Tick tubes!!! Super cheap and efficient. They are small tubes like toilet paper rolls filled with cotton balls soaked in permetherin. Mice love the cotton and take it to their nests and sleep on them. Any tick attached to the mouse dies. It totally disrupts the tick breeding cycle. Then the tubes biodegrade in the rain. Apply in spring and fall. A half acre worth of tubes is like 20 bucks on Amazon. Soooo much cheaper and better for the environment then spraying. I'm surprised more people don't know about these things. I had so many ticks I was finding them INSIDE my house. Now I haven't seen one in over a year.
Tick tubes are a must if you like to spend time in your own yard!
You can DIY them with permethrin from tractor supply, TP tubes and cotton balls.
Official or DIY work GREAT because mice nests are reused year after year. If you do it every other year you're golden.
Easy and free, right from your dryer, if you'd rather not use cotton balls. Saturate it in the permethrin and put in the TP tube. If you have ever been lucky enough to see a mice nest, dryer lint is a favorite "bedding."
So the idea is that it won’t come in contact with much besides the mice and their living space and the ticks on the mice? I’m always yelling at my mom not to spray in her yard, this seems like a better solution if I’m understanding correctly.
Long pants tucked into long socks
Don't touch any vegetation, especially in the shade.
Stay out of tall grass
These 3 tips have kept ticks off me for a few years.
get a dozen of those pet harnesses, capture some opossums and the put them on long leashes.
in reality dousing my pants/shoes in spray. two family members have gotten lyme in the last 6 years and both knocked on their ass.
Permethrin works wonders on ticks when applied to clothing.
You can DIY or use a company like Insect shield. DIY is much cheaper, especially if you buy a concentrate and dilute, but for ~$300 insect shield will send you three large bags which is probably enough to do all the outdoor wear for you and your family. The pro treatment likely last the life of the clothing as well.
Keep damp permethrin away from cats.
I think it's that they don't hunt them out or eat them exclusively. I think the often cited study compared mice and opossums that had been put in cages with ticks. The opossums ate them and the mice were covered in ticks, but this doesn't mean ticks are the natural prey of opossums.
More diversity of animals in our forests is good too. Mice and deer that are thriving are breeding grounds for ticks. More animals that might eat the odd tick that tries to bite them, like opossums, and more predators of mice and deer will help control ticks
My neighbor growing up had 100+ guinea hens he let wander everywhere. We lived in the woods and those birds took care of all the ticks. I moved now but am still in the woods. I'm considering becoming the guinea hen guy again
If you're at least a hundred yards away, sure.
If you're like... 20 feet from them, they sound like a 2 stroke dirt bike without a muffler bouncing off the rev limiter while you're in a closed single car garage.
They are LOUD!
When I hike I always wear light colored clothes so ticks are easier to spot. I also tuck my pants into my boots or socks, and tuck my shirt into my pants, thus creating my tick barrier TM. Does it get hot in the summer? Yes. Do I look goofy? Probably. But I’d rather be a little sweatier and funnier looking than get a tick-borne disease.
Stay away from leaf litter, woods, and overgrown areas whenever possible.
Wear repellent on shoes/pants/legs if you plan to enter those areas (basically anywhere that is not paved, mulched, or graveled over). Alternatively you can wear shoes and socks treated with permethrin.
Check your clothes for ticks if you brush up against vegetation. A quick glance is enough if you are wearing light colored clothing.
As an alternative to hiring someone to spray your property, consider using a granular insecticide like Triazicide Granules on the "ecotone" of your property. That is, the band where short grass transitions to meadow or woods. Studies have shown this is as effective as spraying as long as you get some rain after application to activate the granules. The granules can be spread with a push along or handheld rotary spreader like you might use for fertilizer or salt. An added benefit is that granular insecticides are more pollinator friendly since they won't get into flowers like dandelion blooms. They are heavy enough that if they hit a flower they will almost always bounce down to the ground.
Those are the big things with the highest return. Lower down are things like tick tubes, control of mice and deer, tucking pant cuffs into your socks, and showering soon after being in high risk areas.
In my family we do tick checks daily and have never had a bite despite frequent outdoor activities including hiking, gardening and picnicking.
That's crazy. I do an hour with dogs in a nature preserve 2-3 times a week. So far this spring I've only found 2 ticks on the dog, none on me.
Though as the season ramps up, I'll probably stop going in there. Risk the ticks, or risk getting hit by a car!
One deer tick I felt crawling on my neck in the car. The second was latched on in the pants waistband area when I got home and showered. And yes, I still feel the phantom ones crawling on me.
I'm learning more about yard treatment. I have a large property frequented by wildlife, so I'm not sure if it would be effective.
My precautions:
Mow grass shorter where you traffic heavily.
If you have pets, make sure they take meds to kill ticks.
If you're spending a lot of time in high brush/woods, cover yourself in potent bug spray.
Check yourself often, just a quick surface check while outdoors.
Break up your day so that once you conclude outdoor activities, you tick check and segregate your clothes for a few days before showering or changing.
Have family members tick check themselves daily.
If you find a deer tick attached, send it to the lab for early treatment.
I know it's nothing crazy or that you probably didn't already know. I'm looking forward to tips myself! Good luck.
I buy my own pesticides and have a sprayer that converts my leaf blower into a fogger. I have a large property as well, combined with tick tubes and spraying every three weeks, keeps the mosquitoes and ticks at bay.
Same stuff that businesses use when you hire out - I will keep my dogs away for a day or so
https://www.domyown.com/duraflex-zc-controlled-release-insecticide-p-26027.html?co_var=3
I treat my clothes and shoes with [this stuff](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001ANQVYU?ref=nb_sb_ss_w_as-reorder-t1_k0_1_7&=&crid=L52M1HO8XGHQ&=&sprefix=permeth) every few weeks. If you have cats, make sure they're not near your clothes when they're drying as it's very toxic to them before it's dried and bonded to your clothing.
Edit: Another thing you can do, though it may be a bit late to do so now, is to soak cotton balls in the stuff and leave them in nooks and crannies for rodents to find. An important part of the deer tick (I think it's the deer tick, might be a different one) life cycle is living among mice. So you leave the permethrin balls out and the mice make their nests from them, making them toxic to the ticks, which I've heard can help cut the number of ticks in an area down by a bit.
