Field & Stream: 8 Ways to Keep Ticks Off You and Your Property

With the right defense, you won’t have to worry about these disease-carrying parasites latching on.

Ticks can transmit numerous diseases, which is why it’s important to control them if you live in an area with high concentrations of the bug. Permethrin is a chemical that kills ticks on contact, and you can use it to treat your clothing and any outdoor gear you want. Permethrin-impregnated clothing kills ticks that crawl on you and can be effective for 50 or more washings. Permethrin-impregnated leg and arm gaiters slip over regular clothing and protect areas that are most vulnerable.

You can use some tick-repellent sprays on furniture and rugs as long as the labels clearly says it’s safe for people and pets. Outdoor sprays cover a wide area and will kill ticks without harming vegetation. Tick tubes contain soft permethrin-impregnated material that mice, which carry many ticks, find and use for bedding, thus killing the parasites. You can use DEET and picardin-based repellents on skin and clothing and both will repel ticks as well as other insects.

If you’re thinking about ways to safeguard your home from these nasty critters, here is a brief rundown of some of the best methods available today.

Read the full article by the editors of Field & Stream on their website here.