Ticks are found throughout most of the United States.
Ticks are parasitic arachnids that often make pests of themselves to outdoors adventurers. When feeding, a tick burrows its head down into its host's skin, where it may stay for days. Harpoon-like appendages on its head hold it in place, making it very difficult to remove. Therefore, preventing contact with these blood-sucking fiends is important, as they are known to transmit diseases such as Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever to humans.
Chemical Prevention
There are many commercially available products geared toward tick prevention. These chemical treatments contain the insecticide permethrin, which works well when preventing contact with ticks and other deep-woods critters. Spray the chemical to your clothing, camping gear and shoes before going out. This is not harmful to humans if you take care to wash your skin before going to bed, as it is not readily absorbed into human bloodstreams. However, you should not use products containing permethrin if you have a cat, as the substance is highly toxic to them.
Natural Prevention
For more environmentally friendly alternatives, look for natural preventative methods to keep ticks at bay. There are several scents which ticks avoid, the first being garlic. Garlic pills give your skin enough of the scent to keep ticks away. Alternatively, add a few drops of eucalyptus oil to your sunscreen as you apply it to give off an odor that ticks also find unpleasant. Eucalyptus oil also works as a natural tick preventative for your pets. Use a eucalyptus-based shampoo when you bathe them for best results.
Take Cover
Wear protective clothing at all times when going out into the woods, and seek out light-colored garments so you can see hangers-on as soon as they appear. Look for form-fitting designs that don't allow space between the garment and your skin, as this limits the number of entry points available to ticks. Long-sleeved shirts and long trousers are a must. Tuck your shirt into your waistband to prevent ticks from crawling onto your torso. Wear a hat or a headscarf to shield the area around your ears, neck and hairline. Additionally, wear socks and closed-toed shoes.
Investigation Techniques
Look over your entire body for ticks after going outside. Ticks like warmth, so pay close attention to your hair and all places covered by clothing. If you do happen to find one, use a pair of fine tweezers to pull the creature out of your skin. Place the tips of the tweezers as close to your skin as possible and pull gently. If the tick's head breaks off in the process, you may experience swelling in that area for up to eight months. If a tick has bitten you, tape its body to a white piece of paper and send it to your local Center for Disease Control to make sure that it does not carry a disease.
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