How do you keep the Ticks away?

[Andy73]

I will be getting my first GPS soon and with spring right around the corner I thought it would be a fun way to spend time with the kids outdoors. My Wife and I are concerned about ticks. What does everyone do to keep them off you? Lyme disease is very common in this area and I want to do everything i can protect the kids.

[+WRASTRO]

Wear the typical anti-tick clothing. Hats, long sleeved shirts and long pants. And always check everyone when you return from any adventure in "tick-world" as they are very ingenious in finding ways to thwart your protection efforts.

[+T F T C]

Permethrin.

[+Chuy!]

My wife put this in my Valentine's day goodie bag; gotta love her.

 

I've been using these quite effectively for Ginger!, our golden retriever.

 

But, these are for when the blood sucker have already clamped down - it's better to prevent them from latching on in the first place. Permethrin sprays are recommended for human clothing and for skin contact only on pets, not humans. DEET is the most effective that can be applied to the human skin.

 

The CDC take on ticks.

Edited February 15, 2008 by Chuy!

[+BlueDeuce]

Don't sit on fallen logs.

[+Rick618]

Buzz Off! No, really, take a look at the clothing. Or Mumz.

 

http://www.buzzoff.com/

 

http://www.allrepellents.com/2006/07/mumz-...garden-apparel/

[jholly]

camouflaged knee socks.

 

Jim

[+WRASTRO]

Don't sit on fallen logs.

 

Hmmm, around here the danger zone for ticks is the area around the snow line and under trees, where the nasty little ticks will drop on to you and or your clothing.

[+OverTheEdge]

I've been geocaching since 2003 and received my first tick last summer (long story - another time). Besides checking for ticks after bushwacking... be sure you know how to deal with a tick and have the tools - once you have one. The internet full of GREAT information - be sure you choose a valid source.

 

Happy Caching!

[+briansnat]

My wife and I have been geocaching since 2001, often in tick thick areas. In all that time, I've found one tick attached and my wife has found three (they seem to like her - a lot. We can walk through the same field and I will find maybe 2 -3 ticks on my clothing and she will have dozens).

 

Follow these steps and you will be nearly tick proof:

 

1. Use a DEET based repellent on the skin.

2. Use a permethrin base repellent on the clothing

3. Wear light colored clothing so you can spot them easily if they jump on

4. Tuck in pant legs into socks (if you don't mind the high geek factor look)

5. Perform a full body tick check when you get home.

 

If you do find a tick attached, don't panic. It takes about 24 hours for the tick to transmit disease. Use one of the tools pictured above to remove the tick. Watch closely for symptoms of Lyme and if any appear go right to the Dr.

 

Also don't just worry about spring/summer/fall. Ticks are out in the winter too if it's

above freezing.

[+Lacomo]

Permethrin

Edited February 15, 2008 by lacomo

[+BlueDeuce]

Don't sit on fallen logs.

 

Hmmm, around here the danger zone for ticks is the area around the snow line and under trees, where the nasty little ticks will drop on to you and or your clothing.

 

http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2001/010905.htm

 

http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/article/6270

[+TazDevil091102]

I use outdoorsman with 40% deet in it. Them little critters hate it. If they get on you, your spose or girlfrind/boyfriend can check you for ticks as they sing the song, "Ticks"

[+WRASTRO]

Don't sit on fallen logs.

 

Hmmm, around here the danger zone for ticks is the area around the snow line and under trees, where the nasty little ticks will drop on to you and or your clothing.

 

http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2001/010905.htm

 

http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/article/6270

 

Wow! Interesting reading. Thanks.

[+Trucker Lee]

Long sleeves and pants, hats when in the woods. Wettable dusting sulpher around openings discourages both ticks and chiggers.

[+Big_John]

 

Also don't just worry about spring/summer/fall. Ticks are out in the winter too if it's

above freezing.

 

Found a tick, luckily not embedded, after geocaching last week. Although fewer in numbers they are still out in the winter.

[+Night Stalker]

Right now with 8 inches of fresh snow on the ground I don't seem to have much issue with those critters.

 

[+fairyhoney]

Don't sit on fallen logs.

 

Hmmm, around here the danger zone for ticks is the area around the snow line and under trees, where the nasty little ticks will drop on to you and or your clothing.

 

http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2001/010905.htm

 

http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/article/6270

 

Wow! Interesting reading. Thanks.

