When camping, it is essential to be cautious of ticks. The little creatures can crawl from anywhere and find their way into the tent. The best way to keep ticks out of the tent is by avoiding them by all means. Campers get exposed to ticks in various ways when hiking or through some activities and end up carrying the pests into the tent without them having any idea. Here are some ways on how to keep ticks out of your tent.
Step:1 Avoid Grass
The grass is where most ticks inhabit before finding their way to humans and pets – or before crawling into your tent. When choosing your campsite, avoid grassy locations. Pitch your tent away from long grasses and any thick bushes. These areas may act as an excellent natural windbreak, but you will have to struggle with tick infestation once in a while in your entire camping trip.
We connect with nature differently. When the tent gets hot, and it’s cool inside, sometimes you might find yourself sitting or lying on the grass. Having a camp chair makes it comfortable and free from getting ticks into your clothes. If it is a must you sit on the grass, avoid doing it directly. Instead, lay down a piece of clothing to sit on if there isn’t a camp chair.
Step:2Avoid Dark-Colored Clothes
Ticks are attracted to dark clothes more than light ones. When camping, wear more bright colors as this makes it even visible to see if a tick gets stuck on the clothes. With dark clothes, it will be hard and challenging to see if pests are crawling on them. You can end up taking the tick with you back to the tent. If it’s manageable, wear plain clothes that aren’t dark. Leave the gray and black ones for another time – when you return from the trip.
To be on the safer side, invest in tick repellant pieces of clothing. You are not going to get stuck in the tent all day, and you might want to hike and explore the forest. These types of clothes will ensure you enjoy your adventure without bringing ticks into the tent when you are back from hiking.
Step:3Pitch The Tent On A Sunny Area
Ticks get attracted to humid places where they get to hide and survive while waiting for a host. When camping in the summer, the sun will be to your advantage. However, on days when the sun isn’t there, avoid areas with a lot of moisture. A warm place won’t create a breeding ground for the ticks, and that way, they won’t have their way to your tent.
Step:4Tick Repellants
There are repellants for combating ticks in the market. You may need to apply them to yourself or on the fabrics. Find repellants meant for clothes, pets, and humans.
There are also natural repellants to use and keep the ticks away. Everyday kitchen ingredients can save you from these annoying pests. For example, keeping citrus peelings inside your tent and rubbing your clothes and sleeping gears with citrus keeps them away.
If you do not have citrus, you can try cloves of garlic or lavender. The smell of citrus and garlic keeps ticks away from your tent. Rub the garlic on your clothes and the tent. Ticks hate the smell of these fragrances. These natural ingredients are a sure way to keep them away without investing a lot in commercial tick repellants.
Step:5Hike With Care
Ticks should not be the reason you get afraid of hiking in the woods. Chances are you might come back carrying ticks in your clothing even without you noticing. To minimize the risk of ticks traveling from the grass into your clothes and to your skin, practicing caution is essential. Don’t go to the woods with loose clothing that hangs and leaves space for ticks to access it.
Before you head out, tuck in your trousers if they are not tight at the legs. Place the loose fabric inside the socks or shoes; this way, you can comfortably walk in the grass without getting worried about the ticks on the grass. Button up your shirts and ensure there are no loose collars.
Step:6Check For Ticks Before Entering The Tent
It is easier spotting ticks on bright clothing than it is with dark clothing. After your hike is over and goes back to your tent, check yourself to make sure you do not go in with any ticks. The ticks can attach themselves even on the tiniest and hidden part of your clothing, where you cannot notice its presence.
Sometimes it’s just not in your clothing; ticks get attracted to blood. Their main aim is to hide inside the clothes to have access to your skin. Check your whole body while you are still outside the tent. Give your full body an entire check paying attention to hidden areas like behind the ears. If it happens you find one, it is best if you dispose of it correctly. Otherwise, it will just find its way back to your tent or your body.
Step:7Keep Your Pets Tick-Free
In case you are camping with pets, they are likely to bring ticks into your tent faster than you. Pets will always play around. To avoid having ticks closer to the tent or even inside, do not let your pet play around grassy areas, and do keep them on a leash. Sometimes it cannot be easy to detect them on your pet and have prevention measures for your dogs. The earlier you see and prevent them from accessing the tent through yourself, the more you get a tick-free tent.
Ticks are small and annoying creatures that will always find a way to get into your tent to suck the blood out of your body. Moist and bushy areas host them, and these are the places that need avoidance when tenting. The best and easiest way is to have repellant clothing and preserve the natural repellants for the tent. With these tips, you can avoid having ticks crawling and staying in your tents.
