With spring at the doorstep I’m enjoying once more hiking and observing nature. But as I get bitten by ticks despite the clothing and self inspection, I wonder if I’m not putting myself at significant risk… of course, what really scares me is the small but not negligible risk of disease.
I’m truly conflicted as going off trails and exploring nature it’s my main passion and at the same time every time I get a tick I wonder if I should not limit it to a “walk in road” and no longer observe.
How do you truly avoid them? How do you cope with it?
I tried few repellents in the past, but as I got still bitten I felt it wasn’t working.
Additional info:
• I live in Luxembourg and hike a lot in LU, DE, FR and BE. These regions have ticks.
• what I call “off trail” isn’t necessarily outside trails, but outside busy ones where the probability to meet fauna is limited.
• I have stopped using lemongrass and other repellents as it seems that it repels most of the animals before I can see them. I’m considering turning to permethrin.
Permethrin-treated clothes are very effective at reducing ticks, and I haven’t found anything better as far as products go. Even just short gaiters that are treated with permethrin over boots has been an extremely useful tool for me.
I use Permethrin-treated clothes, and DEET on exposed skin. Most of the things I can do are in that other thread. The tick check when I get home is on the back porch. The clothes go into the washer asap, but the dryer will do if I can’t do the wash. The hottest settings possible that won’t ruin the clothes.
I am able to use a fine tooth comb through my long hair.
All this and still I will have a tick walking on me hours later.
Another vote for permethrin-treated clothes. I do survey work in foliage that gets shoulder-length or higher, and that’s the only thing that’s really saved me.
One note with permethrin: if you have cats, be very, VERY careful with it. Permethrin is lethal to cats. (It is safe once dried, though.) I spray my survey clothes outside and leave them to dry, then immediately change whatever I’m wearing and wash my hands. Not taking any chances there.
I have found that wearing rubber boots and rain pants are good for walking through tall grass. This isn’t an option in warm weather but, I often walk in the cool morning. Ticks seem to get stuck in the laces of my hiking boots. The rubber boots don’t give them that option. If you must wear hiking boots or shoes, get a pair of ankle gaiters. They are difficult for the ticks to cling to and they block a lot of the lacings. Light brown pants are also good because you can easily see the ticks if they are on your pant legs. And, I always check my camera bag if I walked through tall grass as the bag may brush against the grass.
If I think I may have walked through an area with ticks, and I can’t see any on the outside of what I am wearing, I stop by a restroom where I can go to a stall and strip to check as much area as I can. It’s worth the time to do so. You can also do it at home but, I find that stopping in a public park restroom near where you walked helps you concentrate on looking all over. I find that I am distracted at home where I think of things I need to do there.
If you walk with a friend, you can check each other afterwards.
I hope you can find some solutions that work for you so that you can enjoy the outdoors.
I’m not sure if there are commercial permethrin options in Luxembourg, but I’ve sent my clothes to Insect Shield, as I live in a condo and don’t have a place to treat my clothes with permethrin.
Other than that, wear light colored clothes, tuck your pants into your socks and your shirt into your pants and do frequent checks. They tend to really like hiding under one’s waistband, in my experience.
There are 22 observations of 7 species of Rickettsia, including African tick bite fever and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
Fifteen observations of the Lyme disease spirochete.
Four observations of Ehrlichia, but only E. canis; none of E. ewingii, E. chaffeensis, or E. muris.
And none of Neorickettsia.
Or of Coltivirus (the cause of Colorado tick fever).
So, yes, tick-borne diseases have affected the iNaturalist community, but there are gaps in the data still waiting to be filled.
