In the past
few years, I've had some very close encounters with those nasty little vampires
known as deer ticks. Twice in fact, I've been to a doctor to either get tested
for Lyme disease or to discuss my options, my most recent visit being less than two weeks ago.
A few years
ago, I went hiking at Ralph Stover and High Rocks State Parks, I checked out
the scenery which was beautiful, hiked a few of the trails and at one point
during my adventure, I decided to go off the trail so I could walk alongside
the Tohickon Creek and find some spots to go fishing. At that time, I didn't
think much about making sure I was protected from any kind of biting critters.
Lo and behold a few days later, I was checking myself and found one of these
little vampires had bitten me in an area that wouldn't be allowed in pictures
without an explicit or NSFW warning (not there, but darn close!). I
freaked out as you can imagine. It had been more than 24 hours since my tiny
eight legged arachnid had hitched a ride. In fact, I think it was at about day
three when I discovered it.
In a half
panic, I called the doctor and asked to get in as soon as possible. They took
my blood, and in a few days the results had returned and thankfully, I was in
the clear. A few deep breaths and a sigh of relief, life could return to
normal. I got lucky...
Last
weekend, I was in Delaware visiting with friends and family. We all went to
Holts Landing State Park to do some crabbing and clamming. My brothers and I
had some time to burn so we decided to take a walk along the trails in the
wooded area (not along the shoreline) which was a BIG mistake. We didn't get
more than about a few hundred feet into the woods and discovered the area
was infested with deer ticks (dog ticks too), more than I had ever seen before.
We quickly raced out of the woods and did everything we could to get the little
blood suckers off of us.
As I didn't
have plans to go hiking that day, I was ill prepared for a walk in the woods.
Lesson learned, make sure to BRING INSECT AND TICK REPELLENT no matter where
you go! Also be sure to check yourself very closely when you get out of the
woods. A day later I had one of those little vampires crawl off one of my sneakers
onto my hand as I was getting set up to treat them. Being from out of state, I
didn't realize how bad it was in the woods of Delaware. After getting home and
doing some research, I found out that the nation’s second smallest state had
the highest rate of reported Lyme disease in 2013. Be safe out there people, and
be prepared. Lyme disease is no laughing matter!
My second
visit with the doctor was quick and painless and he didn’t take my blood this
time. He did check me for tick bites and like me, did not find anything. In
fact, I was more thorough in checking myself for ticks than he was so it was
more like spending $25 to have a doctor tell me he didn’t think I had
contracted Lyme disease, thanks buddy. He sent me on my way and said that if I
start to feel symptoms within the next week or so to give him another call. So
far, other than being sore from hiking last weekend, I have not noticed
any symptoms…hopefully I’m in the clear.
With that
being said, what does one do to prevent being bitten by one of these tiny
little time bombs and contracting Lyme disease? There are several solutions
that will help but I don't think there's any way to completely avoid being
bitten unless you live in a bubble and never leave your home. I'm not usually one
to promote using pesticides but after my second too-close-for-comfort encounter
with deer ticks, I feel that being safe is much better than being sorry. So,
what’s the solution?
One of many
solutions is Permethrin which is a contact
killer for ticks along with several other types of insects. It can be applied
to and bonds with your clothing and will last several washings before you have to re-treat. While in its liquid form and in high concentrations, it can be potentially harmful to humans, once it dries it's virtually harmless.
Keep in mind that any chemical can have an adverse effect on humans and be sure to read the MSDS, instructions (make sure you follow them too), and warnings thoroughly. It might also be a good idea to test an item of clothing and make sure you have a change of clothes when you hit the trail before going all out and treating everything. While the adverse effects of Permethrin don’t seem to be bad on humans, it’s always better to be cautious and proceed when you know you're safe. This past weekend, I treated some of my clothes before I went hiking and it didn’t seem to bother me.
Be advised
that Permethrin is extremely dangerous
to cats and aquatic animals. If you decide to buy and use Permethrin, make sure you
keep it away from your feline and aquatic friends and read the proper MSDS for
the item you purchased. There are varying concentrations of Permethrin depending
on where you purchase from. For more information on Permethrin and its possible
side effects, refer to the following sites:
You
can download a free PDF document from The National Academies Press website
titled Health Effects of Permethrin-Impregnated Army Battle-Dress Uniforms.
