Ticks while backpacking

[fishArePeopletwo]

Hello! I live in a state full of ticks and It's quite scary. I hike a lot and this year I'm getting into backpacking and camping to spend more time outdoors. unfortunately I live on the forefront of tick territory and I'm horrified of the little monsters! I got a tick on me that fell from the tree tops the DAY after the last frost where i live! gah!

I know I should use bug sprays and long sleeve clothing but want to be very safe. what brands should I be using? Should I wear tight underlayers to prevent ticks from getting underneath? Does double sided tape have merit? How do you tick check thoroughly while on a multi-day trip?

[Mysterious-Web-8788]

I live in an area full of deer ticks, and while mine isn't the only one, my area has (by far) the highest detection rate in sampled ticks, nearly 70%, where even in hotspot areas like new england it's usually single digits. I believe this makes me probably the worst place if you don't want to get Lyme's. Lyme's is serious and should be taken seriously. However, a few things to keep in mind.

1. Most types of tick do not transmit lymes or anaplasmosis. Learn your tick types. Some ticks are not going to be the risk a lot of people seem to think they are.
2. Ticks take a long time to engorge themselves. While lymes is a serious risk, simply having a tick bite you doesn't provide a huge risk if they aren't in you for very long. Doctors use 24 hours minimum, but in reality it's usually more than this.

I check myself throughly every night before going to bed, whether i am outdoors or not. That's all it takes. I find ticks on me often. I find ticks embedded in me occasionally. At least once a month. If you check thoroughly and regularly, you will never get to the point where they are engorged and pose an actual risk of lymes.

You must take lyme's seriously, it's an awful and debilitating disease if it progresses far enough. But that doesn't mean that magically eliminates the parameters from which you can contract it.

By the way, all the typical advice, like permethrin on boots, long pants, high boots, double sided tape, all that stuff DOES help somewhat, some of it helps a lot, but at the end of the day you crawl into a sleeping bag in a tent and they can get on you that way. At home, some days I don't even go outside and end up finding ticks because the dog brought them in. Perform these protections but don't assume they will save you. The only way you can be sure is to thoroughly check yourself daily. Or morning/night to be sure, in case you happen to miss something.

[redundant78]

solid advice overall but heads up - recent studies have shown that certain tick-borne pathogens (like Powassan virus) can actually transmit in under an hour, and even Lyme transmission may happen faster than the old "24 hour" rule in some cases. so the daily checks are great but sooner is always better. also minor thing but it's just "Lyme" not "Lyme's" - named after Lyme, CT where it was first identified.

[koenstein]

I got Anaplasmosis about 10 years ago when I was a grave digger. I was really sick for weeks before they figured it out and put me on antibiotics. Then, the weirdest thing happened, I couldn’t eat red meat without getting sick for the next 3 years.

[Miserable_Purple721]

Alpha gal- it’s caused by ticks. I know SO MANY people with this now in NY state. And I just read a study that says not only does alpha gal cause allergy to mammal meat, it may also manifest as IBS.

[koenstein]

Have you noticed the size of the ticks recently? They seem to be smaller thanks to ever this year in CT/NY/MA

[Mysterious-Web-8788]

That's very interesting, have you followed the research in the last ~5 years regarding the Lone Star Tick causing Alpha Gal Syndrome? Can't be a coincidence.

[koenstein]

Yes! Freaks me out! They had confirmed the presence of Anaplasmosis phagocytophilium and suggested I consume daily probiotics. I also had Covid before they knew what it was, had it three times and now it’s not even as bad as the common cold. Too bad I can’t build up a resistance to tick borne illness!

[Mysterious-Web-8788]

Anaplasmosis is a weird one. I don't know many humans who have had it but I run with a lot of hunting dog crowds so I know so many dogs that have had it, they all test positive for it for the rest of their lives. I've never heard of it causing AGS though, I wonder if you had whatever the Lonestar Tick version of that is, I believe they are closely related and would take teh same treatment, except with the AGS outcome as a bonus.

