With tick-borne diseases rising dramatically nationwide, it’s more important than ever to be vigilant about avoiding tick bites. Ticks don’t just live in the deep woods, as they can be encountered in some unexpected places if you don’t take proper precautions. In this article, we will explore six surprising places you could be exposed to ticks, along with key prevention tips.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Check your backyard thoroughly for ticks, especially in woodpiles, tall grass, and under decks where they thrive.
- When hiking or visiting parks, use repellent and wear light clothing to spot ticks easily. Check yourself thoroughly afterward.
- On the golf course, avoid the roughs and tall grass where ticks live. Stick to the cart paths when possible.
- If camping or hunting, be extra vigilant about doing full-body tick checks afterward.
1. In Your Own Backyard
Up to 30% of all tick bites occur right around homes in suburban or even urban areas. Ticks find their way into backyards by hitching rides on animals and clothing. Areas to be especially diligent about checking in your backyard include wood piles, sheds, tall grass, gardens, and under decks.
Ticks also love hiding in these spots waiting to latch onto a passing person or pet. Preventative landscaping measures can help discourage ticks from taking up residence in your yard. Installing a 3-foot wide barrier of gravel or mulch between wooded areas and your lawn provides an obstacle that ticks have difficulty crossing.
Keeping your lawn mowed and getting rid of any brush piles eliminates the shady, moist habitat ticks need to thrive. If tick populations are high in your area, you may want to consider contacting a professional tick control company to treat your yard.
2. Public Parks and Trails
With the growing popularity of outdoor recreation and hiking, public parks and trails account for an increasing number of tick exposures. Ticks tend to congregate in areas with tall brush and grasses along trails and parklands, as well as around rest areas.
After a day exploring in a park, be sure to thoroughly check yourself, your kids, and your pets since ticks can latch on without you noticing while you’re moving around. Wearing light-colored clothing makes ticks easier to spot. Using an EPA-registered insect repellent adds an extra layer of protection.
3. Golf Courses
Golf courses often have significant acreage of perfectly manicured greens and fairways, bordered by roughs and natural areas where ticks thrive. Tall grass and vegetation along the roughs and tree lines provide an ideal tick habitat.
Golfers should use caution when searching for an errant shot in these areas and avoid direct contact with grasses and brush. Wearing repellent, light-colored clothing, and keeping to the cart paths can help lower your risk of picking up an unwanted hitchhiker tick. Check yourself thoroughly after your round.
4. Driveway, Sidewalk, and Garden Areas
As suburbia encroaches further into natural tick habitat, people are also encountering ticks in their driveway, sidewalks, and garden areas. Ticks will wait along the lawn perimeter and areas where two habitats meet, like the border between lawn and woods, ready to catch a ride on passing people and pets.
Discouraging ticks from entering your property can be difficult, but keeping the grass cut short and removing brush helps. Checking yourself when coming indoors removes any ticks before they get deeper into your home.
5. Hunting and Camping in Wild Areas
Woodlands, forests, and grasslands popular for hunting and camping also expose people to the highest tick concentrations. These areas harbor large tick populations, so extra precautions are warranted. Wearing repellent and protective clothing can reduce risk.
However, given the high tick numbers in these habitats, the most important measure is performing thorough tick checks after your outing. Pay close attention to areas like the scalp, behind ears, armpits, and waistband where ticks can easily evade detection. Finding and removing ticks promptly can stop the transmission of disease.
6. Ticks Find Their Way Indoors
Ticks are experts at latching onto clothing and animals to hitch rides into homes. Don’t let your guard down once you’re indoors! Make daily tick checks on outdoor pets part of your routine to stop them from bringing ticks inside.
Keep areas around your home less hospitable to ticks by moving woodpiles far from the house, removing brush, and keeping grass mowed. With some diligence, you can enjoy the outdoors tick-free this season.
Be Vigilant in Every Season!
With tick populations continuing to rise, being bitten by one of these disease-carrying pests is becoming a year-round threat. But with some simple precautions like avoiding high grass, using repellent, and checking thoroughly for ticks after potential exposure, you can protect yourself and enjoy the outdoors. Stay safe, and happy trails!