If you sign in as a guest, you do not need to create an account to download it
More information on Permethrin:
More information on Permethrin:
Where to buy
Permethrin:
Amazon
I am in no way advocating the use of the below Permethrin products but according to some of the reviewers, they've been used for treating clothing successfully and can save you a great deal of money due to it being in a concentrated form (you’ll need to dilute it yourself). Use these at your own risk, I am not responsible for your actions should you decide to!
Martin'sPermethrin (10% concentrate)
I am in no way advocating the use of the below Permethrin products but according to some of the reviewers, they've been used for treating clothing successfully and can save you a great deal of money due to it being in a concentrated form (you’ll need to dilute it yourself). Use these at your own risk, I am not responsible for your actions should you decide to!
Martin'sPermethrin (10% concentrate)
PermethrinSFR 32 oz. Bottle (38.6% concentrate)
With all this information about Permethrin, you’d think I’m a salesman for the product. I assure you, I’m not. However, I was freaked out enough after my second deer tick encounter to take preventative measures more seriously and to be aware of my surroundings since I’m out in the woods frequently. I’ve known of Permethrin for a long time but never used it until I treated some of my clothes last weekend. Did it work? I didn’t get bitten wherever I was covered by clothing but those mosquitoes still got a hold of me where I wasn’t.
With all this information about Permethrin, you’d think I’m a salesman for the product. I assure you, I’m not. However, I was freaked out enough after my second deer tick encounter to take preventative measures more seriously and to be aware of my surroundings since I’m out in the woods frequently. I’ve known of Permethrin for a long time but never used it until I treated some of my clothes last weekend. Did it work? I didn’t get bitten wherever I was covered by clothing but those mosquitoes still got a hold of me where I wasn’t.
Other repellents that can be used with or without Permethrin:
DEET
I can’t stand the smell of this stuff and will only use it as a last resort. Does it work? Yes. Do I want my skin to feel clammy and smell so badly that people will also run in the opposite direction? Not really. Newer brands of DEET are apparently less smelly and clammy/greasy but as I said, it’s a last resort. I'll use it if no other solutions are available but otherwise, it can stay on the shelf at the store as far as I'm concerned.
DEET is also known to dissolve/melt breathable fabrics including rayon, nylon, spandex, Gore-Tex, certain types of plastics, tents, and even people's Swiss Army knives! Keep this in mind while you're hiking in the woods with your not-so-cheap hiking gear.
There are a multitude of different concentrations and brands of DEET products available on the market but from what the CDC (Center for Disease Control) states, concentrations over 50% do not provide added protection. However, even though they don't provide added protection, the higher concentrations are said to last longer and need less applications.
DEET General Fact Sheet
I can’t stand the smell of this stuff and will only use it as a last resort. Does it work? Yes. Do I want my skin to feel clammy and smell so badly that people will also run in the opposite direction? Not really. Newer brands of DEET are apparently less smelly and clammy/greasy but as I said, it’s a last resort. I'll use it if no other solutions are available but otherwise, it can stay on the shelf at the store as far as I'm concerned.
DEET is also known to dissolve/melt breathable fabrics including rayon, nylon, spandex, Gore-Tex, certain types of plastics, tents, and even people's Swiss Army knives! Keep this in mind while you're hiking in the woods with your not-so-cheap hiking gear.
There are a multitude of different concentrations and brands of DEET products available on the market but from what the CDC (Center for Disease Control) states, concentrations over 50% do not provide added protection. However, even though they don't provide added protection, the higher concentrations are said to last longer and need less applications.
DEET General Fact Sheet
As with any chemical/insecticide, caution should be used when applying DEET to your skin. More information on recent studies of DEET can be found here.
Picaridin
Avon Skin So Soft Bug Guard Plus Picaridin – I’ve used this on occasion and I have two bottles of it since I wanted to avoid using DEET. It seems to work well but it’s been a long time since I’ve used it so I can’t attest to just how long it’s effective. I’ll update this post when I test it again which I probably will.
