How to Avoid Ticks When Hiking

Besides being a pest, these bloodsuckers can transmit serious and sometimes fatal diseases such as Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Take the following precautions before heading into heavily wooded areas.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Socks
• Tick Removers
• Insect Repellents
• Athletic Gear

1. Wear a hat, long pants and a long-sleeved shirt, tucked into your pants.
2. Spray exposed body areas with tick repellent (DEET).
3. Stay on groomed trails, and avoid walking in brush.
4. Search your entire body for ticks after walking in wooded areas. Pay special attention to the areas behind your knees and your groin area.
5. Remove any ticks you find right away. If you act quickly you may be able to avoid contracting Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

Tips & Warnings

• If you live in a wooded area, talk to your doctor about a vaccine called LYMErix, which helps to prevent Lyme disease in some people.
• Rocky Mountain spotted fever is usually contracted on the East Coast of the United States but has been reported in 47 states.
• Ticks that carry these diseases are most frequently encountered during the summer.
• Avoid using repeated applications of repellents containing DEET on children. It is safe when used according to directions, but isn't meant for long-term (every day) use and should be kept away from eyes and mouth.
• See your doctor if a rash develops where you remove a tick or if you find one a day after you believe you were exposed.