Mastering Tick-Proof Outdoor Lifestyle: Your Essential Guide
Summer Ticks Abound: Simple Strategies to Deter Them and Maintain Garden Safety
Looking to enjoy summertime outdoors without unwanted guests? Learn how to outsmart ticks and keep them at bay in this comprehensive guide.
Ticks carry a myriad of diseases, including Lyme disease—spread by deer ticks (black-legged ticks)—that can have lasting health impacts. Left unchecked, these diseases could lead to heart and central nervous system complications, as well as making you allergic to certain meats and animal byproducts from a Lone Star tick bite.
To safeguard your health and well-being when working in your garden or spending time outdoors, follow these practical tips and stay safe this summer.
1. Embrace Appropriate Attire
Jump-start tick protection with sensible wardrobe choices. Dress in long-sleeved shirts, long pants, high socks, boots, and hats to cover as much skin as possible. Opt for breathable, lightweight, and light-colored clothing to maximize your comfort, as well as making it easier to spot ticks.
Tuck in your shirt, tuck your pants into your socks, and avoid leaving exposed areas like your wrists or ankles to minimize tick entry points.
2. Arm Yourself with Tick-Repellent Armor
Armor up using proven tick repellents like DEET, picaridin, IR3535, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (OLE), para-menthane-diol (PMD), and 2-undecanone. These compounds, backed by the EPA, are effective against ticks and are safe for pregnant and breastfeeding women. Be mindful when using OLE or PMD on children under 3 years old.
Consider applying repellent to your clothing in addition to your skin for extended protection. Permethrin, another effective tick repellent, can be sprayed on clothing and outdoor gear and remains effective for several months. You can even buy clothing pre-treated with Permethrin or select a repellent with pre-treated properties, such as this spray from Sawyer on Amazon.
3. Design a Tick-Free Haven
Opt for a comprehensive approach to keep ticks out of your garden. Clear away leaf litter, woodpiles, and unkempt piles of sticks to reduce tick hiding spots. Trim your lawn frequently, removing tall grasses and brush both near your home and around the perimeter of your property to eliminate tick habitats.
Destroy invasive honeysuckle to deter both deer and ticks, as densely wooded areas with honeysuckle are favorite habitats for ticks. If your property has wooded borders, create a 3-foot wide barrier of gravel or wood chips at their edge to deter ticks from entering your outdoor space.
Maintaining a clean environment, using fencing or netting to restrict wildlife access, and incorporating tick-repellent plants into your garden can also create a more tick-resistant outdoor haven.
Incorporate expert-approved pollinator friendly products that bees and butterflies will love while making your space safer for you.
Unleash Your Inner-Gardener!
For the most effective tick defense, take advantage of these practical tips and stay proactive in maintaining a tick-free garden. Become a seasoned veteran in navigating summer's great outdoors, and enjoy a safer, healthier gardening experience.
About the Author
Laura Walters, a Content Editor who joined our platform in 2021, is thrilled to provide continuously engaging gardening content. With a BFA in Electronic Media from the University of Cincinnati, a certificate in Writing for Television from UCLA, and an impressive background in documentary filmmaking and local news, she's an expert at delivering garden know-how in an entertaining format.
Laura resides in Southwest Ohio, where she's cultivated her gardening passion for the past ten years. During her summers in Northern Michigan, she grows vegetables with an overcrowded flair on a piece of land up North. From her early dorm room days, Laura could never have imagined that gardening would transform into a source of both work and pleasure.
- To protect your health and well-being while working in the garden or outdoor spaces, consider investing in clothing treated with Permethrin or choosing repellent-treated clothing, such as the one from Sawyer on Amazon.
- To create a tick-resistant outdoor haven, employ a comprehensive approach by clearing away leaf litter, woodpiles, and unkempt piles of sticks, tramming your lawn frequently, and destroying invasive honeysuckle.
- Adopt a sustainable lifestyle by choosing pollinator-friendly products that support bees and butterflies in your garden while also contributing to a safer outdoor living experience.
- For a healthier lifestyle, embrace appropriate attire for outdoor activities by wearing long-sleeved shirts, long pants, high socks, boots, and hats, as well as employing tick-repellent products like DEET, picaridin, IR3535, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (OLE), para-menthane-diol (PMD), and 2-undecanone which are safe for pregnant and breastfeeding women.
