In case you needed proof...

Don't forget to dust all your stuff with Diaotomatious earth. I use food grade.
After I take off hiking clothes socks etc.. I hang them up in the garage and dust them down with the DE. I dust my hair and my dog down. Iv'e watched the ticks and fleas fall off squirm on the ground and die. It is basically like sprinkling tiny bits of razor wire on a bug, it pokes holes in their exoskeleton every time they move.
DE works on dry things so if something is too wet you don't get the best effect on the bugs. I was collecting some fossils last week and got two ticks on my pants, dusted them at the car, they fell off and died. I bring some DE on trips and dust the hotel bed and floor down, it kills bedbugs also. If you pre dust your clothes before a hike it works well as the bugs seem to sense it or the electrostatic properties just attract it to the bugs and they stay away. I spread DE around the camping area after we set up and I sleep better knowing anything with an exoskeleton will die when it touches the stuff.
 

I firmly believe that before going out- a good spray of repellant around the ankles helps ( this tip at no charge)

Hell, Sunday morning I get up and decide to hit the woods with the MD for a couple hours. Already 85 out at 9:00 am. I get dressed and carry socks and shoes out to deck. I sprayed my bare feet, then socks after putting on and then my shoes. Went real heavy on the ankle area and pants up to waist. Then ran out of spray. I guess I thought "That's good enough".

NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! MD'ed for a whopping 45 minutes and about melted it felt like. Got home and felt "something" crawling around my waist. Large tick. Then another and another. Took shirt off and found 4-5 more. Ran to shower, stripped, looked in mirror and saw 4-5 MORE. NASTY damn things. (this tip at no charge.... SPRAY EVERYTHING YOU OWN from bottom to top and/or top to bottom.) And if you run out (spray) don't go out! I should trademark that quote!!!!
 

I see that there is both Food Grade D.E. and Organic Pest Control D.E.. Is the Food Grade one better for ticks than the Pest Control version?
Diatomaceous Earth for Weight Loss, Dry Skin, Joint Pain, Detox
Diatomaceous Earth-Organic Pest Control for Home & Garden

I am sure they will both work. You just want to stay away from the pool filter DE, its been melted and crystallized. DE is so cheap to produce the manufacturers place 'bait' in the DE to supposedly to attract bugs so they can charge more. I have seen ants come up to the DE and turn and go back, they know it is like walking into a million daggers. I use it on thresholds to keep any crawly things out, bugs will not cross over a line of dry DE. You can dust an ant hill(fire ants) and all will die in less than a day, in a non toxic way.
 

There is over 600 DE mines and only 4 are certified food grade. If you have a local farm store that sells DE for animals then it's food grade, and the price will be around $30 for a 50lb sack. Just wear a mask when applying the DE as it is so fine that it becomes airborne and a person can breath in the DE which isn't friendly for the lungs.
 

permethrin is great stuff! However, the bottle states one spraying lasts for 6 weeks!! I don't want to know what I'm spraying!?

It seems that the biggest thing is that it's deadly to cats. Permethrin has little systemic absorption, and is considered safe for topical use in adults and children over the age of 2 months.
But still if it lasts 6 weeks do I want it on my skin?
 

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Since we have cats, Permethrin is out.

I get all my deer ticks in my garden. My brother has the big ticks at his place. At least you can feel them crawling up you - 3 prevented bites yesterday.
 

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Just ordered the Food Grade DE. We'll see how it goes.
 

The heat must have brought them out. Deer Tick bites 14 and 15 (so far) today. They're so tiny you don't feel them crawl on you.
 

Thanks for posting Old Dude. And thanks to everyone for the free tips. Now only if I could stop itching enough to read thru more posts.
 

It's simple-

Has anyone ever seen a tick on a tick? (mating don't count)

Ummm, NO- ticks are not cannibalistic, so go into the woods dressed as a tick.

GENIUS!

Screen Shot 2015-06-17 at 7.43.44 AM.png
 

I thought "Ticks Are For Kids Silly Rabbit"
 

I hear ya old dude, unfortunately in the northeast ticks are hard core around here. Woman's panty hose under pants works, as does chemical solutions such as premethrin. One old time mushroom hunter that I harvest with, swears by using a bundle of fresh crushed garlic, rosemary and other herbs and rubs it on his skin...ironically it works, however I choose to drive solo when we hit the patchs.
 

Okay- so I got arrested stripping down in the lobby of a hotel... (yeah, great tick advice)

Now I'm supposed to go hang out in JC Penny's trying on panty hose.

I'm starting to think you guys are setting me up...
 

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