Photo: Henrik Larsson
Ticks suck. Bloated ticks with their teeth sunk deep into your skin suck the most, though deer ticks with their lime disease suck even more, but all ticks suck. There isn’t such a thing as a “good tick” — that is an undeniable truth.
But camping? Camping doesn’t suck. In fact, camping is awesome. And fall camping? The best.
So now we face the dilemma of how we go about enjoying the awesomeness (and the best-ness) of fall camping without ticks. Luckily for us, there is an all-natural tick repellant that goes a long way in separating the two, or at least keeping the ticks off you.
All-Natural Tick Repellant
1 Part Tea Tree Oil
2 Parts Water
1 Spray Bottle
Directions: Mix tea tree oil and water in spray bottle. Spray mixture on body and clothes, particularly in the region of shoes, socks, and pant cuffs.
*Alternatives include garlic pills — yep, garlic pills… but don’t worry, there is an odorless variety — and neem oil which you apply directly to your skin.
Did one sneak past your defenses? Don’t fret!
Tick Remover
1 Cotton Ball
Hand Soap
Directions: Soak cotton ball in hand soap. Apply soaked cotton ball to tick for at least 20 seconds. Remove cotton ball. Tick should cease biting and release with cotton ball.
*If the tick is a deer tick or has been attached to wherever it was attached to for awhile, keep it in a jar and get it tested for Lyme disease.
Home free! (That being exclaimed, this Tick Remover method is not scientifically proven, so there’s that.)
Pro Tip: Don’t like insects in general? Add sage to your campfire — that’ll keep most creepy crawlies and airborne nemesis away while wafting a nice, comfy aroma around the site.
Anyway, happy camping!
Photo: Third key
