Many of us love outdoor activities and we often make it a point to head outdoors at least during the weekends with our family or friends. One outdoor activity that most of us do is hiking and although it may be a beneficial activity, it is a risky one too. A common risk that most of us hikers encounter are tick bites which are not only itchy, but dangerous too as they carry deadly diseases. Sadly, ticks not only feed on the blood of animals, but humans as well and this makes it necessary to protect ourselves before we go hiking. After all, ticks should not stop us from enjoying the fresh air, beautiful sunshine and breathtaking scenery.
Preventive Measures Before Hiking
These preventive measures can help you reduce the risk of getting bitten throughout the hike and bringing ticks back home with you.
wear protective boots
1. Tick Proof Your Hiking Gear
To keep ticks at bay when you go hiking, proof your hiking gear with permethrin. Permethrin must never be used directly on skin, so be careful to only apply it on your hiking boots, clothing and camping equipment. Fortunately, permethrin will continue to be effective on your gear even after you get soaked in rain, so you need not have to worry about reapplying.
2. Suit Up In Long Pants With Hiking Boats
To make sure that ticks do not find their way into your clothing or boots, wear long pants when you go hiking. The pant legs must be tucked into your socks before wearing your hiking boots. In tick abundant areas, you can also wrap your ankles above your socks with duct tape to seal it. Your shirt must also be tucked into your waistband whenever you hike.
3. Avoid Straying From The Trail
Ticks are mainly found in areas with high vegetation where they can easily jump on passing hosts. So when you leave the trail and walk through rich vegetation, the risk of catching ticks will be greater. There are hiking trails for a reason, so never stray away from them.
Preventive Measures After The Hike
After your hiking trip, you must make it a point to ensure that you did not bring ticks back home with you. Several ticks on your clothing and camping gear poses a great risk of introducing a tick infestation in your home. In the event that you discover a tick infestation in your home, do not hesitate to have your home treated by a pest control professional.
1. Wash And Dry Hiking Clothes In High Heat
Remove all your clothing and put them directly in the washing machine. Wash them with warm to hot water, but never neglect to dry them in high temperatures. Ticks can survive in hot water, but they will die when exposed to hot and dry air.
2. Steam Clean Or Expose Your Camping Gear in High Heat
You can opt to steam your camping gear with extreme heat or leave them exposed directly under the hot sun to kill any ticks you may have brought with you.
3. Check Yourself When Taking A Bath After Hiking
After undressing to take a bath, check your body for any ticks that may have gotten on you. They can hide in your hair, behind your knees, in your belly button, under your arms and even between your legs.
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Valerie Williams is a freelance writer specializing in natural pest control solutions. Click here to learn more about different pest control tips and preventive measures against harmful insects while hiking.
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I had to check through Wikipedia what a Tick was. I never thought they were a member of the spider family. Back home we have sandflys which are a pain. Some people react terribly when bitten by one.
Author
So neither Japan nor New Zealand has ticks?
Back in Montana, we called them wood ticks because they mainly lived in/near trees and large bushes.
However on a recent trip to Washington DC w/ students, I discovered that the eastern ticks are much more prolific in the tall grasses.
Which brings us to today’s vocabulary lesson:
poli means: many
tic means: blood sucking parasites
So the word politics means: many blood sucking parasites
When you said “…..:many blood sucking parasites”. I thought you were describing a politician.
I truly loathe ticks.
Author
Ticks suck!!! both literally & figuratively