by Ken Kindler
If you are alert, you can keep from coming in contact with poison ivy, but ticks are so small they can easily grab a ride with the means of conveyance never being the wiser. Some deer ticks and Lone Star ticks may carry diseases including Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Babesiosis and Erlichiosis.
You can greatly reduce the risk of contracting these diseases by preparing for your hike in advance. For years, I have spent more time in the woods, than out. I periodically test for Lyme Disease, and have never contracted it. When I come home from the woods, I check my entire body for ticks. They grab on anywhere from the shoe laces to mid thigh. They then start traveling straight up, looking for a place to attach. Looking for them and flicking them away has become almost an unconscious act.
You can greatly reduce the risk of contracting these diseases by preparing for your hike in advance. For years, I have spent more time in the woods, than out. I periodically test for Lyme Disease, and have never contracted it. When I come home from the woods, I check my entire body for ticks. They grab on anywhere from the shoe laces to mid thigh. They then start traveling straight up, looking for a place to attach. Looking for them and flicking them away has become almost an unconscious act.
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