Tick Off: The Insider’s Guide to Tick Protection

While it’s important to note that ticks are active year-round, with Spring here and Summer around the corner more of us are venturing outside, increasing our risk of tick exposure. Ticks carry several diseases that can make you, your pets and loved ones sick. I consider ticks to be their own class of environmental toxins because of the damage they do! I speak from experience: for the past 18 months, I have had the challenging battle of fighting Chronic Lyme Disease and two co-infections Bartonella & Babesiosis, which have caused devastating impacts to my daily life, all from a tick bite likely in childhood. Over the years, I have also supported clients fighting Lyme and co-infections, helping them reduce toxin exposures so that their body can keep working hard to fight this life-changing disease, and have been an avid supporter of the non-profit, Lyme Warrior and their Kid’s Smile Boxes. Tick protection is important, and I hope this comprehensive guide will help safeguard you and your loved ones.

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What Are Ticks & Where Are They Found?

Ticks are parasitic arachnids (related to spiders) that feed on the blood of mammals, birds, reptiles, and sometimes amphibians. Ticks have unique mouthparts that allow them to anchor themselves to their host while feeding. They can remain attached for several days to a week or more, depending on the species and life stage. Ticks go through several life stages: larva, nymph, and adult. At nymph stage, they are the size of a poppy seed and very hard to see - see the graphic of the poppy seed bagel for size reference. Could you spot the tick?

Ticks are commonly found in grasslands, along coastal walkways, wooded areas, fallen logs and branches, gardens, yards and parks where they wait for a host, including pets and humans, to pass by.

Ticks are found in all 50 US states and around the globe. It’s important to note that there are different types of ticks, too. A handful of examples found in the US include American Dog Tick, Blacklegged “Deer” Tick, Brown Dog Tick, Groundhog Tick, Lone Star Tick, Pacific Coast Tick, Rocky Mountain Wood Tick and Western Blacklegged Tick. Lymedisease.org has detailed descriptions of each of these ticks with pictures, where they are found, and what diseases they carry.

Health Risks of Tick Bites & Symptoms

While all life stages of ticks bite humans, nymph and adult female ticks are most common. Ticks can bite anywhere on the body including hard-to-see areas like the scalp, groin, and back.

The diseases that can be transmitted by ticks include Lyme Disease, Bartonella, Babesiosis, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Mycoplasma, Alpha Gal, Powassan Virus, and Erlichia/Anaplasma, and Tick-Borne Relapsing Fever, among others.

Over 500,000 people are diagnosed with Lyme Disease every year. However, this number is likely low as Lyme Disease is often misdiagnosed. Further, children are at especially high-risk for tick-borne diseases.

Early onset symptoms of Lyme Disease are like the flu: fever, flushing, chills, sweats, nausea, muscle aches and joint pain and for some, a bullseye rash. It’s important to note that Lyme Disease is often thought to always present a bullseye rash, however, less than 50% of people with a bite ever present the rash, myself included. Further, if you do get a rash, it can take many forms as seen here. If Lyme is not diagnosed and treated quickly and adequately, it can become chronic. For some people, Lyme doesn’t show its full range of symptoms until later on in life, often after a physical, mental, or emotional stressor on the body.

Chronic Lyme Disease and co-infection symptoms can impact every system in the body, causing wide-ranging and often changing symptoms. The symptoms of Chronic Lyme often overlap with other chronic illnesses, including Rheumatoid Arthritis, Fibromyalgia, Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis, Depression, and more. This, combined with a high false-negative result on traditional Western Blot blood tests, can make Chronic Lyme Disease difficult to diagnose.

To read more about symptoms of Lyme Disease, including by co-infections, please visit Lyme Warrior, a nonprofit dedicated to education and research. This page is a good place to start.

Tick Protection

As someone who loves spending time in nature, and has tick-borne illnesses, I take tick protection seriously. Further, tick protection is an excellent example of the delicate balance consumers need to play when keeping ourselves safe from toxic chemicals while also providing optimal protection against diseases spread from various vectors and insects. These are my top tips for protecting yourself and loved ones.

Wear Protective Clothing

Wear Tick Wraps - These are safe for the whole family and come in three sizes, including a child’s size.
Discount: Use code INSIDER for 10% off.

Tick Wraps are gaiters that are worn over the legs, or over your calves, and have Insect Shield Technology. The active ingredient is permethrin*, which is neuro-toxic to ticks. Permethrin-treated clothing has proven as effective as topical repellents, such as DEET. They are washable and effective up to 70 washes. Wear every time you are outside, and I suggest keeping a pair in your car for spontaneous adventures!

These were created Daniel Katz and Sasha Rose, the owners of Wildwood Medicine in Portland, ME, after seeing a massive increase in the number of patients and people in their community suffering from tick-borne disease.

Size reference: I'm 5'0, 92 lbs. and I'm wearing size small in the photo above this section. My boyfriend is 5'10, 150 lbs. and wears size medium.

*A note on permethrin: A third-party analysis looked at 17 PFAS compounds commonly found in insect repellents and none were detected. A link to the study can be found here.

Wear light colored clothing so that you can more easily spot ticks. Do not wear black, brown, or other dark colors. Wear white socks when possible. If you want to be sure that your clothing and socks are also less toxic, check out my Clothing page for my product recommendations including leggings, tank tops, outerwear, socks and shoes. Or, visit my Nontoxic Holiday Gift Guide Blog post - Outdoor Adventurer section for my top recommendations.

