New England’s Scourge

The snow is melting. Beneath it, in the leaves and grass lies my sworn enemy.

Try searching “Lyme’s Disease map” or go to the CDC map and you’ll see my predicament, and perhaps yours too.

More than twenty years ago, southern New England was the epicenter of a disease spread by my hiking nemesis, the tick. Now may other states have joined us on the map created by the relentless march of the disease bearing little critters. I’m not going to post a picture of a tick here because, well, the internet has lots for you to view. Nasty little garbage cans that carry a host of diseases.

These are some of the illnesses that can be the result of a tick bite.

• Anaplasmosis
• Babesiosis
• Bourbon virus
• Colorado tick fever
• Ehrlichiosis
• Hard tick relapsing fever
• Heartland virus
• Lyme disease
• Powassan virus
• Rickettsia parkeri rickettsiosis
• Rocky Mountain spotted fever
• Soft tick relapsing fever
• STARI
• Tularemia
• 364D rickettsiosis

Clearly, and ounce of prevention can save you from a long tale of woe. In all my years hiking, I’ve never been bitten (that I know of). I pulled out ticks as a kid, but not as an adult. Being bitten can sometimes be identified with a bullseye rash around the area, but I’ve had friends test positive and never even known they were infected. I remember a hiker retelling how she had to get tested for Covid. She tested negative. He friend knew she was a hiker and guessed it was our creepy crawly friends. She visited her doctor and found that sure enough, she had Lyme.

Sword and Shield

I’m not an expert, but I follow certain habits to protect myself.

1. Wear light colored clothes. It’s easier to spot them on khaki or light colors.
2. Treat your clothing. I treat boots, sock pants and shirts with Permethrin every year. especially pants and sock tops. This neurotoxin kills ticks. You must be careful in the application, and it’s safe for people after it dries. I apply it outside in my garage. It’s deadly for cats, so make sure you treat garments in a area free of pet access. Once dry garments are generally safe, but I never wear my treated hiking clothes in close contact with my cats.
3. Stay on the trail. Ticks hang out in tall grass, trying to hitch a ride on passing deer. If you’re passing by they don’t mind hitching one on you.
4. Perform a tick check every day, or have a buddy help.
5. Tuck your pants into your socks. Looks goofy but it keeps ticks from crawling inside your clothing and up your legs.
6. Take a shower after your hike. You’re going to wash those ticks out of your life.
7. Dry clothes in the dryer on a high heat setting to kills small nymphs that are hard to see.

Maybe I sound like an extremist but I’d be happy to wipe these little germ carriers out. What steps do you take keeping yourself safe from ticks?