I think tick risks are regional, where I am every tick bite is considered an incident requiring medical advice, there are multiple diseases but lyme is the one people fear, because it is common and can lead to substantial long term complications (not that it is the only dangerous one, there are some that can kill rather quickly, these just aren’t common)
People walking nature trails often avoid those that require brushing against tall grass, and showering soon after outdoor activities is often recocmended
More serious outdoorspeople still do plenty of backcountry camping, fishing remote sites, ect. I know some of these people use permethrin (note that this has chemical risks) and repellents of some sort are widely used in outdoor activities of all kinds
On a recent trip to Colorado the locals were unconcerned about ticks, as lyme is not present and no tick disease is that common
On an Arizona trip ticks were not really a concern anyone on the trip mentioned, outdoor safety concerns were Harvester Ants, aggressive cattle, temperature changes, and sharp or irritant plants (the sole of a shoe is nothing to a prickly pear spine, and I got burned by an unknown sap)
If a tick does attach to you it is important to remove them as quickly as possible. The problem is that if you squeeze them with your fingers or a pair of tweezers you run the risk of injecting more of the tick’s toxins and possibly infectious bacteria or viruses under your skin. I have found this little tool to be very effective. When I pull a tick off using my fingers or forceps I will suffer severe itching for up to a week afterwards. I found using this device generally leaves a lot less itching. https://www.kogan.com/au/buy/aim-3pcs-tick-removal-tool-set-pet-dog-cat-flea-picker-twist-hook-scratching-remover-insect-catcher-green-641354/
One of the strangest tick borne infections is the “Mammalian meat allergy (Alpha Gal syndrome)” This condition was first recognised in 2006 in the US and later in Australia. Upon suffering a tick bite some individuals find they suffer allergic symptoms from eating any meat that comes from a mammal, (beef, pork, lamb, venison etc.) I guess some vegans will think this is a great disease. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha-gal_syndrome
Tick-borne diseases are an interesting case. On one hand, the true number and incidence of tick-borne diseases is vastly greater than what is reported. Most doctors don’t know about them, and most labs can’t test for them. I can put you in touch with an entomologist who specializes in this, if you’d like to know more.
On the other hand, many people who have been crippled for years with tick-related illnesses have experienced dramatic health improvements through lifestyle changes.
So the situation is simultaneously much worse than people recognize, and also more hopeful than is generally believed.
I live in Australia so ticks are pretty standard the most effective deterrent I have found so far is wear long pants and sleeves tucking everything into everything else (pants into socks, shirt into pants etc.). Also spray any openings with a lemon Eucalyptus based insect repellent. Ticks and tick bite related diseases are generally considered an accepted occupational hazard here.
Oh and obviously do a thorough tick check afterwards.
When I do get tick bitten, I draw a ring around the bite, using a “permanent” marker. If there’s no reaction there, my anxiety level goes down, even knowing that no reaction is no guarantee.
I just wanted to express my gratitude for sharing the information and giving such wonderful advice. It looks like my new summer cocktail will be a blend of permethrin and DEET…
I’ve developed a new fear of getting them in my hair, so thanks for that too!
I don’t know if it is available in Luxembourg, but Deep Woods Off! is what I use.
I live in central Maryland and with the summertime heat and humidity long pants are a no go, even at sunrise when I start my walks. I spay shoes and lower legs only. The only tick I got last summer was the morning I forgot to apply the OFF!.
That’s honestly the one I’m most afraid of, as it is incurable unlike most other tick borne illnesses. Although I have been bitten by innumerable lone star ticks and never gotten it
Years ago I attended an outdoor event not too far from Lyme, Connecticut. By the time I found the tick in my underarm, I had symptoms and the bullseye rash, and I was back in California. The doctor I saw in California was surprisingly unfamiliar with Lyme Disease because incidence of it here is much lower, and it was a process to convince him it was what it was. Which is all to say that incidence of tick borne diseases really does vary a lot geographically, and it is useful to know what the specific risk is where you are hiking.
I do recommend (as many others have) permethrin treated clothing, and retreating periodically. After a hike, I recommend poking around everywhere you have thin soft skin and feeling for any new bumps or oddities. I have also several times found ticks sitting on untreated boots, hats, etc. I had taken off days before. These can be killed by running things through the dryer, or even leaving them in a hot car for several minutes. Like many mites, ticks are quite prone to dying from dehydration.