 

O.K. now I'm embarrassed. I really didn't realize that we had to worry about ticks and that Lyme disease was found over in the mid states

[+J10fly]

Any repellants with deet in them. That is some strong stuff. There are some out there that are almost pure deet! Good for adults, I dont think they recommend it for kids though.

[+WRITE SHOP ROBERT]

I found two at seperate times on my recent outing in the CA foothills. I wear light colored pants, so I spotted them immediatly, and if you can avoid extra pleats/folds/pockets on your clothing that will help spot them. They love to find a good hiding place until you let your guard down. I never have been a fan of putting things (sprays, creams and the like) on my body, so I just check often and pick them off if they get on me.

 

My rule of thumb is...

 

If you get on my clothes, you're flicked.

If you get on (or in) my skin, you're squished.

[+Segerguy]

One tick at a time!

[+DonB]

Permethrin.

I'll vote for that, I keep two pants and two shirts I spray and use just for caching and have found dead ticks on the clothing when I get home.

[+Bad_CRC]

I've never had a tick, and almost all my finds are "woods" finds, in tick infested areas. And when I'm not geocaching, I'm camping or hiking.

 

I thought I'd get one last year for sure, but so far, none.

 

 

maybe this year.

[+hukilaulau]

Follow these steps and you will be nearly tick proof:

 

1. Use a DEET based repellent on the skin.

2. Use a permethrin base repellent on the clothing

3. Wear light colored clothing so you can spot them easily if they jump on

4. Tuck in pant legs into socks (if you don't mind the high geek factor look)

5. Perform a full body tick check when you get home.

 

My list would have looked pretty much like Brian's. Works for chiggers, too. Regarding #4, though... if you're going into a store or something before going home, you can't take your pants out of your socks!

If you have live chiggers on your socks, they'll crawl right through to your ankles. Yeah, you get some looks, but a bad case of chiggers wil make you WISH you only had Lyme Disease.

For added protection, you could try this. I have the pants and socks, but my wife says I shouldn't talk about it too much...

[+anniebananie]

Both of us having been bitten by ticks we will not cache without wearing gaitors as well as the other protection briansnat suggests. We wear them both summer and winter. The strange looks we get are better that getting re-infected with lyme disease.

 

Anniebananie

[+WRITE SHOP ROBERT]

Both of us having been bitten by ticks we will not cache without wearing gaitors as well as the other protection briansnat suggests. We wear them both summer and winter. The strange looks we get are better that getting re-infected with lyme disease.

 

Anniebananie

Re-infected? I thought once you got lyme, you always have it?

[Andy73]

Follow these steps and you will be nearly tick proof:

 

1. Use a DEET based repellent on the skin.

2. Use a permethrin base repellent on the clothing

3. Wear light colored clothing so you can spot them easily if they jump on

4. Tuck in pant legs into socks (if you don't mind the high geek factor look)

5. Perform a full body tick check when you get home.

 

My list would have looked pretty much like Brian's. Works for chiggers, too. Regarding #4, though... if you're going into a store or something before going home, you can't take your pants out of your socks!

If you have live chiggers on your socks, they'll crawl right through to your ankles. Yeah, you get some looks, but a bad case of chiggers wil make you WISH you only had Lyme Disease.

For added protection, you could try this. I have the pants and socks, but my wife says I shouldn't talk about it too much...

 

WHAT THE HECK IS A CHIGGER? sounds scary... Do we have them in NY?

Edited February 17, 2008 by Andy73

[Larry H]

Been using Sawyer Duranon Permethrin with great success.

Edited February 18, 2008 by Larry H

[+Okiebryan]

Follow these steps and you will be nearly tick proof:

 

1. Use a DEET based repellent on the skin.

2. Use a permethrin base repellent on the clothing

3. Wear light colored clothing so you can spot them easily if they jump on

4. Tuck in pant legs into socks (if you don't mind the high geek factor look)

5. Perform a full body tick check when you get home.

 

My list would have looked pretty much like Brian's. Works for chiggers, too. Regarding #4, though... if you're going into a store or something before going home, you can't take your pants out of your socks!

If you have live chiggers on your socks, they'll crawl right through to your ankles. Yeah, you get some looks, but a bad case of chiggers wil make you WISH you only had Lyme Disease.

For added protection, you could try this. I have the pants and socks, but my wife says I shouldn't talk about it too much...

