Best anti-tick clothing ?

[Toddy]

HWTHMBLT has just found another tick on his leg. That's two this week.
He walks over ten miles every day through the local woods, along field edges, the river side, etc., and there are deer everywhere.
It's only just the start of May, it's not going to get any better through the Summer.

What have you found to be best to wear that defends against the ticks ?
He generally wears Craghopper's and I had thought that their close weave would stop the ticks getting through, but that's two now and both above his knee.

I think I'm going to find one of the insecticidal sprays and use that on the hems of his trousers, even if just as a discouragement.

M

 

[stonepark]

Craghoppers Nosilife are treated with permethrin.

Get a permethrin bottle/spray bottle spray and spray from the knee down.

Permethrin-Treated Clothing May Disable Ticks, Study Finds

A new study shows permethrin-treated clothing is toxic to a variety of ticks. Consumer Reports has what you need to know to protect yourself from ticks.

www.consumerreports.org

 

[Broch]

It's becoming an increasing problem and not just in Scotland. This month's BBC Science Focus magazine carries an article on the subject but no solutions - apparently there are nearly 30 diseases humans can get from ticks! https://www.sciencefocus.com/news/tick-bites-avoid-what-to-do-bitten/

I don't rely on clothing alone and always spray my lower legs (they crawl up trouser legs) and my arms. I still find it staggering that people will walk through long grass, woods, and even bracken wearing shorts!

 

[Toddy]

I grew up playing among long grass, in amongst bracken and heather, and never, ever got a tick.
I got one as a teenager up Loch Awe side when I was camping/kayaking. My friends gathered round looking and poking at it because we'd never seen one before.
It was a wee round ball thing just on the inside of my forearm. Just picked it off with my nails and threw it into the fire.
Never saw another one for over twenty years.

So, folks not knowing about ticks isn't unreasonable, not if they're not familiar with the issue.

Now ? it's a nightmare, especially for anyone who has over reactive skin/allergies. Children aren't safe playing in the woods and fields if the ticks are going to be so prevalent.

Quail apparently love eating ticks.
I told Himself that if we ended up with ticks in the garden I was going to buy and keep a couple of quail. He likes eggs well enough
Only issue is that I believe quail are noisy, which might not go down well with the neighbours.

 

[bobnewboy]

I can’t vouch for the amount of noise that quails make, but apparently you can often raise one or two from say a dozen bought eggs, e.g from Waitrose et al, by incubating the eggs.

I can however vouch for the racket made by Guinea fowl though - they too are very good at foraging for all kinds of creepy crawlies including ticks. A neighbour of ours had a couple of pairs when we moved in. We were wondering why the neighbours used to start chopping wood up with a rusty saw several times a day until we were introduced to the birds .

 

[Jared]

Apparently pantyhose are all the rage in the US military...

 

[billycoen]

Apparently pantyhose are all the rage in the US military...

What about walking in the woods though....

 

[Paul_B]

Reached late 40s before I got a tick attached. Carried one home in my clothing and only spotted it crawling down the arm of the couch I was sat on. Tiny and unwed but don't know why.

Moved house and got back dog. Dog gets them if we're not strict with flea and tick treatment. I got 3 one month. I think one last year.

Our dog once had a tick that was so big we didn't think it was a tick. Almost 1cm long! Huge!

 

[nigelp]

I’ve been trying this out. One ‘bottle’ will wash 25kg of clothing.

https://www.bushwear.co.uk/products...n-repellent-250ml?_pos=1&_sid=0d9528472&_ss=r

 

[Toddy]

I’ve been trying this out. One ‘bottle’ will wash 25kg of clothing.

https://www.bushwear.co.uk/products...n-repellent-250ml?_pos=1&_sid=0d9528472&_ss=r

Oh, now, that sounds good

Have you been tick free since using it ?

 

[nigelp]

Not been anywhere ‘ticky’ yet. I treat my clothing every year with something and don’t usually get any.

 

[Great egret]

You can spray Permethrin on your clothing. And check very carefully every time you walk through potential areas. It took me 6 years to somewhat recover from a lyme infection....
Be carefull with Permethrin though, it is very toxic to cats too!

 

[Nice65]

I know they say it every year, but there are a lot of ticks about. There always are early Spring. I was up at the sheep farm, van camping over the last week, and the farmer and his wife say they’ve been getting a few on them. Not a place for tarp and bag camping.

 

[Wandering Fred]

@Broch
You made a comment in May about not relying on clothing alone & spraying your lower legs & arms too. What do you use on your skin?

 

[Toddy]

Craghoppers Nosilife are treated with permethrin.

Get a permethrin bottle/spray bottle spray and spray from the knee down.

Permethrin-Treated Clothing May Disable Ticks, Study Finds

A new study shows permethrin-treated clothing is toxic to a variety of ticks. Consumer Reports has what you need to know to protect yourself from ticks.

www.consumerreports.org

Bought a pair of these for him and they arrived this afternoon. He's still checking carefully, but on the whole, one day with 4 apart, he seems to be avoiding them.
I'd still rather he didn't get any though.

 

[Broch]

@Broch
You made a comment in May about not relying on clothing alone & spraying your lower legs & arms too. What do you use on your skin?

I'm using Smidge at the moment. I think any of the repellents will give some protection from them latching on at your ankles but in the past I've used DEET based ones, and where others have picked them up I've been free of them.