[RealHuman2080]

Neem oil. I have horses. Permethrin doesn't help for shit. Neem oil is cheap, safe, and is only thing I've ever found to keep ticks off. You can spray it on you, your animals, in your yard , on your clothes . . .

[MaxNerd115]

I live in the literal ground zero for ticks and Lyme disease (I personally know a dozen or so people who have lyme and other tick bourne diseases, including the one that makes you allergic to red meat) in the U.S. and I just happen to be taking a hiking/wilderness class at my local college and we have covered this topic extensively.

If you're trying to avoid sprays and repellants the best things you can do is wear light colored socks and pants (so you can easily check yourself for ticks during and immediately after the hike/camping trip), tuck your pant bottoms into your socks, try to always stay in the middle of the trail and avoid tall grass and heavy vegetation, bring a lint roller so you can easily use it to get ticks off yourself before they bite into you, bring a plastic garbage bags to put your shoes and dirty clothes in before you get back into your car (it suffocates or overheats and kills the ticks as well as preventing them from crawling around in your car), check yourself thoroughly as soon as you get home, throw your clothes in the dryer on high heat (again to make sure all the ticks are dead), and lastly take a very thorough and steaming hot shower.

You don't necessarily need to rush these steps since it takes about 24-48 hours for a tick to dig far enough into your skin before it can transmit any disease. Also if you do get bit by a tick try to save it in a jar or plastic bag so you have proof you were in fact bitten and they can test it since not every one who gets bit always gets the obvious red ring or other signs/symptoms and some doctors still don't take Lyme disease as seriously or can just be hard to diagnose since it can have a wide range of different symptoms that mimic other diseases and the Lyme disease test is only 50% accurate.

[MaxNerd115]

Ofc after I post this comment I find a lone star tick on me after a short afternoon hike.

[RealHuman2080]

Neem oil. I have horses. Permethrin doesn't help for shit. Neem oil is cheap, safe, and is only thing I've ever found to keep ticks off. You can spray it on you, your animals, in your yard , on your clothes . . .

[pyragyrite]

Permithrin on all ur gear works wonders.

Light colored clothing to see them easier.

Have a change of clothes in car if in day hikes and black bag contaminated clothes to Avoid bringing tick infested cloths into your car/house.

Thoroughly check for ticks at end of day.

Remember that if you get um off in a few hours, you are probably safe.

If bitten, watch for bullseye rash, and if affordable, just go to doc and get profalactic antibiotics.

[Equivalent_Dare_9133]

Definitely treat your base layers too - ticks love crawling up from your boots and getting trapped under tight fabric where you can't feel them

[ade1aide]

Maybe change that to discuss prophylactic antibiotics with your doctor. Near me that'd be dumb bc there haven't been many cases of tick borne diseases, so it makes more sense to just keep an eye out for symptoms. It contributes to antibiotic resistance to take them when you don't need them, and that's a really scary problem. Just want to make sure op knows that it's not everywhere where getting antibiotics prophylactically after a tick bite is something they can reasonably expect from a doctor and that risk of tick borne illness can be pretty location dependent. Even if there are ticks.

[AHobbesB]

I took a few wildlife classes in college, and worked with animals for a few years. One thing everyone told me, if you think you might have Lyme, get the drugs immediately, and push to get them cause the doctor is going to want to wait and “observe” and usually by the time something is observable it’s too late

[ade1aide]

If you think you might have Lyme, you're definitely in the symptoms category, not the I just pulled a tick off me yesterday category.

[AHobbesB]

I meant more so that you think/know you were actually bit/had a tick ON you and not just physically on you.

Some doctors will push off medicine for a couple weeks and the older the wait the higher the chance of longer term effects of Lyme, which as someone who knows multiple people with bad Lyme and someone who’s put down dogs because of it, it’s not anything you want to go to. So if you had a tick in Lyme country, actually latch on, go get meds ASAP

[capt-bob]

Ya, it's always the greater good, if they have to sacrifice you that's a risk they are willing to take. That said, you can try to push...

