Fall ticks are the worst. Here’s how to thwart them.

By Aislinn Sarnacki

A friend of mine found about a dozen ticks crawling on his clothing yesterday after spending the morning walking through meadows, and I wasn’t surprised. Ticks are terrible right now.

During the fall, these disease-carrying pests are especially active throughout much of Maine. Hiding in dead leaves and lurking in tall grass, they wait for warm-blooded animals, including people, to walk past. Then they hitch a ride.

They’re out for blood — one final meal before winter. In the process, they transfer nasty diseases like Lyme and anaplasmosis. 

So, what’s the solution? Certainly not staying indoors.

As someone who hikes year round, I’ve had to learn how to protect myself from ticks. Given the amount of time I spend outdoors, people are often surprised to learn that I’ve only found a tick embedded in my skin once. Lucky for me, it didn’t transmit any diseases.

Here’s what I do to thwart ticks: First, I carefully select my “armor.” 

I cover as much skin as possible, wear long pants and tall socks. In fact, I tuck those pants right into the top of my socks — that way ticks can’t crawl inside my pants. It gives me goosebumps just thinking about it.

Sometimes, I take it a step further and wear lightweight gaiters, which are leg coverings that bridge the gap between shoe and pants. Gaiters are often worn in the winter to keep snow from sneaking into the tops of your boots, but they’re also effective in keeping out ticks. 

You can treat gaiters — and socks, boots and pants — with permethrin, a chemical that’s proven to be an effective tick repellent. However, I understand that some people wish to avoid harsh chemicals. If you do use permethrin, it’s important to carefully read the instructions on the bottle first and follow the directions.

Keep in mind that it’s easiest to spot ticks on light-colored clothing. Their dark bodies also show up against blaze orange, which is a wardrobe staple this time of year in Maine, when staying visible for hunting season is another top safety concern.

Now, with mosquitoes and blackflies gone, you may have stowed away your insect repellent for the year. But not so fast! DEET is effective in repelling ticks, according to the “Tick Management Handbook” published by the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station. It’s not a magic shield, just an added layer of protection.

Instead of using chemical repellents, some people swear by natural repellents made with essential oils. Research about the effectiveness of various oils is ongoing. I’d love to hear from readers who’ve tried them.

Sometimes, no matter what you do, ticks sneak past clothing and repellent. They’re tiny and tenacious. That’s why it’s key that you perform thorough tick checks (plural) after spending any amount of time outdoors. 

Get naked. Look yourself over. Use a mirror. Feel with your hands. Check your hair. (Yes, I’ve seen a tick crawl out of my hair once.) Inspect every crevice and cranny. If possible, take a shower.

You’ll want to be as thorough with your clothing. Toss it in the washing machine, then dry it on high heat. Deer ticks often survive water, but they dry out easily.

Ready for some more good news? In most cases, it takes at least 24 hours for an attached deer tick to transmit Lyme disease, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Therefore, if you’re diligent about frequent tick checks, you can often save yourself from becoming diseased even if you’re bitten.

We’ve now come to the point in the column when tick season starts to sound like a zombie apocalypse. It was inevitable. 

As the days grow colder, remain vigilant. Deer ticks can be active any time the temperature is above freezing, according to the CDC.

While wandering the wilderness, do your best to avoid tick habitat, especially tall grass, dense underbrush and leaf piles. Deer ticks tend to hide in vegetation to avoid drying out. It also serves as insulation when the temperature drops. 

Plus, vegetation can serve as a perch for a behavior called “questing,” where a tick sways its front legs in the air — like a zombie — and waits for an animal to brush past. 

Last weekend, I found a tiny deer tick crawling around on my friend’s dog. I was about to flush the pest down the toilet when my friend asked me to sandwich it between two pieces of clear tape instead. 

“Ticks have survived the toilet before,” he told me. 

Securely entombed in tape, a tick can be thrown in the trash. Another option is to place the tick in a sealed container (preferably a zipper lock bag) and submit it to the University of Maine Tick Lab, where researchers identify ticks (Maine is home to 15 species of ticks) for free. They’ll also test ticks for common diseases for a $20 fee. 

My last bit of advice is for dog owners: Continue administering the anti-tick treatment prescribed by your veterinarian well into the winter. And check your dogs for ticks often. Use your hands, a brush, a lint roller — whatever works. Keeping ticks off your dog not only protects them, it protects you — especially if you cuddle with your dog as much as I do mine. 

While I’m sure you’ve heard many of these tips and tricks before, I hope you learned something new. Or maybe this column just serves as a reminder that ticks are still crawling around out there, waiting to snag you with their zombie arms.