And.....It's Still Tick Time

Hunters and hikers will tell you. Tick time is still with us. With high temperatures and warm nights, ticks are turning up - and on people  again.  While undergrowth has died back, there are enough long grasses and brush to help remind us that ticks are active in fall in these unusally high warm temps.

The black-legged deer tick is the primary carrier of Lyme's disease. But don't despair. Usually, a tick has to be attached to you 36 to 48 hours or more before the Lyme disease bacterium can be transmitted. If you remove a tick quickly (usually within the first 24 hours), you reduce your chances of getting Lyme disease.

The good news is that the ticks are almost all adults so you can see them more easily than when they are in their nymph stage. And there are great ways to protect yourself!

Here are a few quick pre- and post-hike prevention tips that can help with peace of mind and no ticks attached to you!

• Wear light colored clothing (easier to find ticks on them).
• Tuck pants into socks. 
• Spray boots and pants legs with a Picaridin or DEET-containing insect repellent.
• Pro tip from WI DNR -after hikes, toss your hiking clothes into the dryer on high for a 10 minute spin (it kills the little beasties)
• Check your body carefully for any tick action post-hike
• Shower/wash hair (usually it takes from 24-36 hours after a tick attaches. A good scrub helps to dislodge them).
• Consider spraying a set of "hiking clothes" with Permethrin. 

I also have a set of Rynoskin tops and bottoms that work well during high tick seasons (they are also effective in preventing mosquitoes from drilling into you). They are easy to use, non-chemical way of giving you protection against your skin.

Don't let ticks stop you from enjoying hikes in these amazing November temperatures. Let's get out there!