How To Avoid Ticks In The Woods

How To Avoid Ticks In The Woods

Avoiding ticks in the woods is critical to preventing tick-borne illnesses like Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and others. Ticks live in brush, tall grass, and leaf litter, so hiking or spending time in wooded areas requires smart prevention strategies.

🌲 How To Avoid Ticks in the Woods

✅ 1. Dress for Protection

• Wear long sleeves and long pants
• Tuck pants into socks and shirt into waistband
• Choose light-colored clothing to spot ticks more easily

✅ 2. Use Tick Repellent

• Apply EPA-approved repellents on skin and clothes:
  • DEET (20–30%)
  • Picaridin
  • IR3535
  • Oil of lemon eucalyptus (natural option)
• Treat clothing, socks, and boots with permethrin spray (lasts through several washes)

⚠️ Never apply permethrin to skin.

✅ 3. Stick to the Center of Trails

• Avoid walking through brush, leaf piles, and tall grass
• Stay on clear, marked paths as ticks are often found along trail edges

✅ 4. Avoid Sitting Directly on the Ground

• Don’t sit on logs, rocks, or in leaf litter
• Use a blanket or camp chair if resting

✅ 5. Check Yourself Thoroughly After Outdoor Time

• Do a full-body tick check before going inside:
  • Behind knees, between toes
  • Under arms and waistband
  • Around ears, hairline, scalp
  • Groin area

🪞 Use a mirror or ask a friend to help check hard-to-see spots.

✅ 6. Shower Within 2 Hours of Coming Indoors

• Showering helps wash off unattached ticks and makes inspection easier

✅ 7. Dry Clothes on High Heat

• Ticks can survive washing, but 10 minutes in a hot dryer will kill them
• Do this even if you didn’t spot any ticks

✅ 8. Protect Pets, Too

• Use vet-recommended flea and tick preventatives
• Check your dog (especially paws, ears, neck, tail base) after time in the woods

✅ Summary: Tick Prevention Checklist for the Woods

Tip	Benefit
Wear long, light-colored clothes	Blocks and reveals ticks
Use tick repellent	Repels or kills ticks on contact
Stick to clear trails	Avoids high-risk tick areas
Do tick checks	Detects and removes ticks early
Shower and dry clothes	Removes/kills remaining ticks

🚫 What to Avoid

Mistake	Risk
Walking off trail	Higher tick exposure
Skipping tick checks	Increases chance of bites
Using essential oils only	Not consistently effective
Letting pets roam unchecked	Pets bring ticks home