Enjoy the Outdoors Tick-free! By Paula Jackson Jones
s temperatures warm up and ticks become more active, how do we protect ourselves and our loved ones and reduce our fear of spending time outdoors? I spend a lot of time talking to people and I hear a great deal of fear and apprehension about spending time out- doors because of the risk of tick contact. People stop spending time outdoors doing the things that they love all because of the tick encounters that they are having.
A To that, my question to them is “So,
what are you doing to prevent having a tick encounter? Are you wearing repellent on your skin and treating your clothing or wearing pre-treated clothing with per- methrin (that kills ticks on contact)?” The answer almost every time is a resounding
12 ELM™ Maine - July/August 2019
NO. Ok, so let me get this straight ~ you are terrified of ticks and you are finding ticks on yourself and your pets because you do not use any preventative products to repel them and so you stop spending time outside.
Now, how much sense does that re-
ally make? Why are we allowing such a tiny predator to dictate what we can do and where we can do it? We live in such a beautiful state and the outside activities are endless. Trail walks, hunting, fishing, BBQs ~ I could go on and on. But instead, I will drive home the simple five prevention steps that will not only reduce your contact with ticks and the fear factor, but it is guaranteed to get you back outside doing the things that you love.
Five Simple Steps of Prevention
1.Skin: Repellents work by masking your scent, making it harder for insects and ticks to find you. There are many options on the market from products containing DEET to natural and organic essential oils. Always read the labels as some are clearly marked “not safe for children or pets”. (Most repellents are under $10).
2.Clothing: Wearing white clothing and tucking your shirt into pants and pants into socks does not repel ticks, it only makes them easier to find. Permethrin, a product derived from the chrysanthe- mum plant, kills ticks on contact, and is FDA approved in over 2500 house- hold products. For those with health
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