Tuck pants into socks and tuck your shirt into your pants to minimize skin exposure.

Use Tick Repellent

Visit this page for my top picks for less toxic and effective bug and tick repellent. Otherwise, these are the key active ingredients to look for in tick repellent, the ideal concentration, and impacts. These are all approved for children under 3.

30% DEET: DEET is often used incorrectly, posing risks including skin irritation, disorientation, dizziness, and, in high incorrect use, seizures or death. With that said, DEET is highly effective when used correctly. If your work or lifestyle takes you into the woods, high grass areas, or to locations where the risk of communicable diseases are high, this may be the better option if you know how to properly use it. After application, lasts approx. 10 hours. Note: The concentration of DEET in a product doesn't indicate added protection, even though we tend to think that more is better. Stick to no more than 30%.
20% Picaridin: safe alternative to DEET with no potential adverse side effects and therefore, my personally preferred method of protection. After application, lasts approx. 10-12 hours.
20% IR3535: Side effects can include eye irritation. After application, lasts approx. 12 hours.

Stay on Trails

When out hiking or walking, stay in the center of trails, avoiding tall grass or bushy areas where ticks are more likely to be found. Ticks can also be found on stone walls so be cautious when sitting on them during hiking breaks.

Tick-Proof Your Yard

If you live in an area with high tick population, do your best to keep your backyard tick-safe.

Keep grass short.
Remove leaves, leaf litter and debris.
Use tick treatment: hire a professional to spray your property with pet-and-pollinator-friendly treatments, or use these DIY options here and here.
Raise poultry. If you have the space and can take on the responsibility, chickens and ducks are known for eating ticks and other pests.
Put up bat boxes if you have a large property. Bats are natural predators.
Add a minimum of a 3-foot barrier of gravel, cedar mulch or cedar chips between your lawn and wooded areas to minimize tick migration.
If you enjoy gardening, use tick-repelling plants including wormwood, lavender, lemongrass, garlic, eucalyptus and sage.
Tick Tubes are an effective biodegradable solution, especially if you have a field mice population. Tick Tubes contain permethrin-treated cotton that mice will take back to build their nests. Since permethrin is neurotoxic to ticks, when the mice get it on their fur and in their burrows, it kills them. It does not harm the mouse or other small mammals. Please take note to purchase enough for your property size.
Create a bird-friendly habitat by offering food and clean, moving water for birds like robins and sparrows, both of which eat ticks.
If you have an opossum around your property, consider yourself lucky and let it be! They eat about 5,000 ticks per season.

Shower After Outdoor Activities

Shower within two hours after being outdoors and do a thorough tick inspection.

Check for Ticks

Make sure to check your groin, scalp, behind your ears, along your hairline, underarms, behind your knees, neck, bellybutton, between your fingers and toes, and around your waist. On your pets, pay extra attention to their legs, ears, mouth and belly.

Use a mirror for hard-to-see areas if you don't have someone who can help you inspect.
Get a lint roller or roll of duct tape to keep in your car to roll over your body as an initial check when you've spent time outdoor adventuring.

How to Remove a Tick Safely & Tick Testing

If you find a tick on you, your child, or a pet, it’s important to remove it immediately as your risk of tick-borne disease increases the longer the tick remains attached.

To safely and effectively remove a tick, use a Tick Kit like this one that has specialized lifters and tweezers to grasp the tick's head as close to the skin as possible. Using even pressure, pull straight out ensuring full removal of the tick and the tick’s head. You do NOT want to squeeze the body as this can release more bacteria through the mouthpiece.

This is a helpful video demonstrating safe removal of a tick. Make sure to clean the bite area and your hands after removal.

Please do not use any type of tick remover tool that requires twisting, do not set the tick on fire, use alcohol, vaseline, or essential oils. All of these tactics will agitate the tick, or cause the tick to regurgitate, making things worse.

After you have removed the tick, I highly encourage you to send it in to determine what pathogens you were exposed to. Should you experience symptoms, this information will be crucial in treatment. Package the tick in a tightly sealed zip bag – not on tape – and ship in a crush-proof package. These are a few good labs: Tick Report, Tick Check, and Ticknology.

State-Specific Tests:

If you are a ME resident, visit this page for free tick ID and $20 ID and testing.
If you are a NY resident, visit this page for free tick testing.
If you are a PA resident, visit this page for free basic tick tests.

When to Seek Medical Help

If you cannot safely remove the tick yourself, or it is in a hard-to-reach area, please consult a doctor or urgent care facility immediately.

It’s also important to start treatment as soon as possible to minimize the impact. Call your doctor right away if you’ve been bit by a tick and they may prescribe an antibiotic or other treatment*. Take note of the date and time that you removed the tick, and monitor your health for symptoms including, but not limited to, fever, chills, headache, stiff neck, weakness, blurry vision, and confusion.

*Medical Disclaimer: This Website and its Content are not intended to be a substitute for professional, scientific or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this Website. The full Disclosure can be found in the Terms of Use.

Additional Support

I hope that you have learned new and helpful information, and feel better prepared to keep yourself, and your loved ones safe from ticks and the diseases that they carry. Please share this blog post with those you care about! If you have Chronic Lyme Disease, or another chronic health condition, and would like support reducing toxin exposures to best aid your body in healing, please book a complimentary Discovery Call and we can discuss my services. You can read testimonials from select past clients here.