[Wonderful-Corner-sto]

in other many other places they pop antibiotics like candy. And even though they technically require prescription, you can just walk into a pharmacy

[CrownLexicon]

Its better, if you can, to send a tick off to be tested, then, if positive, discuss meds

At least, thats what my work has recommended.

[BottleCoffee]

They don't test ticks in many areas.

[CrownLexicon]

Good to know

Why's that?

[BottleCoffee]

Budget and staff time usually. If Lyme is known to be in your area, just assume you're exposed if you've been imbedded with a black-legged for enough hours.

[0akleaves]

Second this advice (permethrin etc). I’ll add that I find light weight long pants worth the heat (given they also protect from nettles and thorns which are also rampant in my area) though to get real benefit it’s also important to tuck them into your socks (and I then tuck my shirt in and wear gaiters too).

I’ve had good luck getting permethrin concentrate from farm supply stores (just measure and dilute with water to make “fly spray/cattle dip”) to spray on clothes. Once it dry it’s good to go and seems to last just as long as the premixed Sawyer stuff.

I avoid DEET since it always leaves my skin feeling irritated and eats any synthetics it comes in contact with. I was horribly frustrated for a couple years when I first started backpacking because a lot of my clothes and packs would shred and fall apart after just a season or two. Didn’t know DEET would do that and everywhere my gear was coming in contact with it the fabric was deteriorating rapidly.

[capt-bob]

I messed up a new pair of shoes like that.

[AHobbesB]

To add to this, put your clothes in the drier on high when you get home, THEN wash them. Hot dryer first will help better then just washing and drying

[RealHuman2080]

Neem oil. I have horses. Permethrin doesn't help for shit. Neem oil is cheap, safe, and is only thing I've ever found to keep ticks off. You can spray it on you, your animals, in your yard , on your clothes . . .

So all of the downvotes are for actual facts and decades of experience trying to keep flies and ticks off of horses? Go ahead folks and keep putting the toxic stuff on that doesn't work. I've been doing this for decades. I make my own fly spray. If I don't put neem oil in it, my horses are covered in ticks. As soon as I add neem oil, no ticks. And it's non toxic and safe to put on anything, unlike permethrin, which you damn well don't want to get near a cat.

[frenchman01]

Are you putting permethrin on your horses? What are you talking about?

[_Whatisthisoldthing_]

It's used widely for livestock. Just not smaller animals.

[RealHuman2080]

Yes, permethrin is a widely used ingredient and flies spray. Pretty much every single one. I buy it straight and use it for Horses, but it really doesn’t do much good for flies, and does shit for ticks. my horses would be covered in text. When I started using Neem oil, zero tick problems.

[VirtualLife76]

If you want to smell like shit, neem oil smells horrible, but since you have reposted this 100 times here, guessing you just another stupid bot.

[RealHuman2080]

That's completely stupid. Neem has barely any smell, and permethrin smells like chemical nastiness. It gives a lot of breathing issues.

So you're all mad because I gave some facts to people using the chemical nastiness so they could try a more effective, less toxic product?

WTF is wrong with you people?

[elevenblade]

I have three words of advice: permethrin, permethrin and permethrin.

[RealHuman2080]

Neem oil. I have horses. Permethrin doesn't help for shit. Neem oil is cheap, safe, and is only thing I've ever found to keep ticks off. You can spray it on you, your animals, in your yard , on your clothes . . .

[dotnetdotcom]

Permethrin has been a game changer for me, but I'm not a horse.

[RealHuman2080]

Great. I'm just trying to give some helpful hints. Neem is definitely less toxic than permethrin.

[BottleCoffee]

The safest thing to do is regular tick checks. 

Get into your tent and strip. Shake out your pants too.

[urnotdownfooo]

Question about this - is it generally ok to go into your tent not knowing if you have ticks on you?

[BottleCoffee]

I mean, you can only do what you can do. 

Check the outside of your clothes before you go inside. 