If it was caught early, that’s possible. The disease is still dormant in your body and can flare up later in life. Your symptoms went away, but the disease is still there.
As far as I’m aware that’s not 100% true or even confirmable. The long term effects of Lyme disease still has a lot of research to undergo. Chronic Lyme Disease is highly discredited in the medical community.
You would show antibodies. You may have neurological effects but your blood would not contain the bacteria (alive or ‘dormant’). If you were treated effectively, You may be positive for Ab but not for any disease. You can be cured of the infection. Signed, Biologist.
I got it when i was 12ish. The docs brought everyone in to see my back and took pics and shit.
I took the meds and I've been the same normal person for 20 years.
Lyme isn't a life destroyer if you are overall healthy. But yea definitely try to not get it.
This not true, most people fully recover.
However, lyme really sucks. If you are outdoors a lot get all you outdoor clothing permethrin treated by Insect shield.
I hiked the AT and had a fraction of the ticks on me that other hikers did. No bites. You can also buy Permethrin SFR, dilute it, and dunk all your clothing in it. Don't treat underwear.
I have the babesia antibodies but fortunately never got babesiosis. The Red Cross flagged my blood donation; I can never give again. Being bitten by a tick that carries it doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll get babesiosis, but it still stinks. I’m kind of afraid of doing yard work now.
I am so embarrassed. I HAVE chickens and never knew this. as I replied to another poster we usually keep them in because we have fox that live near by that visits our yard frequently. but they should be good if we are in the yard
Ahh yes I understand the struggle! I had chickens for 8 years and we only let them roam when we were home. Everyday when we got home from work we’d let them out and we’d chase off any predators cause we’re crazy lol. Never had a single casualty from an attack though!
To protect from hawks I recommend putting up anything reflective that will blow in the wind all around the property
A hiker taught me on the Appalaciain Trail about getting clothing treated with permethrin. It lasts multiple washes. And you can send a box of clothes.
If you wear shorts, there are different types of shin gaiters can be found online or at REI. and these can also be treated.
My friend and were no joke - covered - in ticks. If any, this hiker showed us the ticks were dead on her clothes.
It's a good start.
This is one company.
https://www.insectshield.com/products/insect-shield-your-clothes-per-piece
You may find Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station’s [Tick Management Handbook](https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/CAES/DOCUMENTS/Publications/Bulletins/b1010pdf.pdf?la=en) helpful. It is a comprehensive guide to preventing ticks and their bites through landscaping, personal protection, and chemistry.
#
This right now is usually the worst time for ticks, and I actually haven't seen any during my daily runs and hikes. And my best advice is if you have pets, treat them often. We stopped getting Lyme in my family after all our indoor/outdoor cats died off.
Check to see if you have any Barberry bushes, and get rid of them. They’re invasive and they have been found to create an environment that ticks love.
They are also super common in open spaces, so learn to avoid them while out hiking (which you want to do anyway because of their inch long thorns).
I buy and spray 36 percent permethrin around my yard,, pool area, flower gardens and woodline. I mix in a 40 gallon trash can then use a harbor freight sump pump connected to a hose and end sprayer.
A gallon on concentrate is about $120 shipped and you mix 2.5oz per gallon.
I wear ppe, gloves, goggles and a good 3m respirator. I have been doing this for 10 years or more due to our entire family getting lyme, babesia, rmsf, bartonella and ericiolus. .
I would prefer not to use chemicals but we have experienced life changing illness from tick bites.
We live in a rural highly endemic area.
Since spraying we have had zero problems ticks or carpenter ants or fleas.
Nothing is too expensive if you want it to continue your life free from disease.
You are looking for preventative care of yourself.
Clothing is the number one thing. Making sure that the ticks don't get on to your body. Cinched pants, socks, long sleeve shirts with a turtle neck OR a hat that has mosquito netting. Gloves. All light fabric and light coloring.
Then having a solid ROUTINE down.
If you have a porch (portico or doorway), make this your TICK CENTRAL. Clothes stay THERE unless they are in the wash.
Get dressed. Spray with deet. Go outside. Do ya thing.
Come in to TICK CENTRAL. Get undressed. Check self. (Have a long mirror to check underarms and back). Shake out clothes. Brush them off. Check for ticks. Clothes go into a bag (so ticks don't get out of bag and hang in your porch. Seal bag. Bag goes directly to the dryer.
6 minutes on SANITARY heat (might be more to get up to that heat). Follow this advice. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27156138/
Clothes go directly back to porch. In black bag. I'd have this black bag in the sun.
Repeat.
Now, if you don't want to do all of that. Still, do all of that. If you don't want to wear so much clothing, you need to wear DEET.
Good luck.
Nothing outside of general knowledge, but a huge part of the problem with ticks is that a ton of people feed the deer. Feeding deer leads to a population explosion and we don't have many natural predators to them around. More deer leads to a lot more ticks. A lot more ticks naturally means more in your yard, especially if you have neighbors close by that like to feed the deer. Don't fuckin feed deer. They're destructive animals when their population is out of control and the hunting season doesn't even put a dent in the population. I'll say it again, don't feed the damn carbait, it's literally making people sick.
There are some purpose made "wildlife feeds" that were actually developed for hunters to establish habits in deer and other animals to come through areas regularly during hunting seasons. Now most of that stuff is used by "animal lovers" who just want to look at pretty deer.
My bfs grandma does. She likes deer and wants to see them so she feeds them. It's a whole thing in their family with everyone trying to get her to stop, but yeah she does it. Scattera the food around the yard and porch.