 

Holy Cow! That outfit makes one look like a redneck ninja!

[+Jeepster++]

WHAT THE HECK IS A CHIGGER? sounds scary... Do we have them in NY?

I don't know about the rest of NY but there are plenty on Eastern Long Island. Chiggers Link

 

but a bad case of chiggers will make you WISH you only had Lyme Disease.

They say the itching lasts a couple of weeks but I was still suffering 6 months later.

Seriously, I would have preferred a bad case of poison ivy!

[+Team Dromomania]

My wife's method is to send me through the brush first.

[+J10fly]

My wife's method is to send me through the brush first.

 

LOL!

[+looksalot]

Been using Sawyer Duranon Permethrin with great success.

 

Yep, that's the stuff. You should see the little buggers crawl up your pants leg just so far until they curl up and die. The treated clothes last up to six weeks and through six times in the laundry.

 

Excuse me, I just remembered I need to get some more on order....

[MikeB3542]

There is a vaccine for Lyme disease -- strongly recommended if you spend a lot of time in the woods. The reality is that the most likely vector for Lyme disease is from deer tick nymphs, rather from adults, and certainly not from wood ticks. The nymphs are really tiny (about the size of a poppy seed) so the reality is the tick that is most likely to cause grief is also the one that you are most likely to miss. Lyme disease is really serious stuff, a heck of a lot more grief than chiggers (chiggers make you crazy itchy, but I don't think that they can cause life-threatening complications.)

 

Another good idea is to cool it with the bush-whacking. My observation is that too many geocachers are too impatient and bound into God knows what instead of staying on the trail. Not only do you reduce the chances for tick encounters, you also keep the impact on the environment low. Tread lightly!

Edited February 19, 2008 by MikeB3542

[+WRITE SHOP ROBERT]

There is a vaccine for Lyme disease -- strongly recommended if you spend a lot of time in the woods. The reality is that the most likely vector for Lyme disease is from deer tick nymphs, rather from adults, and certainly not from wood ticks. The nymphs are really tiny (about the size of a poppy seed) so the reality is the tick that is most likely to cause grief is also the one that you are most likely to miss. Lyme disease is really serious stuff, a heck of a lot more grief than chiggers (chiggers make you crazy itchy, but I don't think that they can cause life-threatening complications.)

 

Another good idea is to cool it with the bush-whacking. My observation is that too many geocachers are too impatient and bound into God knows what instead of staying on the trail. Not only do you reduce the chances for tick encounters, you also keep the impact on the environment low. Tread lightly!

Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention the wood tick/deer tick difference. Most of the ticks I have gotten on me have come from grass, and not bushes. They like to sit at the top of the tall weeds and hold their armd out waiting for something to brush by, they're very good at fishing (I wonder if they would make good bait)

 

I had a bad deam once that my arm was covered inthem, they were all lined up like scales on a fish. Ewww.

[+DanTheMan81]

I like using Cutter with DEET in it. I find it less greasy then OFF and not as strong of a smell. If a tick is embedded (which I have had happened to me and people I know) use vaseoline and cover the tick. This cuts off his air supply and he will back out soon after this happens use tweezers to grab him and save the tick in an airtight container. If you save the tick a doctor can have it checked for Lyme disease to help ease your worries before looking/ waiting impatiently for the symptoms to appear. This has worked for me numerous times. I have only had one in myself but I have had friends and kids have them and this has always worked.

[zorakk]

DEET works really good to repel ticks.The main downside is that it can attack plastics.Even if you wipe your hands off it can melt fingerprints into certain plastics such as cell phones ,gps units ,car interiors ,etc.Of course i was using 100 % DEET which i think was probably overkill but upon finding 27 ticks on myself after a trip thru the woods i guess it seemed like a good idea at the time.

[+briansnat]

There is a vaccine for Lyme disease -- strongly recommended if you spend a lot of time in the woods.

 

I thought that was pulled from the market. Was it re-released?

 

DEET works really good to repel ticks.

 

DEET is better than nothing, but after watching a tick crawl on my DEET soaked leg, I realized that it's not foolproof. Used in concert with permethrin on your clothing it will offer protection. The key in the end is to always check your body when you get home, no matter how protected you were by repellents.

