Tick Avoidance Measures

How to reduce your risk of tick bites

Check out your area of travel. In Australia, ticks prefer moist climates close to the coast.
Take particular care in the season of risk. Ticks are most active during the spring and summer months. They can be active throughout the year in some areas.
Wear appropriate clothing to reduce the likelihood of any attachment to the skin. This would include long-sleeved shirts and trousers. Socks should be pulled up over the bottoms of the trousers. Mechanical obstructions increase the time it takes for the tick to reach the skin. This gives more time for it to fall off.
Consider impregnating your “hiking clothes” with permethrin. Understand how this should be best applied to the clothing and how many washes before retreatment should be done.
Wear light coloured clothing. Ticks are easily seen and might refrain from attachment.
Use known effective repellents on the skin. These include DEET or Picaridin containing products.
Avoid known tick habitats such as bushy areas with high grass in the high-risk season. They are usually found within 50cm of the ground.
Stay as much as you can to paths and avoid encountering low bushes.
Perform tick checks after finishing outside activities and remove any ticks as soon as possible. Check arm pits and groin areas closely. Other areas include the belly button. behind the ears and knees. Clean any affected area with antiseptic. It is suggested that it takes more than 24 to 36 hours for a tick to transmit the disease once attached. After 72 hours, almost all ticks have transmitted the pathogen if infected.
Use the proper technique to remove any tick. Use tweezers as close to the skin as possible and avoid squeezing the body of the tick. Gloves are recommended to avoid any fluid exposure. See technique: CDC
Freezing the tick is another removal method. It is usually dispensed as a spray.
Shower in hot water and check for any ticks.
Inspect your underclothes closely and wash your hiking clothes with hot water as soon as possible. Putting them in a dryer adds extra protection. It is always advisable to travel with extra hiking gear if washing and drying isn’t always available.

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