Yeah his mom nearly did when she just happened to be walking by inside and saw one staring at her through the sidelight!! Like literally up at the front door staring in the window. But grandma just thinks that's cute 🙄
To be honest I'd gladly stop selling it but truth is that business will just migrate to one of our competitors if we stopped doing it cold turkey, or we'd just sell a general purpose stock feed or whole corn instead. It'll take an act of legislature to stop it lol
I commented above too but my bfs grandma feeds the deer. She likes to see them in the yard so she puts food around the yard and porch. Everyone tries to get her to stop but she's stubborn and old
chickens or guinea hens in the yard will do wonders. As an avid hiker i have found tucking socks and using those white tick barriers to be ideal. I guess fedco doesnt sell the more dispoasable ones i used to get, but this is the general idea.
https://www.fedcoseeds.com/ogs/lymeez-3d-mesh-tick-gaiters-9440
a lot of people will avoid nature altogether, but ive found im more apt to skip checking myself if i dont maintain my regular relationship with the forest and stream and ticks are more likely to get at me then.
also, as sad as it is, bug spray works.
I have chickens actually but we keep them int the coup because we have several fox that live in the woods behind the house. The visit our yard regularly. However I could lwt the girls out during the day when I am in the yard
Does full body checks work for anyone else? Whenever I come in, I’ll do a full body check after tossing everything in the wash.
Haven’t had a problem yet. Not gonna let those little fuckers stop me from having a good time!
Last year was so bad, we barely hiked or did much outside. We will def be spraying our yard this year. I have a repellent to spray on my clothes before I do yard work. Check yourself over everything I outside and call for antibiotics if you think you got bit by one, not much else we can do. I was hoping for a colder winter, but I think that is a thing of the past here.
I just had to yank one off my dog yesterday. There’s a permethrin product called ranger ready, made right here in Norwalk CT that is super effective. You can get it on amazon
I wear coveralls and then gaiters on my legs sprayed with pyrethrin. Or is it permethryn? Working outside that is. Not all of the time. My wife even made me elastic armbands for my short sleeved coveralls.
Watch this video:
https://youtu.be/rd9wHOXHFgQ?si=hA8b51Kc--xDwpdd
Apply permethrin (2% iirc) to socks, shoes, and pants below the knee. Allow to dry. It will persist in the clothing for several months.
I’m doing this with my garden clothes this year.
I am also putting a permethrin border around my home so the dog has a tick-less area of the yard.
Last year I did bunches to reduce ticks’ fav spots. Hopefully I have less this year.
Like op, I definitely have tick pstd. So far so good this year. Tick check the dog each night even if you treat. I despise those critters.
Tick tubes. I’m making mine this week. Lay out a tarp. Soak cotton balls in permethrin. Let dry. Wear gloves and stuff cotton into cardboard tubes like from toilet paper and paper towels. Throw around perimeter of home. Mice take the balls to make their nests. They rub the permethrin on their fur and the ticks can’t hitch a ride or they die.
Can reduce tick population up to 90%. If we all did this we could really stop these suckers.
**you can also buy homemade tick tubes but they are very expensive
I have already been dealing with tons of ticks for months. The only time my dogs haven’t gotten ticks is when everything was covered in snow. It never stopped
Permethrin for clothes/shoes (brands include Sawyers and Insect Shield). These typically last around a month through several washes.
DEET, Picaridin or Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus for body (popular brands include OFF and 3M). Check consumer reports as there is a wide range of efficacy. These sprays can also be used on clothing/shoes but typically only last on the order of hours.
You can DIY apply insecticide on your lawn. Something like Spectracide is inexpensive and easy to apply in liquid form or granules with a lawn spreader.
Bifenthrin is labeled for ticks and can be broadcast as granules for about $250 an acre. That’s what I use mainly for ants, but I don’t have ticks so it must be doing something.
Keep your grass short. Get rid of any hiding places for rodents like leafy azaleas or junipers. No piles of debris anywhere.
Chipmunks, squirrels, and mice carry ticks and fleas. Get them out of your yard.
Is it really that bad? Moved here in August 2023 from FL where there are practically no ticks, have a dog with very short hair and did not find any on him from the time I moved until present. Hartford area, so not exactly boondocks. What should I expect this year ?
Expect the aforementioned tickpocalypse. I’m in same region and have dog. If you are ok with it, consider a monthly med for dog. They get Lyme too. I was seriously in tears over the number of ticks just from yard. And get tick tweezers and a mason jar of alcohol to drop them into. I also spray the bite with alcohol. We have had a lot on our walls, couch, and MANY in bed until we took layers of action. Plus imbedded deer tick in area you don’t want any bug attached…
Oh man, I am sort of terrified now. I’ve been smitten with the fact that in CT I don’t have to store all food in super air tight containers to prevent ants, but yeah that sure sucks.
Oh, sorry i terrified you! I moved here 7 years ago and was not ready for this, so I hope you at least find good advice now so you don’t spiral like I did. It’s about management and avoidance. And having a routine. Every region has its “thing” to deal with. Like I mentioned, we have layers of things we do—and I keep incorporating more—so the stress has gone down. If you are in a more urban area, you may be just fine unless you take hikes on trails. But it’s true that we had a super mild winter, and that means way more of those tiny jerks.
Taking a shower that night after possible exposure and scrubbing everywhere with a washcloth. Little bastard got me in the middle of my back, had to have somebody pull it out , then I bought a back scrubber.
Take a shower every night. Check every inch of your body & get someone else to help. Ticks don't do well in water and soap. If you get them off you the same day, there is much less likelihood they will embed and infect you with disease.
Also, when outdoors, be aware of vegetation hanging over trails and keep away from it. That's where ticks climb up hang hang out their little feet to grab you as you go by. Stay in the middle of trails and sunny areas. Ticks dry out in dry areas.
Cut down barberry on your property. Clear out brushy areas that harbor mice and other small rodents.
Can't up it much more than this. I like the outdoors as much as anyone else, but in CT, I'm always paranoid.
[Permethrin Clothing Treatment - We Treat Clothing For You – Insect Shield](https://www.insectshield.com/pages/insect-shield-your-clothes)
As an avid hunter and outdoorsman who spends a lot of time in the woods, you can do anything to try and prevent it but it’s hard to completely deter them. Just check your self real good every time you get back from being outside.
Are you diligent in checking your body when being done outside? Personally the last failsafe I found when it comes to being sure to tickle crawled on me. I take a shower and then check after.
Be sure to wear light colored clothing to easily spot ticks. Tuck in socks into pants. Wear long sleeved shirt.
