How To Protect Yourself From Ticks In Nature, In The Forest, In The Country, Including Folk Remedies

2024 Author: Bailey Albertson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 12:53

The enemy will not pass: how to protect yourself from ticks in nature

Summer is the time for trips to the country, hiking in the forest and walking in the park. But, unfortunately, the joy of this time of year can be clouded by dangerous pests. Especially with ticks, the bites of which can be very dangerous indeed. Ticks are carriers of infections that lead to serious illness, sometimes disability and even death. Therefore, it is very important to know how to protect yourself from tick bites and their consequences.

Content

• 1 How to avoid meeting with ticks

  • 1.1 General safety measures

    • 1.1.1 Habitats of pests
    • 1.1.2 How to dress
    • 1.1.3 How to behave during and after a walk
  • 1.2 What means can you scare away ticks
  • 1.3 Video: how to protect yourself from ticks in nature

  • 1.4 How to protect yourself from ticks with folk remedies

    • 1.4.1 Essential oils
    • 1.4.2 Apple cider vinegar
    • 1.4.3 Onions or Garlic
    • 1.4.4 Birch tar
    • 1.4.5 Anthill
  • 1.5 Video: folk remedies for ticks and mosquitoes

How to avoid meeting ticks

Ticks begin to come out of hibernation when the air temperature rises above 5 ° C. In warmer regions, they become active already at the end of April, in mid-latitudes, the peak occurs in May - June. After that, activity declines and starts again in September. Soon the ticks will hibernate, and before that they need to eat well.

Tick activity occurs in May-June and September

General security measures

First of all, you need to figure out if there are preventive measures that will help us protect ourselves from ticks.

Pest habitats

The favorite habitats of ticks are deciduous and mixed shaded forests, bushes, thick tall grass. An important nuance is high humidity, more than 80%. That is, ticks love coolness, shade, moisture and cannot stand dryness and heat. That is why in July the peak of their activity is significantly reduced.

Contrary to popular belief that ticks live in trees, they actually live in grass.

How to dress

Going to the forest, park, meadow, think over your clothes: it can protect you from the attack of ticks. If it is not possible to put on a special suit, use your wardrobe, choosing things according to the following criteria:

• clothing should be made of fabric with a slippery structure so that the tick cannot grab its paws and crawl higher;
• on things of light shades, you will quickly notice the pest until it dug into the skin;
• wear closed shoes or rubber boots on your feet;
• wear long trousers and tuck them into shoes or socks;
• it is better to cover the neck with a high collar or kerchief;
• tuck the shirt or jacket into the trousers;
• on the sleeves of a shirt, sweaters should have tight cuffs;
• cover your head with a panama, hat or kerchief.

Ticks crawl upwards, so protect your lower body first. In addition, it is better to wear things with a zipper or no fasteners at all: the tick easily penetrates through the buttons and buttons.

I believe that the best option is still a special protective suit. Yes, it is not suitable for evening gatherings in the country, but in a forest hike for mushrooms and berries such a thing is really irreplaceable. The suit consists of trousers and a jacket made of light but dense fabric. A tick will not bite through this. In addition, such costumes are treated with insecticidal and acaricidal substances. So neither ticks, nor mosquitoes, nor midges in these clothes are scary.

These suits will protect you from ticks in the forest.

How to behave during and after a walk

When choosing a place for walking or parking, focus on open areas with trampled or low grass. Try not to walk on overgrown areas without protection during dew.

After a walk, shake up all your clothes, comb your hair thoroughly, carefully examine the body, especially the following parts:

• armpits;
• popliteal fossa;
• elbow cavities;
• neck;
• groin area;
• behind the ear;
• lower back;
• navel;

• hairline.

  

  Ticks are very fond of places near the hairline

These are the places that sweat the most, and mites love sweat.

What means can you scare away ticks

Clothes may not always be guaranteed to protect you from ticks. Use anti-mite medications to increase your chances. They are divided into 3 groups:

• acaricidal - destroy parasites;
• repellent - repel pests;

• combined - kill and repel the smell of ticks.

  

  There are three types of special anti-tick products

At the heart of acaricidal drugs is the substance alphamethrin. This aerosol agent has a paralytic effect on ticks that simply crumble from clothing. Among the most popular and effective are:

• spray Taiga-Anti-mite;
• plant origin Milbiol;
• Picnic Anti-tick;
• spray Allerhof;
• Tornado;
• Reftamide;
• aerosol Gardex Extreme.

These funds are very active and even toxic. They are not applied to the skin, but to clothing. Moreover, you need to wait until things are completely dry, and only then you can put them on.

Repellent drugs have a repellent effect on ticks. This is facilitated by diethyltoluamide. The action of the remedy lasts up to 5 days. The drugs are not toxic, so they can be applied not only to clothes, but also to the body. The most popular repellents include:

• Extreme against mosquitoes and ticks;
• Gardeks;
• DEFI-taiga;
• Gal-RET;
• Reftamide.

Combined products combine the qualities of both groups, so they are not recommended to be applied to the body. Most popular remedies:

• Gardex Extreme;
• disinfectant Medilis-comfort;
• aerosol Moskitol Special protection against ticks;
• Kra-Rep;
• Kaput mite.

Video: how to protect yourself from ticks in nature

How to protect yourself from ticks with folk remedies

Many people do not trust store-bought tick remedies because of their toxicity. In addition, it is not recommended to treat children with such substances, and it is they who are especially active during walks. Here, folk remedies will come to the rescue, completely safe for children and adults.

Essential oils

Strong oils such as:

• eucalyptus;
• ate;
• tea tree;
• clove.

Dissolve any of them in a ratio of 0.5 tsp. per 100 ml of water. Before going out into the woods, apply the solution to all exposed areas of the skin, spray the rest over the clothes. Ticks cannot tolerate these strong odors, so they will not attack you.

With a strong, persistent scent, essential oils repel ticks

Lavender and geranium also act on ticks. You can make perfume from their oils. For 1 glass of water add 2 tbsp. l. oils of any of these colors and a little alcohol. Pour the composition into a container with a tight lid and take it with you. The perfume will not lose its properties up to six months.

Apple vinegar

It is completely harmless to the skin (only on condition that it is natural), so you can safely lubricate your skin with it. And, of course, spray your clothes well. This strong smell also repels ticks.

Apple cider vinegar must be natural

Onion or garlic

Although the smell is not very pleasant, the mite does not like it for this. Eat some of these vegetables before leaving the house and rub your hands, neck, and ankles. There is an option that in addition to ticks, people will also scatter, but if you are an introvert, this even plays into your hands.

Eating a clove of garlic is enough to scatter the mites away from you.

Birch tar

It is also a harmless product with a very strong odor. You can grease your body and things with clean tar, but it is better to make a solution of 2 liters of water and 700 g of tar. Let it brew for a couple of days, and then pour into a container with a tight lid. If necessary, lubricate parts of the body free from clothing with the solution.

Another helper in the fight against ticks is birch tar

Anthill

This method is well known to hunters and foresters, and it will suit you. When you see an anthill (important - with forest ants), put your outer clothing on it and hold it for 10-15 minutes. Then just shake things so that the ants fall off them, put them on and go into the forest. Another option is formic alcohol, which is sold at the pharmacy. They can be used to lubricate the skin and spray on clothing.

Keeping your clothes on the nest will help scare the ticks.

Video: folk remedies for ticks and mosquitoes

It turns out that there are many means and methods for the prevention of tick bites. Thanks to them, you can easily protect yourself and your family from this scourge and you can safely avoid problems. And you can have fun at the dacha and walking in the woods. Have a nice summer!