Ever since I read an article about ticks in Ranger Rick Magazine when I was 9 years old, I have been plagued by an irrationally strong fear of ticks. The idea of a tick feeding on my blood not only makes me queasy, it makes me angry. It actually makes me want to go out and find a haz-mat suit. But, instead of allowing my terror of ticks to prevent me from enjoying the outdoors, I re-directed the fear into determination to find effective and practical ways to protect myself.
Know the Enemy
In the United States, the three most common ticks are the American Dog Tick (carrier of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever), the Blacklegged Tick, (carrier of Lyme Disease) and the Lone Star Tick (also carries Lyme disease and is perfectly capable of living outside of Texas) A call to your local health department will quickly inform you about your neighborhood risk for any or all of these tick varieties. I do not relocate ticks; when I find them, I fireball them. Keep in mind – to pose a high probability of transmitting serious disease, a tick typically needs to have been attached and feeding for at least 48 hours.
The first choice I had to make is whether I want to look fashionable during tick season or whether I wanted to prevent tick bites. Fear of having a tick reach my skin won out, so I won’t comment on the fashion quotient of the following clothing suggestions. Clothing should be white or light-colored, enabling you to spot ticks before they have time to attach. Wear long pants. I recommend stretchy white polyester or cotton. I buy my spring gardening clothes at Goodwill; I don’t want to give ticks the satisfaction of having forced me to reach too deeply into my pockets on their behalf! Next, pull on white knee socks over your pants legs, creating a double seal. Then put on a long sleeve white shirt. A button down will do, but for the truly obsessive like me, it needs to be a turtleneck, in a lightweight cotton or poly-blend. Tuck the shirt into your pants to create another double seal. I suggest you wear a hat. I am not a fan of baseball caps as a fashion statement but in tick season, they are worth their weight in gold. Find a white baseball cap and tuck as much hair under it as you can. Trust me, you do not want ticks having access to your scalp. I once found a tick on my hair – I’m sure my husband’s ears are still ringing from the sound of my shrieks. He was sure I had somehow managed to amputate a limb and was relieved that all he had to do to save my life was remove a tick. The final clothing item you need is white high top athletic shoes. Properly dressed, you are now ready to apply the last barrier.
Tick repellant. I don’t bother with anything less than 40% DEET. My weapon of choice for ticks is Repel – Sportsman Max Formula. I understand some people are appalled at the thought of putting these chemicals on their body, much less with the intention of killing another living creature. I respect that point of view. However, when it comes to ticks, I do not share it. It says on the can that proper use of the product will give me hours of protection from ticks. It also says that buyer assumes all responsibility for use. I don’t have a problem with that because I am one of those people who believes in personal responsibility. Thoroughly spray your clothing from head to toe, being especially generous to your shoes, which will come into direct contact with the ground – where the ticks will attempt to gain access to your skin. Spray your hat inside and out before putting it on. Your head is a convenient landing area for ticks dropping down from above. Remember to re-apply tick repellant every 4 hours. Ticks seem to know when you let down your guard.
Face the Fear The first step to overcoming a fear is to face it. In many areas of the world, going outside in the spring means more than frolicking in the tulips, it means encountering ticks. They are abundant. The only way to prevent 100% of tick bites would be to never go outside. If you have pets living with you, even that won’t prevent tick bites, because your pets will deliver them to you. I hope my suggestions will help you drastically reduce the occurrence of tick bites, both for you and your family. Good luck!