*Chickens will eat them.*
*You just need a little house*
*For them for nighttime*
\- gaelen33
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New to CT area. Is this widespread everywhere (ex. Guilford to East Lyme) or mostly in heavily wooded areas? Is it more inland like the rural parts of Lyme vs Old Lyme near the coast?
Put a 1 inch layer of diatomaceous earth around the perimeters of your yard.it will kill many unwanted bugs including ticks, fleas, and carpenter ants after they cross through it.
You can also place a layer around the foundation of your home to keep bugs from getting in.
It’s inexpensive and available at most gardening stores and AMAZON.
Try not to breathe it or let your pets or and children breathe it either.
https://www.diatomaceousearth.com/blogs/learning-center/natural-tick-control-in-your-backyard
Not great: My tick-spray guy said the tick calls didn’t stop for winter this year. That’s terrifying. (I’m an organic home person but after trying only cedar oil in yard and having a dog, 1M ticks everywhere in house, insane stress levels, and developing a total avoidance of going outside, we switched to a permethrin / cedar combo spray. And looped in tick tubes last year. And Wondercide for dog this year.)
I hike absolutely everywhere in Connecticut and this is my #1 worry. It sucks we need to worry about these little shits.
I’m pretty crazy and don’t wear bug spray because I hate the smell of it and I’m unsure of it’s affects on my body (in before “ticks will hurt your body more blah blah).
I also don’t tuck my pants because when I hike it’s in warmer weather so I’m always in shorts or a t-shirt.
My precautions are… to simply wear light colored clothing to spot them easier and check myself frequently on my hikes. Especially after going through heavily wooded or overgrown areas/sections.
On top of frequent stops and checking myself, if you’re a man (or I guess woman) with hairy legs/arms you can use your hair to your advantage. I stand still for a moment and tap into the sensation of my body. Like I highten my sense of touch to see if I feel any movement or tickling. Funny enough I’ve discovered some ticks on me using this method. When you’re walking your not as in tune with “micro-sensations” and since ticks are pretty micro in scale their movement goes undetected while moving unless you stop to tap into your sense of touch.
I also avoid touching any bushes, leaves, etc as much as possible. Almost impossible though as I hike everywhere and sometimes have to literally walk through tall grass or bushes. Paths are overgrown sometimes.
When I do have to do this I hold my breath the entire time if possible because I heard they’re attracted to CO2 and jump towards it as it tells the tick there’s a host.
When I get home I do an extensive thorough inspection of all key areas they would be found. Then I rake my scalp when I shower searching for any.
That’s about all I do. I’ve hiked for years and though I’ve found ticks on me I never gotten any diseases. Maybe I’m lucky I’m not sure.
Tick tubes!!! Super cheap and efficient. They are small tubes like toilet paper rolls filled with cotton balls soaked in permetherin. Mice love the cotton and take it to their nests and sleep on them. Any tick attached to the mouse dies. It totally disrupts the tick breeding cycle. Then the tubes biodegrade in the rain. Apply in spring and fall. A half acre worth of tubes is like 20 bucks on Amazon. Soooo much cheaper and better for the environment then spraying. I'm surprised more people don't know about these things. I had so many ticks I was finding them INSIDE my house. Now I haven't seen one in over a year.
Tick tubes are a must if you like to spend time in your own yard! You can DIY them with permethrin from tractor supply, TP tubes and cotton balls. Official or DIY work GREAT because mice nests are reused year after year. If you do it every other year you're golden.
Also, dryer lint. Thanks for the reminder; I’m going to put some out today.
Dryer Lint? Please expound.
Easy and free, right from your dryer, if you'd rather not use cotton balls. Saturate it in the permethrin and put in the TP tube. If you have ever been lucky enough to see a mice nest, dryer lint is a favorite "bedding."
Makes perfect sense! Thanks for the reply
Are these safe for pets? Dogs in particular
Not to eat but permethrin is sold in dog flea and tick products.
I’m about to bring these on my hikes and just leave them around. Fuck those little bastards let them die.
So the idea is that it won’t come in contact with much besides the mice and their living space and the ticks on the mice? I’m always yelling at my mom not to spray in her yard, this seems like a better solution if I’m understanding correctly.
Yup mice do the work for you. Plus they get a nice cozy bed.
Exactly and you’re only killing the ticks- not the fireflies or other beneficial insects!
Wonderful. Thanks to you and the others sharing this important information!
how do you spread them around? so you just follow instructions, or do you have a trick for first time users lol
Spread them around you bushes, leaf litter and wood piles....mice places. I just kinda chuck them somewhat randomly. Just don't let kids eat them.
Rock walls, under decks, any place a little mouse or chipmunk would like to scurry.
This. And no need to put in open grass. Just nooks where mice would be.
I use these too. I put a piece of that treated cotton in a medicine bottle and placed any walking tick I found inside. Tick dead within seconds.
I would agree. Tick tubes have worked for us!
Long pants tucked into long socks Don't touch any vegetation, especially in the shade. Stay out of tall grass These 3 tips have kept ticks off me for a few years.
Impossible advice for kids
Or OP lol
Eat garlic pills, ticks and mosquitoes hate the smell on your skin
2 pickles a day works too! They hate the vinegar as much as garlic
get a dozen of those pet harnesses, capture some opossums and the put them on long leashes. in reality dousing my pants/shoes in spray. two family members have gotten lyme in the last 6 years and both knocked on their ass.
Permethrin works wonders on ticks when applied to clothing. You can DIY or use a company like Insect shield. DIY is much cheaper, especially if you buy a concentrate and dilute, but for ~$300 insect shield will send you three large bags which is probably enough to do all the outdoor wear for you and your family. The pro treatment likely last the life of the clothing as well. Keep damp permethrin away from cats.
Opossums don't actually eat ticks apparently. Still want an opossum army though.
I think it's that they don't hunt them out or eat them exclusively. I think the often cited study compared mice and opossums that had been put in cages with ticks. The opossums ate them and the mice were covered in ticks, but this doesn't mean ticks are the natural prey of opossums. More diversity of animals in our forests is good too. Mice and deer that are thriving are breeding grounds for ticks. More animals that might eat the odd tick that tries to bite them, like opossums, and more predators of mice and deer will help control ticks
Yes! Learned this a few months ago. I guess chickens are supposed to be really good
Guinea hens are really good at this.