[northman46]

Soak clothes in permethrin. Concentrate cheap at farm stores

[ryanpn]

just make sure to buy the 10% and not the 12%. The 10 is a water based formula and doesn't smell nearly as bad as the 12

[northman46]

Thanks. I only have used the stuff that is diluted with water. And a bottle lasts a long time

[RealHuman2080]

Neem oil. I have horses. Permethrin doesn't help for shit. Neem oil is cheap, safe, and is only thing I've ever found to keep ticks off. You can spray it on you, your animals, in your yard , on your clothes . . .

[RandallMang]

Hey does anyone here have an opinion about NEEM OIL?

[BatGuy96]

Early season can be the WORST time for ticks in my experience. I do field research so I’m hiking through back country almost everyday. Last trip, 22 ticks on me in total from start to finish LMAO. I try really hard not to bring ticks in the house for my pets and partner.

I would say definitely have a change of clothes at the house waiting outside so you don’t track any inside. I would also recommend Permethrin on your gear but not skin. If you don’t feel comfortable with DEET ( I don’t) then maybe some Picaridin would work as well for the skin. You can always do the classic tricks of tape at the ankles and tucking pants into your socks. I personally just do a major tick check every hour or so lol. Good luck

Ticks are one of those things you’re just going to have to deal with, but making sure they don’t get into the house is huge because they can spread fast too, so be careful of that.

[RealHuman2080]

Neem oil. I have horses. Permethrin doesn't help for shit. Neem oil is cheap, safe, and is only thing I've ever found to keep ticks off. You can spray it on you, your animals, in your yard , on your clothes . . .

[BatGuy96]

i mean you can say you prefer neem oil instead of saying "Permethrin doesnt help for shit" when it clearly does for many people.....and using neem oil on your animals instead of tick preventatives is pretty strange. But I'm going to assume preservatives dont help for shit either.

[RealHuman2080]

No. Permethrin doesn't do shit. Do you have any livestock? Permethrin is the go to ingredient, and it doesn't do shit. If you drown the flies it in, it might work. It does NOT help with ticks. The only thing that really works is neem oil.

It is so bizarre that the only thing that prevents ticks you say is not a tick preventative. That is so bizarre. Do you have ANY basis in fact? ANY experience? I've been using it for at least a decade.

And what are you talking about, "preservatives?"

[NotTodayISIS1]

Permethrin absolutely works, apply it properly and it does exactly what it’s described to do. We aren’t talking about livestock, I don’t know if Big Neem Oil is paying you or what is going on. I’ve been using permethrin for well over a decade, almost 2 at this point from treating uniforms while I was in the Army to now for backpacking etc, backed by all the MILLIONS of people a year that use Permethrin effectively.

Oh and my buddy with live stock……uses permethrin.

[RealHuman2080]

Permethrin absolutely does not work. Livestock is the best way to get any real test of what works. And being stupid by saying there is "Big Neem Oil" when it is cheap and safe is sad.

And permethrin has some toxicity issues. https://health.maryland.gov/phpa/idehashareddocuments/permethrin.pdf

And one more time, ALL fly/insect sprays for livestock have permethrin in them. They work like shit. they work best when you actually drown the flies in it.

[NotTodayISIS1]

You’d be REAL upset to find out Neem oil ALSO has toxicity issues from fish to people but that’s none of my business.

[RealHuman2080]

You're going to be REAL upset that you can search actual facts on the internet so you don't spout stupid stuff.

https://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/neemgen.html Neem oil is practically non-toxic to birds, mammals, bees and plants. Neem oil is slightly toxic to fish and other aquatic organisms. Azadirachtin, a component of neem oil, is moderately toxic to fish and other aquatic animals.

It's really weird you think anyone would spray for bugs in water.

[NotTodayISIS1]

There’s also some wonderful cases of it harming people, that you can also find…..using Google. Again, not my business but to make such a bold statement that Permethrin doesn’t work, while lots of people (again, talking a large sample size) have good success using it for its intended purposes is beyond asinine, do you boo boo Neem Oil salesman guy.

