Every summer, my family and I spend time in Maine. We’re outdoors-y people (I know, not shocking since we live in Boulder!), so we like to spend plenty of time in nature. Picnics, hikes, berry picking — we soak up every minute of it.
But with all this time outside comes a big downside: ticks.
If you grew up in an area with a lot of ticks (like the eastern US), you know how important it is to prevent bites.
Ticks can carry several dangerous diseases, Lyme being the most well-known. Lyme is a bacterial infection that spreads through your bloodstream to your joints, muscles, nervous system, and heart. This infection causes autoimmune-like symptoms that can be hard to diagnose.
I’ve seen what Lyme can do to people, and how easily its symptoms can become chronic. That’s why I follow strict steps to prevent ticks when we’re spending our days outside.
I do everything I can to protect my family, which includes avoiding harsh chemicals whenever possible. The great news is that nontoxic tick prevention is totally possible!
Today I’m sharing tips so you can take natural steps to protect you and yours from ticks, too.
But before we get to the tips, let’s talk about how to know if that bug you found is a tick.
Here’s how to identify a tick (especially Lyme ticks):
Ticks are tiny and oval-shaped. Adults are about the size of a sesame seed, and babies (called “nymphs”) are poppy seed-sized. When they’re feeding, they swell and become larger than normal.
When you’re trying to identify a tick, look for eight legs and long hook-like front legs.
There are two types of Lyme-carrying ticks: Blacklegged and Western Blacklegged (also known as deer ticks). These ticks have slightly longer bodies and a dark brown or reddish color.
Now that you know what to look for, here are nontoxic ways to repel ticks:
- Wear long clothes. We’re talking long pants, long-sleeved shirts, and long thick socks. Look for breathable hiking clothes that will cover you without turning you into a walking sauna. Make sure to tuck your pants into your socks so nothing can crawl up your pant leg.
- Take your outside clothes off immediately, and wash them as soon as possible. Remove everything you wore on your hike, picnic, or stroll through the woods. Ticks can be hard to detect, so better safe than sorry is always the safest approach!
- Stay away from tall grass. As majestic and “the hills are alive” as that flowy tall grass may look, it’s probably full of ticks. Tall grassy areas are their favorite spot, so I say let them have it and stick to hiking trails, paths, and shorter grassy areas.
- Avoid fragranced perfumes and lotions. Some scents may attract ticks (and other insects), so leave your favorite scented lotion or perfume at home. This includes sunscreens that contain fragrance. Check the ingredient labels of your creams before wearing them outside.
- Use topical nontoxic repellants. Look for natural tick sprays that contain geranium, lemongrass, thyme, or rosemary oils (I love this one from Badger). Studies show they’re just as effective as toxic pesticides like Deet. So avoid the chemicals and protect yourself with essential oils!
- Get clothes that contain permethrin. Permethrin is an insecticide designed to imitate a natural compound found in chrysanthemum flowers. It’s used on clothing to reduce and prevent insects biting you through your clothing. My family and I all wear special hiking clothes with permethrin sewn into them, and I swear by them.
- Do nightly tick checks. Have friends or family members check each other for ticks every night. Pay special attention to hidden places like the ears, armpits, groin, waistband, and behind the knees and neck. If you own pets, make sure you check them, too! Focus on their paws, ears, behind their rear legs, and around their neck and shoulders.
So what happens if you do find a tick? It’s important to know how to remove a tick that’s mid-bite. This is called a “buried tick,” because they bury their head in the skin when they bite.
Bonus: steps to safely remove a buried tick:
- Use fine tweezers, like tick removal tweezers. You need the right tool to safely grasp the tick without breaking it. Breaking a tick can leave the head embedded in the skin.
- Grab the tick as close to the skin as possible, and pull in an upward motion.
- Once the tick is removed, wash the bite area with soap and water (or rubbing alcohol if you don’t have it).
- If you think the tick could be carrying Lyme, store it and bring it to the doctor with you so they can send it to a lab for testing.
Now that you’re a tick prevention pro, get out there and enjoy the great outdoors!
Wishing you a tick-free summer,
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