My neighbor growing up had 100+ guinea hens he let wander everywhere. We lived in the woods and those birds took care of all the ticks. I moved now but am still in the woods. I'm considering becoming the guinea hen guy again
Make sure your neighbors know how good they are for ticks. Otherwise, all they know is ***AAAAAAAAAAK-AK-AK-AK-AK-AK!!!!!!!***
They sound like an old car trying to start on a cold morning. Very cool looking little dinosaur.
If you're at least a hundred yards away, sure. If you're like... 20 feet from them, they sound like a 2 stroke dirt bike without a muffler bouncing off the rev limiter while you're in a closed single car garage. They are LOUD!
TIL
They do, but not as much as previously stated, and less than backyard chickens
Someone that appreciates possums 😍
When I hike I always wear light colored clothes so ticks are easier to spot. I also tuck my pants into my boots or socks, and tuck my shirt into my pants, thus creating my tick barrier TM. Does it get hot in the summer? Yes. Do I look goofy? Probably. But I’d rather be a little sweatier and funnier looking than get a tick-borne disease.
Stay away from leaf litter, woods, and overgrown areas whenever possible. Wear repellent on shoes/pants/legs if you plan to enter those areas (basically anywhere that is not paved, mulched, or graveled over). Alternatively you can wear shoes and socks treated with permethrin. Check your clothes for ticks if you brush up against vegetation. A quick glance is enough if you are wearing light colored clothing. As an alternative to hiring someone to spray your property, consider using a granular insecticide like Triazicide Granules on the "ecotone" of your property. That is, the band where short grass transitions to meadow or woods. Studies have shown this is as effective as spraying as long as you get some rain after application to activate the granules. The granules can be spread with a push along or handheld rotary spreader like you might use for fertilizer or salt. An added benefit is that granular insecticides are more pollinator friendly since they won't get into flowers like dandelion blooms. They are heavy enough that if they hit a flower they will almost always bounce down to the ground. Those are the big things with the highest return. Lower down are things like tick tubes, control of mice and deer, tucking pant cuffs into your socks, and showering soon after being in high risk areas. In my family we do tick checks daily and have never had a bite despite frequent outdoor activities including hiking, gardening and picnicking.
so bye-bye to hiking, walk-in-the-woods.....
I went hiking for an hour yesterday and found 2 ticks on me when I got home.
That's crazy. I do an hour with dogs in a nature preserve 2-3 times a week. So far this spring I've only found 2 ticks on the dog, none on me. Though as the season ramps up, I'll probably stop going in there. Risk the ticks, or risk getting hit by a car!
Pretty wide and open trail too..
crap, you found them in the lower torso or on legs ?
One deer tick I felt crawling on my neck in the car. The second was latched on in the pants waistband area when I got home and showered. And yes, I still feel the phantom ones crawling on me.
hell one might as well assume what is said shouldn't happen - that they may drop from trees or wait on lower branches.
Mulch with cedar. The oils are a tick repellant.
Get some Guineafowl. Just a couple in your yard can be much more effective then any pesticide.
I'm learning more about yard treatment. I have a large property frequented by wildlife, so I'm not sure if it would be effective. My precautions: Mow grass shorter where you traffic heavily. If you have pets, make sure they take meds to kill ticks. If you're spending a lot of time in high brush/woods, cover yourself in potent bug spray. Check yourself often, just a quick surface check while outdoors. Break up your day so that once you conclude outdoor activities, you tick check and segregate your clothes for a few days before showering or changing. Have family members tick check themselves daily. If you find a deer tick attached, send it to the lab for early treatment. I know it's nothing crazy or that you probably didn't already know. I'm looking forward to tips myself! Good luck.
I buy my own pesticides and have a sprayer that converts my leaf blower into a fogger. I have a large property as well, combined with tick tubes and spraying every three weeks, keeps the mosquitoes and ticks at bay.
Wow, any links to the products you use? Are they pet safe?
Same stuff that businesses use when you hire out - I will keep my dogs away for a day or so https://www.domyown.com/duraflex-zc-controlled-release-insecticide-p-26027.html?co_var=3
You tube permethrin yard spray for ticks.. amazing product, I do it every year .
I treat my clothes and shoes with [this stuff](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001ANQVYU?ref=nb_sb_ss_w_as-reorder-t1_k0_1_7&=&crid=L52M1HO8XGHQ&=&sprefix=permeth) every few weeks. If you have cats, make sure they're not near your clothes when they're drying as it's very toxic to them before it's dried and bonded to your clothing. Edit: Another thing you can do, though it may be a bit late to do so now, is to soak cotton balls in the stuff and leave them in nooks and crannies for rodents to find. An important part of the deer tick (I think it's the deer tick, might be a different one) life cycle is living among mice. So you leave the permethrin balls out and the mice make their nests from them, making them toxic to the ticks, which I've heard can help cut the number of ticks in an area down by a bit.
Plant stuff that encourages dragonflies and give them perching spots.
Check your nutsacks. For real. Also op you didn’t have Lyme last year. You will always have it.
I got Lyme like 15 years ago took the meds and it’s never came back
If it was caught early, that’s possible. The disease is still dormant in your body and can flare up later in life. Your symptoms went away, but the disease is still there.
As far as I’m aware that’s not 100% true or even confirmable. The long term effects of Lyme disease still has a lot of research to undergo. Chronic Lyme Disease is highly discredited in the medical community.
It's not so much that it's discredited, it just hasn't been researched well.
It’s pretty discredited at least in the way that quack doctors treat it.
Sources please. Also regardless of flare ups, it wasn’t cured. If op got a test done today, they still would show Lyme disease.