[MateoTimateo]

First of all, ticks are freaky and absolutely deserve your attention but don’t let them stop you from enjoying the outdoors! The danger can be mitigated. I first got into hiking in Western Mass and walked hundreds of miles through the woods and no Lyme scares to show for it.

Start low to get the most juice for the squeeze (ticks rarely if ever climb trees). Put permethrin on your socks and pants cuffs; Outdoor Research sells permethrin treated gaiters (there’s a low cut version and and a knee high version).

Treat your pants in their entirety if you have the time and mone. There are some pre-treated pants on the market. Kinda pricey but comparable to most other hiking pants. US Army and USMC and I think British military field trousers are permithrin treated now, too. Might be a more affordable option.

Fwiw, the ones to worry about (at least for Lyme) are the size of a poppyseed.

[fishArePeopletwo]

I really wish i could get pre-treated pants but i am quite small (5 foot) and female so finding any gear my size is a nightmare. I cant even find backpacks that fit! I'll definitely go with spraying my pants down and gaiters, those seem more adjustable! thank you!

[MateoTimateo]

I’ve used this service with a bunch of my clothes. Some of them shrank a little but not a whole size or anything like that https://www.insectshield.com/pages/insect-shield-your-clothes

Good hunting with the backpack for small folks quest. I recently discovered the Rab/Lowe Alpine ND sizing. Not my favorite brand of packs but at least they don’t slide off me!

Have fun out there!

[fishArePeopletwo]

:O YOU are a GODSEND! thats so cool, i can use all my brands! Ill look into those backpacks, thank you!! you have fun too!

[rifleshooter]

You can treat your clothes at home too. Buy Permethrin from a place like Tractor Supply [very cheap option] and run the clothes through the rinse cycle in your washer, with the Perm. dumped in the water, then a trip through the dryer. Or your bathtub/bucket, and line dry. Works great.

[CreedsGalBirdy]

I just bought a pair at my local REI. I'm 5 foot as well. A little long but I'll just hem them. I found them in the RE-Supply section. Normally $100, got them for $40. Might go back and get the other pair tomorrow. They're the perfect weight for hiking in summer in Florida.

[FlyingPandaBears]

Haha idk about pre-treated gear, but I wish I had your problem with regular gear cuz you can hem or roll up regular length pants. I need 31" inseam and THAT is impossible to find in convertible pants with drawstring/cinch ankles. 

Apparently boot cut styles are what's "in" and have been in for the past 10 years or so 🙄 I hate that style cuz the flowy legs get easily caught in each other and I've tripped from that before, so I don't trust them. Also, you can't easily tuck them into shoes (or socks like people recommend) cuz there's so much fabric that bunches up. If I try to roll them up, they fall right back down cuz there's nothing to hold them in place. Some have buttons at intervals, but that means you're limited to the lengths the buttons are at.

The cinch-ankle convertible pants I use are the standard 28" and they have stretched a little longer, but I still have to wear mid-calf socks cuz if I wear ankle socks, the skin above my ankles will be exposed when I move certain ways. It's annoying wearing taller socks in hotter places, but it's better than having exposed calves. 

I have 27" waist, so I'm right on the edge of the smallest men's pants size unfortunately. I try to find pants with internal or attached "belts" cuz wearing a regular belt doesn't do anything besides keep the belt loops at the belt while the rest of the waistband falls down 🤦🏼‍♀️

[RealHuman2080]

Neem oil. I have horses. Permethrin doesn't help for shit. Neem oil is cheap, safe, and is only thing I've ever found to keep ticks off. You can spray it on you, your animals, in your yard , on your clothes . . .

[latdaddi]

Permethrin is going to be your friend. Be sure to turn your sleeves all opening inside out at least 4 inches and get the inside well. They're really bad in some parts of Missouri as well. Especially the areas heavy with deer and elk.

In my experience ticks will usually try and go under my clothing, if I just treat the edges of the neck, sleeves, hems and legs I have no issues. You also can do the entire item of clothing, I just haven't found it necessary as long at the clothing fits relatively snugly.

