Tick prevention

[1Mech]

Well here it is, tick season again, I have had a few this year, but not what I would call a high amount of them. I usually spray down with DEET products when I am out in the grassy areas or the woods. I check my self over every night and can find some, but often I don't find them until they bite and I feel an itch.
I have heard if you drink 1/2 tsp of apple cider vinegar everyday, that will keep them from biting.
What do you use to prevent them on yourself or in the yard?

 

[fatjay]

Chickens. They devour ticks relentlessly. I haven't pulled a tick off in years, and that started about the time I got chickens.

Not perfect if you're a few hundred yards out in the grassy field, but in/around the house, they do the job pretty well.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

I've been using 40% deet this year in the bee yard and woods... After finding 4+ on me each day. It seems to have mitigated the issue

 

[WinterDeere]

In 15 years of constantly working outside on this property, I've only picked up one tick in all that time, whereas all of my neighbors complain about them constantly. I don't know if it's me or the product I'm putting down, but between constant firewood processing and gardening work, I'm easily spending 6x more hours than any of them outdoors.

The only thing I'm doing differently than most of them is putting down a grub control product that also controls ticks, usually Allectus or Entourage, every June... and I probably drink a bit more than most of them. I wonder if gin, bourbon, or beer are more effective than your apple cider vinegar?

I do suspect it's the product I put down each June, since my dogs are also tick-free, only finding maybe 2 or 3 in 15 years, despite constant deer traffic in our yard. More than once, I've walked outside to find a deer literally standing over one of my little dogs. The neighbors who have dogs seem to have constant issues with finding ticks on them. We have a pill we're supposed to give them, to keep fleas and ticks off, but rarely remember to actually give it to them on any regular schedule.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

I just got two more bottles for my birthday... I need to drink more

 

[ArlyA]

Permethrin spray made to work on clothing works. Pants are the most important to do, followed by shirts.

 

[EscapedSuburbia]

Has anyone tried making tick tubes? Supposedly you soak cotton balls in permethrin then stuff them into tubes from toilet paper or paper towel rolls. You then place them in places mice frequent. The idea is the mice take the cotton balls to make nests and end up getting permethrin on their fur which kills ticks. Internet lore claims they significantly reduce tick populations. I bought the supplies to give it a try this Spring but haven't gotten around to it yet.

 

[thclimer]

Another vote for Permethrin spray, I spray my boots and pants. I'm also pretty aware of where I walk, try to stay out of the thick brush or tall grass as much as I can. I'll walk 50-100 feet in a different direction to avoid thick brushy areas.

 

[ArlyA]

Another vote for Permethrin spray, I spray my boots and pants. I'm also pretty aware of where I walk, try to stay out of the thick brush or tall grass as much as I can. I'll walk 50-100 feet in a different direction to avoid thick brushy areas.

Yes, but if your pants with Permethrin treatment is still working, they have a real hard time crawling up. We use it when the ticks have came out and not had one engaged on us, in many years.

 

[Dan Hunter]

During tick season, I run a rotation of clothes in trash bags. I dampen an entire outfit with permethrin, roll the stuff up, place it in the trash bag to "brew" and then wear them the next day. My outer wear I'll reuse a day or two possibly but otherwise when I "retire" one "kit" I'll prep another one that night.

 

[ArlyA]

During tick season, I run a rotation of clothes in trash bags. I dampen an entire outfit with permethrin, roll the stuff up, place it in the trash bag to "brew" and then wear them the next day. My outer wear I'll reuse a day or two possibly but otherwise when I "retire" one "kit" I'll prep another one that night.

The sawyer brand Permethrin treatment is suppose to be dried before wearing them..

 

[Bocephous]

I'm in the permethrin camp. And ACV does not prevent them from biting you. I've been mixing a tablespoon in my wake-up water for years and had Lyme a few years back.