[zorakk]

I think that anything with 100% DEET was taken off the market.Probably causes cancer in lab rats or something like that.I have had the same bottle for quite some time.As far as how good it works,after my massive tick infestation i went to walmart and bought some.The very next day i had to go back to the same spot .I didn't have a single tick on me.

[vaq45]

Drink lots of beer-they will get high off your sweat and fall off--works every time---(tell your wife i said it was ok)

[+briansnat]

I think that anything with 100% DEET was taken off the market.Probably causes cancer in lab rats or something like that.

 

It's still sold

[+the hermit crabs]

I think that anything with 100% DEET was taken off the market.Probably causes cancer in lab rats or something like that.

It's still sold

Sawyer's Maxi-Deet is also 100%.

[+zpyder]

I spent a few months last year (before I discovered caching) doing some fieldwork in heathland in ths summer. Some of the work was setting pitfall traps and then processing whatever critters were trapped.

 

Having read this thread and how it seems ticks get everywhere really freaks me out (I can't stand parasites of any variety). I must have been pretty lucky last year as most of the pitfalls contained ticks. We were in a variety of conditions whilst working, from ankle high grass, to knee high grasses and heather and even some higher stuff. The work involved kneeling and digging around in these conditions...sometimes in a pitfall (the size of a small plastic cup) over the period of two days we'd get 3 or 4 dozen ticks in a single trap, and I didn't get bitten once.

 

Maybe I'm tempting fate now as I'm due to do the same work this year two. But if it's any help I was wearing a good pair of leather mountain hiking boots that are waterproof to above the ankle (maybe the ticks couldn't get through) combined with gaiters (As I said, I'm paranoid about parasites...and I also have a tendency to get uber muddy) and rather than totally cover myself in suncream I preferred to wear a T-shirt with a long sleeved shirt over the top.

 

Slightly different question, but people all say to use these various tick removal tools if you get bitten, but what is the definitive guide/process/tool to use? I was under the impression you have to be careful so as to not leave the ticks head in your skin or something, and would have thought many of these tools are just tweezers?

[Andy73]

Drink lots of beer-they will get high off your sweat and fall off--works every time---(tell your wife i said it was ok)

 

I dont think she would buy it...

But I will try

[+Parabola]

I found my first deer tick this year. I've had tons of ticks on me but this one was less than half the size of one. He hadn't bit me yet.

 

Sending in the other guy first doesn't work. He only stirs them up so they jump on you as you go by.

[+zpyder]

I heard last year that mosquitos and midges don't like Guiness. I took this as an opportunity to have a cool refreshing drink every evening after trudging around heathland all day. I never got bitten but my colleague was a magnet for em.

 

Drink lots of beer-they will get high off your sweat and fall off--works every time---(tell your wife i said it was ok)

 

I dont think she would buy it...

But I will try

[+briansnat]

 

Slightly different question, but people all say to use these various tick removal tools if you get bitten, but what is the definitive guide/process/tool to use? I was under the impression you have to be careful so as to not leave the ticks head in your skin or something, and would have thought many of these tools are just tweezers?

 

The tools vary in design, but the idea is to grab the tick as close to the skin as possible and gently work it free. You have to do a good bit of pulling because they don't like to let go. Be careful not to squeeze the body of the tick.

 

Methods like burning, covering with gasoline, petroleum jelly, alcohol and similar methods are not recommended.

[+zpyder]

Thanks for that info. It's kinda reassuring to know a bit more for the inevitable moment I find one latched on to me ><

 

Even though I was lucky last year, others weren't. This is a small 'true' bug that was in one of the pitfall traps, with 2 ticks buried into it! The photo was taken through a microscope and the ticks were no larger than a full stop!

 

 

You wouldn't have thought a tick would go for another invertebrate, but I guess they do!

[saw-saw]

For ticks we keep a roll of 2 inch tape around to stick them to, weather they are attached or not we put them on the tape, and fold it over so we have the tick species in case we get lime disease.

 

For chiggers after they are burrowed in, we use Listerine, yes the mouth wash to relieve the itching and promote healing. Any flavor of Listerine will work but we use the old brown type, the other flavored one are a bit sticky, but the relief is great.

[zorakk]

Ahh yes,Chiggers.Man o man,talk about something that will make you want to pull your hair out.We always used clear nail polish to help with the discomfort although i have had some sucess using windex to temporarly relieve the itch.I wanted to know,are chiggers just a southern U.S.problem or are they found elsewhere?