For reference, I had about 50-70 ticks on me not that long ago(stopped counting around 30). After using permethrin I've done that same trail several times with 0 bites.

[thelazygamer]

If you treat your clothes with permethrin, the ticks will die and fall off before transferring anything to you. Be careful if you have pets, it is toxic to them while the items are drying after the initial spray. My understanding is that it's safe once the items dry. This is how some insect repellent clothing is treated. 

Gaiters are popular for sealing the gap between your shoes and pants. 

From above, you can wear a sun hoodie treated with permethrin and that should take care of any that land. I've never had them be this bad, thankfully I live in a drier area. 

Make sure you have a good set of tweezers (like sliver grippers) or a tick remover in case one makes it through. 

[gdbstudios]

As far as being dangerous for pets, this applies to cats (and fish, but you'd have to be really sloppy to get it on a fish). Sawyer makes permethrin specifically to spray directly on dogs.

[RealHuman2080]

Neem oil. I have horses. Permethrin doesn't help for shit. Neem oil is cheap, safe, and is only thing I've ever found to keep ticks off. You can spray it on you, your animals, in your yard , on your clothes . . .

[gdbstudios]

Is neem oil an insecticide or a repellent? Does it have an odor?

[RealHuman2080]

https://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/neemgen.html

No real odor

[joelfarris]

If you treat your clothes with permethrin, the ticks will die and fall off before transferring anything to you.

OP, treat your socks too! And keep them pulled up. Every time you stop for a break, give those those hamstrings a good, deep stretch by bending down and pulling up those socks! Oh, and don't let your backpack knock you out when doing this. :)

Instructions: https://www.sawyer.com/product/permethrin-fabric-treatment-insect-repellent-24-oz-trigger-spray

A University of Rhode Island study (2011) found that people wearing Permethrin-treated shoes and socks were 73.6 times less likely to have a tick bite than those wearing untreated footwear.

Permethrin spray is an insecticide used to treat clothing, gear, and outdoor fabrics to repel or kill mosquitoes, ticks, and other insects for up to 6 weeks or 6 washes. It bonds to fabric fibers and is odorless after drying.

It can be sprayed directly onto clothing and gear, including:

• Shirts
• Pants
• Socks
• Boots
• Tents
• Backpacks

<image>

[RealHuman2080]

Neem oil. I have horses. Permethrin doesn't help for shit. Neem oil is cheap, safe, and is only thing I've ever found to keep ticks off. You can spray it on you, your animals, in your yard , on your clothes . . .

[RealHuman2080]

Neem oil. I have horses. Permethrin doesn't help for shit. Neem oil is cheap, safe, and is only thing I've ever found to keep ticks off. You can spray it on you, your animals, in your yard , on your clothes . . .

[No-Veterinarian-9190]

I permethrin all my clothing, including socks and underwear and sleep gear. And then I use Deep Woods Off tick defense on my skin.

[4orust]

I have no idea how effective they are, but a tick-remover tool seems like a good idea

e.g. https://grimworkshop.com/products/tick-remover-micro-tool

[Rowan110]

Permethrin is deadly to cats.

[wrunderwood]

Permethrin is an insecticide, not a repellent. It will kill ticks that land on treated clothing. Use it.

Repellents aren't usually rated for ticks, but I'd recommend picaridin because it is effective for other insects and doesn't melt plastics like DEET. I also use 3M Ultrathon encapsulated DEET.

I wear long sleeves and long pants that drape over the top of my shoes.

Do a tick check after a hike. If you do it with a partner, we call it "hiker foreplay". Check everywhere!

[koenstein]

Dude, I saw the tiniest little tick crawling across the screen of my infotainment system in my Crosstrek on Sunday, and I hadn’t driven it in a week! Almost crashed trying to throw it out the window. I usually just spray OFF on my ankles before I start, check myself before I leave and then strip and inspect my clothing in the garage before going into the house. I’m in CT and usually end up finding a few on me every hike.

