How To Avoid Ticks While Hiking
Avoiding ticks while hiking is crucial to prevent bites and diseases like Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and anaplasmosis. Ticks are most active in warm months and live in grassy, brushy, or wooded areas—but the good news is you can significantly reduce your risk with a few simple strategies.
🥾 How To Avoid Ticks While Hiking
✅ 1. Stay on the Trail
- Avoid brushing up against tall grass, bushes, or leaf litter.
- Stick to the center of marked trails—don’t walk through overgrown areas or animal paths.
✅ 2. Wear Tick-Repelling Clothing
- Long sleeves and long pants
- Tuck pants into socks and shirt into waistband
- Choose light-colored clothing to spot ticks more easily
✅ 3. Use EPA-Approved Insect Repellents
- Apply repellent with:
- DEET (20–30%)
- Picaridin
- IR3535
- Oil of lemon eucalyptus
- Treat clothes, socks, and shoes with permethrin spray (kills ticks on contact)
⚠️ Never apply permethrin directly to your skin.
✅ 4. Do a Full-Body Tick Check After Hiking
- Inspect these common hiding spots:
- Behind knees
- Under arms
- Around waist and groin
- In and around ears
- Hairline and scalp
- Use a mirror or ask a hiking partner to check hard-to-see areas
✅ 5. Shower Within 2 Hours
- Showering helps remove ticks before they bite and allows for a thorough check.
- Wash off any remaining repellents or allergens too.
✅ 6. Dry Clothes on High Heat
- Ticks can survive cold washes.
- After hiking, toss clothes in the dryer on high heat for at least 10 minutes to kill any lingering ticks.
✅ 7. Protect Your Pets
- Use tick preventatives (like collars, topicals, or pills) if hiking with a dog.
- Check them thoroughly after your hike, especially around ears, paws, and neck.
✅ Summary: Tick-Avoidance Hiking Checklist
| Item/Action | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Long, light-colored clothing | Reduce exposure, easy tick spotting |
| Repellents (DEET, permethrin) | Repel or kill ticks |
| Stay on trail | Avoid tick habitats |
| Tick check after hike | Spot and remove ticks early |
| Shower within 2 hours | Remove unattached ticks |
| Dry clothes on high heat | Kill hidden ticks |
🚫 Common Mistakes to Avoid
| Mistake | Why It’s Risky |
|---|---|
| Hiking in sandals or shorts | Exposes skin to ticks |
| Sitting on logs or grass | Ticks can transfer easily |
| Skipping tick checks | Allows ticks to stay attached longer |
| Using essential oils only | Not proven to repel ticks effectively |