Our family enjoys time being outdoors, from hanging out in the backyard to hiking to other adventures. Living in New York means that we have to worry about ticks and Lyme disease, so we have learned to be careful about ticks.
We have encountered ticks many times, as careful as we are. The kids have gotten ticks at them at school on the playground, playing lacrosse on soccer fields, hiking, and even just doing yard work.
Keep in mind that your pets are also at risk of getting ticks!
Here are some strategies we use to try to stay safe from ticks.
1. CHECK FOR TICKS!
No matter how careful you are, always check for ticks. This means checking yourself especially after activities like hikes or yard work. You should also be checking after spending any time outdoors near brush.
2. Dress appropriately
If you are going hiking or doing other activities where you might encounter ticks, you can dress to help avoid ticks or to be able to spot them more easily. For example, wear light clothing, tuck pants into socks, wear hats, etc. You can also use clothing treatments to avoid ticks. Use a lint roller if that helps to check for ticks. If you think you have significant risk of ticks, you can change your clothes in a safe spot at home (garage, bathroom) and then carefully inspect your cloth.
3. Stay on trails, avoid brush
When we go hiking, we try to be as careful as possible and stay on the middle of the trails. If you go off the trail into brush, grasses, bushes, leaves, etc. you are increasing your risk of getting ticks.
4. Wear repellent
I am hesitant to use chemicals for anything, but you can find formulas to wear or treat clothing with to avoid ticks. Be careful about the dangers of these chemicals. e.g. Permethrin is highly toxic to cats, and DEET will melt plastic.
5. Make your yard safe
We have gotten ticks in our own yard, so don’t underestimate the risks. Here are some tips:
~ keep grass short, keep brush trimmed, do not keep brush piles
~ use tick tubes in your yard {affiliate link}
~ apply a natural tick killer to your yard to keep ticks to a minimum
~ stick with native species of plants and get rid of invasives (“invasive species of plant, such as Japanese honeysuckle and Japanese barberry are known to create artificially lush habitat for high-risk, disease-vector ticks” [source]
