Adventure Network : Stings & Bites : Ticks, Ticks & More Ticks: Repelling the little buggers.

by Michael Hodgson

The very thought of walking through a valley infested with ticks makes most human's skin crawl. Perhaps it is because of the ticks predilection to attaching itself firmly to its host and then draining a seemingly prodigious quantity of blood from those dark and moist places where we would rather not have something alien nibbling.

What do the experts recommend to prevent tick bites when adventuring in tick country? Wear long pants that are tucked into the socks as well as a long-sleeved shirt tucked securely into the pants and secured with a belt. Clothing should be light in color making it easier to spot ticks and tightly woven so ticks have trouble hanging on. Perform tick checks regularly, especially those dark, moist areas and crevices around the waistline, knees, breasts, armpits, ears and crotch. It is best to utilize a buddy system and no, this is not a good time to be modest.

A combination of DEET insect repellent applied to the skin and permethrin repellent applied directly to clothing, tents, sleeping bags and any surface other than skin are considered to be the most effective line of defense against ticks. Natural repellents should be avoided as they have no proven effectiveness against ticks.

What makes permethrin so good is that the human risks are dramatically minimized, since the chemical is applied directly to the outer fibers of gear or apparel. The permethrin chemically binds to the fibers which minimizes inward migration and possible skin contact. Permethrin-based products are designed to repel and kill arthropods or crawling insects-making them the preferred repellent for ticks. The currently available products will remain effective, repelling and killing mosquitoes, ticks and chiggers, for two weeks and through two launderings.

Permethrin-based products are sold under the following brand names: Permanone by Wisconsin Pharmacal (800/558-6614); and Permethrin Tick Repellent or Duranon, both by Coulston Products Inc. (800/445-9927).

If you head outdoors enough, however, you're going to encounter a tick or two, even with the best of precautions. What should you do when you find one of these little arthropods clinging to your body, draining blood?

Get as close as possible to the head, slowly pull the tick away from the skin without twisting or jerking. Although tweezers work, I prefer the Sawyer's Tick Plier (813 /725-1177) as you can easily slide the jaws beneath the body and extract the tick without squeezing the tick's body or cutting the tick.

If it becomes too difficult to remove the tick by pulling, try applying permethrin to a cotton swab and daubing it directly to the upper and lower surfaces of the tick. Wait 15 minutes and then try pulling the tick out again. The application of pesticide serves to relax the tick making it easier to remove. Once you have removed the tick, check tick and the bite area to be sure none of the tick is still attached and then wash the bite area with soap and water. Apply an antiseptic to the wound.

Try to identify the tick. If it is a Lone Star or deer tick, place it in a vial or polybag with a cotton swap soaked in alcohol to preserve it for analysis in case disease symptoms appear. The two most common diseases are Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.