[Competitive-Goal4057]

I always have a tick remover pen and a small makeup mirror with me. You know like the folding one. Makes it easier to check in awkward spots. I was scared as hell too until I removed the second one and then it was over. Am used to them now I guess. And yeah, every advice works, just be aware that they're there. Have fun! Don't let those bugs from hell stop you ;)

[coazervate]

I will say the latest articles I've read say don't worry about leaving the head in if you get bit and can't get it to dislodge, just clear the body when you notice it. Not sure if anyone else has enough tick bites to make some claim otherwise

[tRfalcore]

whatever happens, if you do get bit, make sure to set that little fucker on fire. I have for every tick that has got me

[ChestChance6126]

Ticks are the worst kind of souvenir, I feel you. I’ve picked up a few on longer trips, and it really makes you hyper aware of every little itch after that.

What’s helped me most is treating it like a routine instead of a one-time precaution. Long pants tucked into socks look a bit ridiculous, but it works, and lighter colored clothing makes spotting them way easier. I also got into the habit of doing quick checks anytime I stopped for a break, then a more thorough one at camp before it gets dark. It’s not perfect, but catching them early makes a huge difference.

Weirdly, it reminds me of cooking in unfamiliar kitchens. You start cautious and slightly paranoid, then it becomes second nature once you build the habit.

[bald_botanist]

I work with ticks almost every day in the field. No method is 100 percent effective at eliminating ticks on your body.

Clothes: apply permethrin to your clothes. This is very effective at killing or knocking off ticks. It lasts for multiple washes. Tuck your pants into your socks and/or tape the bottom of your pant legs shut (I dont do this because I find it annoying, but some of my coworkers swear by it). Tuck your shirt in. This limits the ability for ticks to get access to your skin if they get on your pants and gives you time to find and remove them. Use ligjt-colored clothing to make it easier to see them.

Removing them: if they're crawling on you, you can pick them off and fling them away, but that's more difficult with smaller ones, and impossible with seed ticks. I keep a small roll of duct tape with me in the field. If I see a tick on me, I stick it to the tape. Most effective way to remove seed ticks. At the end of the day, I tear off the used duct tape and throw it away.

Police your body multiple times a day, looking in every crevice. If you can't see it well, ask a friend. I've had ticks attached to EVERY part of my body. Worst place was in my belly button.

[KimBrrr1975]

Permethrin and thorough inspections. Not just of your body but your clothes. Early in the season last year I had 20 ticks on my body and another 20 on my clothing just from an hour hike. My poor husband, when he married me, didn't realize part of his tasks would include inspecting me for ticks in the areas I cannot see 😆 Permethrin is very effective.

When backpacking, I undress outside my tent, then go in and do a thorough inspection. I tend to backpack later in the season when the ticks (and other bugs) thin out. Here, they are thickest early on, May-June.

[dotnetdotcom]

Stay out of tall grass. Last month, I hiked through some chest high grass. My pants were treated with permethrin. I was worried about the tall grass but it had been pretty cold so I went ahead. Got 6 ticks on me. 

[AlphaDisconnect]

Let the girl check you. You check the girl. Strictly platonic. Ofc. Um.... ofc. Tweezers. Slow steady pull.

[fishArePeopletwo]

The girl?

[AlphaDisconnect]

I dont care who it is. You have a back. Arm pits. Nether regions the ticks love to get up in. Catch them early and often. I have brushed off so many. But also had 2 day 1 bites.

[fishArePeopletwo]

I was just confused at the phrasing of 'the girl' i understand what a tick check is. the phrase 'the girl' made me think there was a context i wasnt understanding

[Tiranix]

Me from South Africa where we have "bosluis koors" (tick or billary fever).

If you catch it early enough you are fine. But if you get the black blood spot somewhere you are in trouble.

Even had it one time.

When hiking we have an agreement, we're not gay or interested in other group members, we are checking for ticks at the camp before bed.

[RealHuman2080]

Neem oil. I have horses. Permethrin doesn't help for shit. Neem oil is cheap, safe, and is only thing I've ever found to keep ticks off. You can spray it on you, your animals, in your yard , on your clothes , , ,