Avoid Ticks – How to “Suit Up” for the Outdoors

NJ is home to several species of ticks who’d love nothing more than to latch on to your skin and feast. Some of these ticks can carry diseases which will make you very ill (not just Lyme). A few simple steps can help prevent you from becoming a tick buffet.

• Dress for Battle:
  • Tall socks
  • Long pants tucked into your socks
  • Long-sleeved shirt tucked into your pants
  • Hat
  • (Light-colored clothing is better for spotting the dark ticks)
• Hose Yourself Down:
  • Apply an insect repellant with 20-30% DEET to any exposed skin (adults will want to do this onto your kids. Careful not to get it into their eyes, nose, mouth or on hands.)
  • Awesome tool to search for repellants: cfpub.epa.gov/oppref/insect/
• Hike the Trails:
  • Walk only on maintained trails
  • Avoid walking through tall grass or brush
  • Ticks don’t jump; they only transfer to you when you brush up against them
  • Try to sit on your camping chair; ticks crawl from ground up (the ground, logs, rocks are good spots to find them)
• Check & Wash:
  • After your hike, do a Tick Check
  • Check your boots, they could be hiding there too
  • Wash your skin to remove the repellant
  • Wash your clothes and use the dryer (some ticks survive the washer but most die in the hot dryer)

And if you’re interested, the CDC published a list of all the diseases you can get from ticks. You can learn about them on their website: www.cdc.gov/ticks/diseases/