Camp 101: How to Avoid Ticks at Camp

Hey, Camp Folks!

Summer is a perfect time to enjoy nature, and a trip to summer camp is one way to give your kids a terrific summer experience in the great outdoors. However, summer also brings some dangers from insects. Read on to learn how to avoid ticks at camp with the simple tips to ensure your summer season is safer and more enjoyable.

What Are Ticks?
A tick is a tiny insect, almost the size of a watermelon seed. These parasitic insects bite and attach to the skin of mammals, including humans, sucking blood over time.

Ticks differ from mosquitos in that they don’t fly and they move slowly. Once a tick latches onto your skin, it may remain in place for several hours or days. During the bite, the ticks can infect humans with viruses, bacteria, and other parasites that can lead to serious illnesses.

Avoiding Ticks
Ticks exist in areas with tall grass and near wooded areas. Walking through grass or brushing against shrubs and small trees can allow a tick to climb onto your body. Wearing long sleeves and long pants can prevent a tick that’s crawling on you from reaching your skin.

Another way to avoid ticks at camp is through treating clothing and skin with repellents. Use permethrin on your clothing to repel or kill any ticks that land on your clothes. Using an insect repellent that contains DEET on your skin will provide protection too.

Checking for Ticks
Because ticks are so small, they can often climb onto a human and bite without the victim’s knowledge. Checking yourself for ticks after spending time outdoors is extremely important. Be sure to check for ticks in front of a mirror, so you can check your back and neck.

To kill ticks that may be hiding on your clothing, run the clothes through a dryer on high heat for at least 10 minutes. Additionally, take a shower after walking in areas where ticks may exist. The shower can wash away any ticks on the skin, while also helping you find any ticks in your wet hair.

- John