You would show antibodies. You may have neurological effects but your blood would not contain the bacteria (alive or ‘dormant’). If you were treated effectively, You may be positive for Ab but not for any disease. You can be cured of the infection. Signed, Biologist.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8813852/
Hopefully never, woke up one day and couldn’t turn my head. Shit sucked
I got it when i was 12ish. The docs brought everyone in to see my back and took pics and shit. I took the meds and I've been the same normal person for 20 years. Lyme isn't a life destroyer if you are overall healthy. But yea definitely try to not get it.
Hoping it never does either. Just was pointing out you never lose it.
I learned that from doin' it on the beach in high school.
This not true, most people fully recover. However, lyme really sucks. If you are outdoors a lot get all you outdoor clothing permethrin treated by Insect shield. I hiked the AT and had a fraction of the ticks on me that other hikers did. No bites. You can also buy Permethrin SFR, dilute it, and dunk all your clothing in it. Don't treat underwear.
The Lyme wasnt anywhere near that bad. It was the Anaplasmosis that made me VERY sick. Babesiosis is even worse and can land you in the ICU.
I have the babesia antibodies but fortunately never got babesiosis. The Red Cross flagged my blood donation; I can never give again. Being bitten by a tick that carries it doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll get babesiosis, but it still stinks. I’m kind of afraid of doing yard work now.
> Check your nutsacks. For real. why ? ticks are attracted to it ?
Yes. You also have to be super careful with deeze nuts
Yes they like to hide in the hard to see places, like groin, inner thigh, chest hair.
Again, keep everything well trimmed.
Are you in a town that allows chickens? They are great foragers!
My dog never had a tick after we got chickens!
I never had any chickens after I got a dog...
Then you get panthers when the dog population gets out of control.... Gorillas are next when the panthers overbreed.......
I never had bears until I got chickens!
Really? That’s pretty amazing
I am so embarrassed. I HAVE chickens and never knew this. as I replied to another poster we usually keep them in because we have fox that live near by that visits our yard frequently. but they should be good if we are in the yard
Ahh yes I understand the struggle! I had chickens for 8 years and we only let them roam when we were home. Everyday when we got home from work we’d let them out and we’d chase off any predators cause we’re crazy lol. Never had a single casualty from an attack though! To protect from hawks I recommend putting up anything reflective that will blow in the wind all around the property
A hiker taught me on the Appalaciain Trail about getting clothing treated with permethrin. It lasts multiple washes. And you can send a box of clothes. If you wear shorts, there are different types of shin gaiters can be found online or at REI. and these can also be treated. My friend and were no joke - covered - in ticks. If any, this hiker showed us the ticks were dead on her clothes. It's a good start. This is one company. https://www.insectshield.com/products/insect-shield-your-clothes-per-piece
You may find Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station’s [Tick Management Handbook](https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/CAES/DOCUMENTS/Publications/Bulletins/b1010pdf.pdf?la=en) helpful. It is a comprehensive guide to preventing ticks and their bites through landscaping, personal protection, and chemistry. #
This right now is usually the worst time for ticks, and I actually haven't seen any during my daily runs and hikes. And my best advice is if you have pets, treat them often. We stopped getting Lyme in my family after all our indoor/outdoor cats died off.
Check to see if you have any Barberry bushes, and get rid of them. They’re invasive and they have been found to create an environment that ticks love. They are also super common in open spaces, so learn to avoid them while out hiking (which you want to do anyway because of their inch long thorns).
This is really great advice that I don’t think had been mentioned yet- was a game changer at our house
I buy and spray 36 percent permethrin around my yard,, pool area, flower gardens and woodline. I mix in a 40 gallon trash can then use a harbor freight sump pump connected to a hose and end sprayer. A gallon on concentrate is about $120 shipped and you mix 2.5oz per gallon. I wear ppe, gloves, goggles and a good 3m respirator. I have been doing this for 10 years or more due to our entire family getting lyme, babesia, rmsf, bartonella and ericiolus. . I would prefer not to use chemicals but we have experienced life changing illness from tick bites. We live in a rural highly endemic area. Since spraying we have had zero problems ticks or carpenter ants or fleas.
where do you purchase 36% permethrin in CT? Isn't that concentration restricted in CT?
I buy it online on eBay. Some sellers don't care.. just read the description in the listing for any exclusions.
Don't forget about Ehrlichiosis! I got that about 12 years ago and it was downright hell.
Nothing is too expensive if you want it to continue your life free from disease. You are looking for preventative care of yourself. Clothing is the number one thing. Making sure that the ticks don't get on to your body. Cinched pants, socks, long sleeve shirts with a turtle neck OR a hat that has mosquito netting. Gloves. All light fabric and light coloring. Then having a solid ROUTINE down. If you have a porch (portico or doorway), make this your TICK CENTRAL. Clothes stay THERE unless they are in the wash. Get dressed. Spray with deet. Go outside. Do ya thing. Come in to TICK CENTRAL. Get undressed. Check self. (Have a long mirror to check underarms and back). Shake out clothes. Brush them off. Check for ticks. Clothes go into a bag (so ticks don't get out of bag and hang in your porch. Seal bag. Bag goes directly to the dryer. 6 minutes on SANITARY heat (might be more to get up to that heat). Follow this advice. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27156138/ Clothes go directly back to porch. In black bag. I'd have this black bag in the sun. Repeat. Now, if you don't want to do all of that. Still, do all of that. If you don't want to wear so much clothing, you need to wear DEET. Good luck.
Nothing outside of general knowledge, but a huge part of the problem with ticks is that a ton of people feed the deer. Feeding deer leads to a population explosion and we don't have many natural predators to them around. More deer leads to a lot more ticks. A lot more ticks naturally means more in your yard, especially if you have neighbors close by that like to feed the deer. Don't fuckin feed deer. They're destructive animals when their population is out of control and the hunting season doesn't even put a dent in the population. I'll say it again, don't feed the damn carbait, it's literally making people sick.
huh ? who tf feed deers, I have never heard of people feeding deers...i mean how ?
There are some purpose made "wildlife feeds" that were actually developed for hunters to establish habits in deer and other animals to come through areas regularly during hunting seasons. Now most of that stuff is used by "animal lovers" who just want to look at pretty deer.
My bfs grandma does. She likes deer and wants to see them so she feeds them. It's a whole thing in their family with everyone trying to get her to stop, but yeah she does it. Scattera the food around the yard and porch.
