It is that time of year ... "Tick Season" and this year officials are warning it could be a big year for the bugs! As I mentioned in  my latest blog "Hiking New Jersey" we did encounter ticks so now is a good time to pick hiking and outdoor play areas that have less vegetation so to avoid ticks.

In a blog from naturalsociety.com author Julie Fidler offered up these suggestions for avoiding "ticks" ....

  • Try repellents, if you are into that. Some insect repellents may help. Check out what Consumer Reports found on which repellents work best on ticks, as reported by WebMD. Consumer Reports listed the following as top choices in 2010: Cutter Backwoods, Off Deep Woods, Off FamilyCare, 3M Ultrathon, Repel, and Natrapel. Just remember to consider whether or not the chemicals in these products bother you.
  • Do tick checks. Tick bites are painless, so you might not know if you’ve become a buffet. Give yourself a once-over every so often.
  • Check your pets. Make sure your pets are tick-free before you bring them inside
  • Cover your ankles. Wear long pants and tuck them into your socks when doing yard work. Make sure to duct tape them – sticky-side out – around where the pants and socks meet so that if any ticks crawl on you, they’ll get stuck. You should especially do this if you have teenagers, particularly when they have friends over. Make sure you wave.

Fidler's article also talked about how to set up barriers and avoid ticks in your yard at home this summer ...

  • Keep ticks away from your home. Ticks like tall grass, so keep lawns trimmed, and create barriers between your yard and wooded areas with wood chips, mulch, or gravel. Remove wood piles, and stones where mice, chipmunks, and squirrels like to hide. These animals keep tick larvae and nymphs circulating in nature.

WHAT DO YOU FIND WORKS BEST TO KEEP TICKS AWAY?

 

 

 

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