Picaridin's smell isn't as bad, is not greasy/clammy, and is said to work as effectively as DEET depending on the concentration (usually 10%-20%). It's also won't damage materials as DEET can so there's no worrying if you spill any that it will melt your hiking gear, etc. There are also several different brand names besides Avon you can purchase at Amazon, REI, Eastern Mountain Sports, Walmart and a host of other stores.
Avon Skin So Soft Bug Guard Plus Picaridin – I’ve used this on occasion and I have two bottles of it since I wanted to avoid using DEET. It seems to work well but it’s been a long time since I’ve used it so I can’t attest to just how long it’s effective. I’ll update this post when I test it again which I probably will.
Picaridin's smell isn't as bad, is not greasy/clammy, and is said to work as effectively as DEET depending on the concentration (usually 10%-20%). It's also won't damage materials as DEET can so there's no worrying if you spill any that it will melt your hiking gear, etc. There are also several different brand names besides Avon you can purchase at Amazon, REI, Eastern Mountain Sports, Walmart and a host of other stores.
Picaridin General Fact Sheet
Here is a site that does a side by side comparison of Picaridin and DEET
Picaridin vs. DEET
Essential Oils
Use essential oils to make an all-natural insect repellent. I’ve tried this once by making a homemade sunscreen/insect repellent/lotion using a combination of cedarwood and peppermint essential oils which did work but I had to reapply it 3-4 times within the 6 hours I was hiking. If I stopped anywhere, I was buzzed by mosquitoes (and bitten by a few) and gnats so I guess I’ll have to keep working on an effective longer lasting skin treatment if I choose to keep trying the natural methods. You can also take a ride to your local natural food stores or shop online to see what natural repellents are available for purchase instead of making your own. One repellent that I haven't yet tried but is said to work well is called Repel Lemon Eucalyptus Insect Repellent
Some essential oils that are said to repel insects (ticks included) include peppermint, cedarwood, tea tree, lemongrass, lavender, rose geranium, clove, eucalyptus, lemon eucalyptus, pennyroyal, lemon, juniper, rosewood and several others. Unfortunately, finding one or a combination of oils that can repel insects and ticks over a long period of time can prove to be a bit of a challenge. My first experiment with essential oils did not go well for repelling insects but at least I can still use it as a lotion and sunscreen.
Like your chemical insect repellents, you should be very careful with essential oils and be sure to read the precautions and instructions before applying them to your skin. You should also test on a small area before application in the event of a reaction.
Here's an interesting read from the University of Maine regarding the use of different insect repellents including some I've never heard of.
Fact Sheet - Insect Repellents
Another on insect repellents, three of which are mentioned in this article and another called IR3535
The Four Best Bug Repellents
A few other measures you can take to help prevent tick bites are:
Wear a hat. Wearing
light colored clothing so that if/when one is crawling around looking for a sweet spot, it can be more easily seen. Tuck your
pants into your socks so they won’t find a way to your skin. Tuck your
shirt into your pants and wear long sleeves. Try not to stray off the trail if you can help it. Staying off trails doesn't mean you won't get them on you though. During my adventure in Delaware last week, my brothers and I stayed on the trail and we all still managed to get ticks on us which leads me to my next piece of advice. If you're in woods and notice a lot of those 8 legged critters walking around on you, it would be best to just get out of there and hike elsewhere.
Once you get home from your adventure, check yourself thoroughly including the armpits, behind the knees, groin, buttocks, and head. Years ago, I actually had a tick bite me through my sock into the top of my foot so even making sure all parts of your body are covered doesn't always mean you won't have one hitch a ride.
Once you get home from your adventure, check yourself thoroughly including the armpits, behind the knees, groin, buttocks, and head. Years ago, I actually had a tick bite me through my sock into the top of my foot so even making sure all parts of your body are covered doesn't always mean you won't have one hitch a ride.
If you get a tick on you, use a set of fine tipped tweezers, get a hold of it as close to the skin as possible and slowly pull it straight out. Once removed, be sure to clean the area thoroughly.
Matchless strategy for tick removal; 6 steps to avoid tick bites
A book from The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station regarding ticks.
Tick Management Handbook
There's a lot more information on ticks, Lyme disease and repellents than what's mentioned here, too much for just one article...more to follow. I hope you enjoyed this, feel free to comment and let me know what you think.
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