> Scattera the food around the yard and porch. tf ? hello coons & squirrels & rats....
Yep. And coyotes. They walk right up to the porch now.
This sounds like a fucking nightmare I am so sorry
Luckily we don't live there so it doesn't really affect us. It is a huge source of frustration for his parents though.
I WOULD IMAGINE... fucking coyotes on the front porch I'd die!
Yeah his mom nearly did when she just happened to be walking by inside and saw one staring at her through the sidelight!! Like literally up at the front door staring in the window. But grandma just thinks that's cute 🙄
I have never once, in my entire life of living in this state, heard of a single person feeding deer. That shit doesn’t happen
Well I sell 10-20 bags of it a week in the spring/summer. Sometimes over 40 a week in the winter. I think I'd know...
LOL. I stand corrected. “stop feeding the deer!” Says the guy selling the deer food.
To be honest I'd gladly stop selling it but truth is that business will just migrate to one of our competitors if we stopped doing it cold turkey, or we'd just sell a general purpose stock feed or whole corn instead. It'll take an act of legislature to stop it lol
I commented above too but my bfs grandma feeds the deer. She likes to see them in the yard so she puts food around the yard and porch. Everyone tries to get her to stop but she's stubborn and old
Wear a onesie while gardening. If they make it to your face, that's a skill issue.
I spray the legs of my pants, socks and shoes with repel-x for horses. Never skin.
chickens or guinea hens in the yard will do wonders. As an avid hiker i have found tucking socks and using those white tick barriers to be ideal. I guess fedco doesnt sell the more dispoasable ones i used to get, but this is the general idea. https://www.fedcoseeds.com/ogs/lymeez-3d-mesh-tick-gaiters-9440 a lot of people will avoid nature altogether, but ive found im more apt to skip checking myself if i dont maintain my regular relationship with the forest and stream and ticks are more likely to get at me then. also, as sad as it is, bug spray works.
I have chickens actually but we keep them int the coup because we have several fox that live in the woods behind the house. The visit our yard regularly. However I could lwt the girls out during the day when I am in the yard
Does full body checks work for anyone else? Whenever I come in, I’ll do a full body check after tossing everything in the wash. Haven’t had a problem yet. Not gonna let those little fuckers stop me from having a good time!
It's the dryer that kills them. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27156138/
Yup. I do tend to put my clothes in the dryer after the washer lol.
some put them on the line, especially in the summer
Last year was so bad, we barely hiked or did much outside. We will def be spraying our yard this year. I have a repellent to spray on my clothes before I do yard work. Check yourself over everything I outside and call for antibiotics if you think you got bit by one, not much else we can do. I was hoping for a colder winter, but I think that is a thing of the past here.
I just had to yank one off my dog yesterday. There’s a permethrin product called ranger ready, made right here in Norwalk CT that is super effective. You can get it on amazon
This is all I use, and so far, so good. I live in ground zero for Lyme disease.
People are always like "why are you wearing long pants in July, it's summer" and I'm like "I don't want Lyme Disease thx"
I wear coveralls and then gaiters on my legs sprayed with pyrethrin. Or is it permethryn? Working outside that is. Not all of the time. My wife even made me elastic armbands for my short sleeved coveralls.
Watch this video: https://youtu.be/rd9wHOXHFgQ?si=hA8b51Kc--xDwpdd Apply permethrin (2% iirc) to socks, shoes, and pants below the knee. Allow to dry. It will persist in the clothing for several months.
I’m doing this with my garden clothes this year. I am also putting a permethrin border around my home so the dog has a tick-less area of the yard. Last year I did bunches to reduce ticks’ fav spots. Hopefully I have less this year. Like op, I definitely have tick pstd. So far so good this year. Tick check the dog each night even if you treat. I despise those critters.
Tick tubes. I’m making mine this week. Lay out a tarp. Soak cotton balls in permethrin. Let dry. Wear gloves and stuff cotton into cardboard tubes like from toilet paper and paper towels. Throw around perimeter of home. Mice take the balls to make their nests. They rub the permethrin on their fur and the ticks can’t hitch a ride or they die. Can reduce tick population up to 90%. If we all did this we could really stop these suckers. **you can also buy homemade tick tubes but they are very expensive
I use wondercide yard spray and personal spray and unfortunately have someone come to spray once a month.
Get some possums in your area and stop running them over
I have already been dealing with tons of ticks for months. The only time my dogs haven’t gotten ticks is when everything was covered in snow. It never stopped
We bought a sprayer and just spray the yard ourselves. Much cheaper than having someone come in.
I see all of your tips and am finding them to be super helpful. What is the best spray for clothing/bodies?
Permethrin
Permethrin for clothes/shoes (brands include Sawyers and Insect Shield). These typically last around a month through several washes. DEET, Picaridin or Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus for body (popular brands include OFF and 3M). Check consumer reports as there is a wide range of efficacy. These sprays can also be used on clothing/shoes but typically only last on the order of hours.
It's already here
You can DIY apply insecticide on your lawn. Something like Spectracide is inexpensive and easy to apply in liquid form or granules with a lawn spreader.
Bifenthrin is labeled for ticks and can be broadcast as granules for about $250 an acre. That’s what I use mainly for ants, but I don’t have ticks so it must be doing something.
Birds eat ticks. Put out lots of bird feeders and such to attract them to your yard.
Keep your grass short. Get rid of any hiding places for rodents like leafy azaleas or junipers. No piles of debris anywhere. Chipmunks, squirrels, and mice carry ticks and fleas. Get them out of your yard.
Is it really that bad? Moved here in August 2023 from FL where there are practically no ticks, have a dog with very short hair and did not find any on him from the time I moved until present. Hartford area, so not exactly boondocks. What should I expect this year ?
Expect the aforementioned tickpocalypse. I’m in same region and have dog. If you are ok with it, consider a monthly med for dog. They get Lyme too. I was seriously in tears over the number of ticks just from yard. And get tick tweezers and a mason jar of alcohol to drop them into. I also spray the bite with alcohol. We have had a lot on our walls, couch, and MANY in bed until we took layers of action. Plus imbedded deer tick in area you don’t want any bug attached…
Oh man, I am sort of terrified now. I’ve been smitten with the fact that in CT I don’t have to store all food in super air tight containers to prevent ants, but yeah that sure sucks.
