Ticks are a common nuisance in the summertime. They’re blood-sucking parasites that can attach their tiny legs to your skin, and the bites they leave behind can become infected. Fortunately, ticks are easy to kill off with the proper method, but getting bitten is still a pain. So, how can you prevent tick bites while camping? Here are a few useful tips.
Where are Ticks Found in the United States?
As the weather warms up, ticks and mosquitoes start to appear. If you are in the western United States, a tick can be a nuisance, but it can be deadly in the East. A single bite can lead to Lyme Disease or Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.
They are found in the woods, grass, and wooded areas of our backyard. But they are also found in the grass and forested areas of areas such as the Pacific Northwest, the Rocky Mountain National Park, California, and the Pacific Northwest. Ticks are commonly found in the woods of these areas during the spring and summer months.
What is Lyme Disease?
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection transmitted by the bite of an infected deer tick. The disease is named after the towns of Lyme and Old Lyme.
Lyme Disease Symptoms in Humans
While most tick bites do not transmit Lyme disease, it is important to watch for the signs and symptoms of Lyme disease.
The symptoms may include a rash shaped like a bull’s eye, which would be red with a clear center, and maybe warm, but it may be quite small. Other symptoms may include fever, chills, swollen lymph nodes, fatigue, or headache. In most cases, the bull’s eye rash does not occur.
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
Spotted fever (also known as Rocky Mountain spotted fever, or RMSF) is one of the most dangerous diseases that can be transmitted to humans. It is found in many parts of the world. The main symptoms of RMSF are high fever, headache, chills, vomiting, diarrhea, and rash.
How to Prevent Tick Bites While Hiking and Camping
Ticks are very dangerous for your health. In general, walking through bushes or tall grass can lead to tick bites. If you want to walk through these areas, check your body after the walk for ticks. Use permethrin to treat your clothes or buy clothes that are treated with permethrin. Also, you can easily buy a repellent called picaridin, which is an insect repellent and also prevents tick bites.
To further prevent tick bites while hiking or camping, we recommend that you hike in the middle of the trail, where ticks are less likely to be found, and wear light-colored clothing.
How to keep ticks out of your tent
The best way to deal with ticks in your tent is to avoid letting them inside. Wear long pants and long sleeve shirts, tuck your pants into your socks, tightly close the openings of your tent and sleep with your head away from the entrance of the tent.
You should also be sure to do a quick tick check before you enter your tent.
How to check for ticks
Be sure to check yourself and your family members for ticks after camping. You should also check your pets for ticks after going to areas where they may have been bitten by ticks.
Ensure you check the areas of your body thoroughly that have thin skin (back of knees, hairline, groin, behind ears) as these are the most likely places that ticks will be found.
What to do if you find a tick
Remove it as soon as possible with a pair of tweezers, pulling straight out. Don’t twist, squeeze or crush the tick as this could leave parts of it in your skin.
How to Remove a Tick
The tick should be removed as soon as possible. Using a tick card or fine tweezers (with curved grips) is the best way to accomplish this so make sure you pack one before going camping. Grab the tick close to the skin’s surface – never by its body. Pull it out slowly without squeezing or turning it.
After removing, wash the bite and disinfect it with rubbing alcohol.
Along with his dog, he has camped out in all types of biomes and weather conditions all around the world and loves to share his experience throughout this site.
- Ways To Get Your Tech Obsessed Kids Outside - April 9, 2023
- Van Camping Hacks You’ll Love - April 9, 2023
- Trails For The Best Hiking In California - April 9, 2023