 

[CH4Ohio]

Has anyone tried making tick tubes? Supposedly you soak cotton balls in permethrin then stuff them into tubes from toilet paper or paper towel rolls. You then place them in places mice frequent. The idea is the mice take the cotton balls to make nests and end up getting permethrin on their fur which kills ticks. Internet lore claims they significantly reduce tick populations. I bought the supplies to give it a try this Spring but haven't gotten around to it yet.

If I can trick a mouse into using a doctored-up cotton ball, I can probably trick them into sticking their snout into a trap with peanut butter bait.

 

[EscapedSuburbia]

If I can trick a mouse into using a doctored-up cotton ball, I can probably trick them into sticking their snout into a trap with peanut butter bait.

From what I've read the reason for the permethrin instead of killing the mice is because mice are the primary species young ticks feast on. The idea is to kill the most ticks at their biggest food source. I have no idea if it actually works but I'm going to give it a try because this Spring has been the most ticks I've seen in years.

 

[ponytug]

If tick pressure is heavy, permethrin is the way to go.

Nationally, it is supposedly a heavy year for ticks so far;

A new covid variant called Cicada, ticks and a new Lyme vaccine, common cold, and good news

The Dose (March 31)

yourlocalepidemiologist.substack.com

From having to take quinine, or its derivatives, I can attest that it seems to abate ticks actually biting for me. So, perhaps the tonic with the gin helps. Then again, I am also pretty strict about dropping clothing and showering as soon as I can after being out. It also did wonders for not getting mosquito bites.

We use the NexGard tick/flea treatments keep our dog tick free. We just put the dates on our calendars so she gets it on time. Fleas from ground squirrels pushed us to go on the NexGard. Our dog is fond of hunting them and often sniffs down the burrows, which is where I think she picks up the fleas. As there is reportedly plague in the area periodically, and something that I would like to avoid getting, a flea prevention regime seemed in order.

@EscapedSuburbia the mouse cotton ball idea seems interesting, but for reasons like Hanta virus, I try to keep the mouse population in the vicinity of the house and barn at zero.
ICYMI: unlike the US Hanna virus variants, the Argentine Hanta virus variant is passed from human to human, and has broken out on a ship from Argentina. 3 dead so far, with the ship in quarantine.

https://greekcitytimes.com/2026/05/04/hantavirus-outbreak-mv-hondius-cruise-ship/

Stay tuned, as this could be ugly if it spreads.
(Edit: 40-70% fatality rate(!) )

All the best,

Peter

 

[CH4Ohio]

From what I've read the reason for the permethrin instead of killing the mice is because mice are the primary species young ticks feast on. The idea is to kill the most ticks at their biggest food source. I have no idea if it actually works but I'm going to give it a try because this Spring has been the most ticks I've seen in years.

I was kidding (kinda), but you never know about stuff you read online . . .

I'm just glad they didn't suggest we catch them alive and then squirt flea&tick repellant down the back of their neck like we do with the dogs!

 

[ponytug]

I was kidding (kinda), but you never know about stuff you read online . . .

I'm just glad they didn't suggest we catch them alive and then squirt flea&tick repellant down the back of their neck like we do with the dogs!

or squeeze for mice?

 

[NorTracNY]

Has anyone tried making tick tubes? Supposedly you soak cotton balls in permethrin then stuff them into tubes from toilet paper or paper towel rolls. You then place them in places mice frequent. The idea is the mice take the cotton balls to make nests and end up getting permethrin on their fur which kills ticks. Internet lore claims they significantly reduce tick populations. I bought the supplies to give it a try this Spring but haven't gotten around to it yet.

Yes, I found this method very effective. It's takes a lot less time than spraying the chemicals on your own body on a regular basis.

 

[HawkinsHollow]

I am a hairy man. That helps me detect the ticks as they are crawling around on my body. Doesn't always work, but I often feel them crawling. I need to get better about treating clothes with permetherin as another layer of protection.

 

[2manyrocks]

Permethrin is highly toxic to cats.