One thing I discovered is ticks practically run up your legs. They are much faster than I imagined they would be. So checking frequently on your legs is a good idea and they don’t brush off easily. You really have to actively pull them off even when they’re still in the process of looking for a good hiding spot to dig in. That’s why they’re so flat so they can stick to you even before they bite you.
Ugh, so true. The closest I came to having a car accident in 2018, when I was doing a lot of field research for a hiking guidebook, was driving home from Southern New Hamsphire in the evening, casually glancing down at my left calf upon feeling something there, and seeing a tick scurrying up my leg. Frantically trying to swat that flat little shit from my leg or even trying to crush it with my thumb and index finger was tough! I should have pulled over.
I had a very similar experience…twice! Luckily, both times I felt then saw a tick on my left hand, so I stuck it out the window, but I had to use my right hand to scrape it off, letting go of the wheel completely for a second while driving down the New York Thruway… as you said, I should’ve pulled over!
Great post. I was actually excitedly waiting for your Boston loop trail to be published when I was taken down by anaplasmosis, another lesser known tick disease. A few things I learned from the experience:
1. Be extra careful on days when something else distracts you. I’ve been doing tick checks all my life but on the day I (likely) got exposed it was hotter than expected and I was really focused on getting water when I got home. I did do my regular checks, but I realized in retrospect they were likely sloppier than normal because I was distracted.
It focuses on ER visits (of which I am now one!) so it doesn’t catch everyone, but it’s still pretty useful to understand tick activity in the area.
They also link to more information about some of the lesser known tick diseases, which are good to know the symptoms of. I’ve lived in New England my whole life but didn’t know what anaplasmosis was until I tested positive for it.
Again, thanks for the article, great info to get out there!
Oof, I'm so sorry about the bout of anaplasmosis! Based on the wording of your comment, it sounds like things have hopefully resolved a bit...? I hope so, and I hope you're feeling back to baseline or close to it. But in any event, this is fantastic advice. The point about avoiding distractions is key. One infected tick can take advantage of a lapse in our monitoring. Thank you for sharing this reminder!
Thank you, Miles, that's great information. I've used permethrin on my clothes for several years now and it's worked well. Just want to point out that in Europe including the UK, I believe you can get tick borne encephalitis so folks should still be careful there. Not a huge problem, but do tick checks! Newfoundland is a great place for visits virtually free of tick fear, but be careful not to bring ticks there!
This is helpful intel to squirrel away, Barbara. Thank you! In the wake of the Tartan Army being here in Boston, I've been looking into paying a visit to Scotland later this year and doing some hiking. Even with Lyme being less of a factor over there, vigilance with ticks is still important. Thankfully living in New England has made post-hike (and mid-hike) tick checks feel as natural as looking both ways when crossing a street, for better or worse.
One thing I discovered is ticks practically run up your legs. They are much faster than I imagined they would be. So checking frequently on your legs is a good idea and they don’t brush off easily. You really have to actively pull them off even when they’re still in the process of looking for a good hiding spot to dig in. That’s why they’re so flat so they can stick to you even before they bite you.
Ugh, so true. The closest I came to having a car accident in 2018, when I was doing a lot of field research for a hiking guidebook, was driving home from Southern New Hamsphire in the evening, casually glancing down at my left calf upon feeling something there, and seeing a tick scurrying up my leg. Frantically trying to swat that flat little shit from my leg or even trying to crush it with my thumb and index finger was tough! I should have pulled over.
I had a very similar experience…twice! Luckily, both times I felt then saw a tick on my left hand, so I stuck it out the window, but I had to use my right hand to scrape it off, letting go of the wheel completely for a second while driving down the New York Thruway… as you said, I should’ve pulled over!
Great post. I was actually excitedly waiting for your Boston loop trail to be published when I was taken down by anaplasmosis, another lesser known tick disease. A few things I learned from the experience:
1. Be extra careful on days when something else distracts you. I’ve been doing tick checks all my life but on the day I (likely) got exposed it was hotter than expected and I was really focused on getting water when I got home. I did do my regular checks, but I realized in retrospect they were likely sloppier than normal because I was distracted.
2. If you’re in Massachusetts, the state publishes some surveillance data here: https://www.mass.gov/lists/monthly-tick-borne-disease-reports
It focuses on ER visits (of which I am now one!) so it doesn’t catch everyone, but it’s still pretty useful to understand tick activity in the area.
They also link to more information about some of the lesser known tick diseases, which are good to know the symptoms of. I’ve lived in New England my whole life but didn’t know what anaplasmosis was until I tested positive for it.
Again, thanks for the article, great info to get out there!
Oof, I'm so sorry about the bout of anaplasmosis! Based on the wording of your comment, it sounds like things have hopefully resolved a bit...? I hope so, and I hope you're feeling back to baseline or close to it. But in any event, this is fantastic advice. The point about avoiding distractions is key. One infected tick can take advantage of a lapse in our monitoring. Thank you for sharing this reminder!
Thank you, Miles, that's great information. I've used permethrin on my clothes for several years now and it's worked well. Just want to point out that in Europe including the UK, I believe you can get tick borne encephalitis so folks should still be careful there. Not a huge problem, but do tick checks! Newfoundland is a great place for visits virtually free of tick fear, but be careful not to bring ticks there!
This is helpful intel to squirrel away, Barbara. Thank you! In the wake of the Tartan Army being here in Boston, I've been looking into paying a visit to Scotland later this year and doing some hiking. Even with Lyme being less of a factor over there, vigilance with ticks is still important. Thankfully living in New England has made post-hike (and mid-hike) tick checks feel as natural as looking both ways when crossing a street, for better or worse.