My brother and i were scouting and every time we went into the woods we came out covered in seed ticks. itching and scratching for the next couple of days. This ain’t gonna work during bow season. Are there any solutions? How can i prevent them?
Also do most tick repellents give off a smell that keeps ticks away? if so, i’m looking for a different solution because that would defeat the purpose of killing my scent for deer hunting. please help…
Personal Protection
Outdoor pursuits need not be discontinued as long as precautions are taken to prevent a tick bite:
Wear light-colored clothing (ticks are easier to see).
Wear long pants tucked into socks.
Avoid tall grass and shrubby areas.
Widen trails through woods (to 6 feet).
Remove brushpiles.
Keep turfgrass mowed.
Thin out low shrub vegetation in woods.
Wear a tick repellent.
Repellents contain the active ingredient permethrin (Duranon, Permethrin Tick Repellent, Permanone), or N,N-diethyl-meta-tolumide, usually called DEET (Off, Cutters, Muskol, etc.)* Follow label directions; apply until clothing is damp and allow to dry. These products repel 82-100% of ticks.
There is NO better anti-tick treatment than garlic. Eat some raw a few hours before you go out.It makes your blood taste bad and they will not see you as a possible host. It also works for dogs. Better than any chemical on the market.
There are a few tick repellents that do not have a scent, but they are not always easy to find in stores such as Wal-mart. Since most repellents rely on the chemical known as “DEET”, they tend to have a rather noticable odor….
The best way to “tick proof” yourself while out in the woods is to wear long-sleeved shirts with button-down or elastic cuffs and long trousers, with the trouser legs tucked into your boots/socks. And keep the shirt tucked into the pants. If the little buggers can’t get inside the clothing, they are a lot easier to see — and they are a whole lot less likely to attach themselves to your skin, too!
The bad news is that you will not be able to prevent every tick from finding its way to your skin — but the good news is that it takes at least a full day before an attached tick poses a real danger. As for the itching from tick bites….either get some un-scented anti-itch cream, or learn to put up with it.
Also remember that anything which “makes your blood taste bad” will also make you stink — and the deer will smell it, too. The smell of garlic is not something normally found in the woods……
Of course, tick season should be done with by the time deer hunting season opens.