks like a bull’s-eye around the tick bite. The rash usually isn’t painful, but it can take anywhere from three to 30 days to develop, so keep watch for other signs so you can get your child treated as quickly as possible.

Treat Call your child’s pediatrician if he’s been in a wooded area and has Lyme disease symptoms. Removing a tick within 24 hours greatly reduces the chance of getting infected, so check his skin for ticks, too.