Geo-Hazards: TICKS!
It’s that time of year again, the time that we geocachers absolutely dread—tick season. Yes, it’s time when those ravenous ticks carrying all their nasty germs are on the loose. Almost makes me prefer winter geocaching. Here are a few tips to keep the critters away.
Wear light-colored clothing
.It won’t prevent you from getting ticks, but it will sure make it a lot easier to spot them. That was the advice of my botany professor, who spent hours and hours in fields, wetlands, you name it, collecting specimens. Light-colored clothing is not a bad idea anyway during summer. You’ll stay cooler and more comfortable.
Don’t not put on the bug spray.
My husband has this penchant for saying we don’t need to spray today. I know better. As soon as the snow has melted, break out the bug spray. Don’t wait until you find one on you to spray. His buddy could be half way up your leg at that point. You don’t want any contact with ticks.
Don’t forget the geo-dog
The last thing you want is a house full of ticks. Your dog is going to be right where many of the ticks will be. Use a product such as Frontline to keep him tick free.
Use spray the entire season
.Generally, wood ticks are most active now. An old husband’s tale here in Minnesota says that they’re gone by July 4th. Even if that were true, their partners in crime, deer ticks, are out. Deer ticks carry Lyme disease. Even worse, since they’re so small, they are difficult to detect.
A deer tick needs 48 hours on you to pass the disease. Any time you are heading out to wooded area follow up with a thorough check. Think of it as a geocache of another kind.
Take care as you head out geocaching. Keep yourself protected so you’re not bringing home an unwanted swag.