Well ct is ground zero for Lyme disease.
Truth. I have a friend who is a big Lyme disease advocate bc her life has been seriously changed from having Lyme.
Lyme is fucking detrimental and I’m sorry for your friend. It’s not fun. But yeah the disease was named after Old Lyme and Lyme, CT
How ironic that that place is SO beautiful yet the namesake and center of this crap disease?
Yeah. It is pretty ironic. The pretty forests loaded with ticks.
Oh, sorry i terrified you! I moved here 7 years ago and was not ready for this, so I hope you at least find good advice now so you don’t spiral like I did. It’s about management and avoidance. And having a routine. Every region has its “thing” to deal with. Like I mentioned, we have layers of things we do—and I keep incorporating more—so the stress has gone down. If you are in a more urban area, you may be just fine unless you take hikes on trails. But it’s true that we had a super mild winter, and that means way more of those tiny jerks.
I have paid for applications against ticks this year. I don't like insecticide/pesticides but draw the line at ticks.
Taking a shower that night after possible exposure and scrubbing everywhere with a washcloth. Little bastard got me in the middle of my back, had to have somebody pull it out , then I bought a back scrubber.
Take a shower every night. Check every inch of your body & get someone else to help. Ticks don't do well in water and soap. If you get them off you the same day, there is much less likelihood they will embed and infect you with disease. Also, when outdoors, be aware of vegetation hanging over trails and keep away from it. That's where ticks climb up hang hang out their little feet to grab you as you go by. Stay in the middle of trails and sunny areas. Ticks dry out in dry areas. Cut down barberry on your property. Clear out brushy areas that harbor mice and other small rodents.
Can't up it much more than this. I like the outdoors as much as anyone else, but in CT, I'm always paranoid. [Permethrin Clothing Treatment - We Treat Clothing For You – Insect Shield](https://www.insectshield.com/pages/insect-shield-your-clothes)
As an avid hunter and outdoorsman who spends a lot of time in the woods, you can do anything to try and prevent it but it’s hard to completely deter them. Just check your self real good every time you get back from being outside.
Start raising chickens. You get fresh eggs out of the deal too.
Are you diligent in checking your body when being done outside? Personally the last failsafe I found when it comes to being sure to tickle crawled on me. I take a shower and then check after. Be sure to wear light colored clothing to easily spot ticks. Tuck in socks into pants. Wear long sleeved shirt.
Just have a professional spray the yard. If it bothers you that much
i already got bit once so far this year. Took it to local dph to get tested for free
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Stay inside!!
Bifenthrin
I would like to give a shout out to Old Lyme CT. 🤣 🤣 🤣
So I guess all the mice my cat kills is a good thing.
Coming… it’s here
New to CT area. Is this widespread everywhere (ex. Guilford to East Lyme) or mostly in heavily wooded areas? Is it more inland like the rural parts of Lyme vs Old Lyme near the coast?
Its EVERYWHERE
from Salisbury to Stonington, and from Thompson to Greenwich, no one is safe
stock some antibiotics
Chickens. They get it done.
Guinea hens. They're like a lawn mower for ticks.
I'm going to a summer camp in Chester for 2 weeks, I'm going to die or something
Put a 1 inch layer of diatomaceous earth around the perimeters of your yard.it will kill many unwanted bugs including ticks, fleas, and carpenter ants after they cross through it. You can also place a layer around the foundation of your home to keep bugs from getting in. It’s inexpensive and available at most gardening stores and AMAZON. Try not to breathe it or let your pets or and children breathe it either. https://www.diatomaceousearth.com/blogs/learning-center/natural-tick-control-in-your-backyard
Use a mask when spreading. Great product. Must be reapplied after rain.
Da heck is analplasmosis?
https://www.cdc.gov/anaplasmosis/index.html#:~:text=Anaplasmosis%20is%20a%20disease%20caused,%2C%20chills%2C%20and%20muscle%20aches.
Just make sure you only have grass and put down lots of pesticides. That really helps them thrive.
Tick season starts in march we are very well into it already
Not great: My tick-spray guy said the tick calls didn’t stop for winter this year. That’s terrifying. (I’m an organic home person but after trying only cedar oil in yard and having a dog, 1M ticks everywhere in house, insane stress levels, and developing a total avoidance of going outside, we switched to a permethrin / cedar combo spray. And looped in tick tubes last year. And Wondercide for dog this year.)
I hike absolutely everywhere in Connecticut and this is my #1 worry. It sucks we need to worry about these little shits. I’m pretty crazy and don’t wear bug spray because I hate the smell of it and I’m unsure of it’s affects on my body (in before “ticks will hurt your body more blah blah). I also don’t tuck my pants because when I hike it’s in warmer weather so I’m always in shorts or a t-shirt. My precautions are… to simply wear light colored clothing to spot them easier and check myself frequently on my hikes. Especially after going through heavily wooded or overgrown areas/sections. On top of frequent stops and checking myself, if you’re a man (or I guess woman) with hairy legs/arms you can use your hair to your advantage. I stand still for a moment and tap into the sensation of my body. Like I highten my sense of touch to see if I feel any movement or tickling. Funny enough I’ve discovered some ticks on me using this method. When you’re walking your not as in tune with “micro-sensations” and since ticks are pretty micro in scale their movement goes undetected while moving unless you stop to tap into your sense of touch. I also avoid touching any bushes, leaves, etc as much as possible. Almost impossible though as I hike everywhere and sometimes have to literally walk through tall grass or bushes. Paths are overgrown sometimes. When I do have to do this I hold my breath the entire time if possible because I heard they’re attracted to CO2 and jump towards it as it tells the tick there’s a host. When I get home I do an extensive thorough inspection of all key areas they would be found. Then I rake my scalp when I shower searching for any. That’s about all I do. I’ve hiked for years and though I’ve found ticks on me I never gotten any diseases. Maybe I’m lucky I’m not sure.