How Do I Deal With Ticks?

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I have two chickens that free range the whole neighborhood. I haven't had a tick problem since.

Powdered sulfur. Back in my Army days we spent a LOT of time crawling in the bush, laying on the ground, sleeping on the ground, etc. Before going on a patrol out would come coffee cans with 2-3 pounds of powdered sulfur. 4-5 tablespoons goes into a sock, tie a knot in the sock, drop your BDUs and start powdering yourself down. As in everywhere. Also boot tops, legs, waist band, backs, necks, hair, I mean everywhere. When we started using the sulfur we had no more issues with ticks or chiggers. GONE.

Ticks are why I use a hammock when camping out. The buggers generally don't crawl more than a meter up. Understanding how they hunt, which is what they are doing, goes a long way towards avoiding them.

Opossums deserve an applause for their efforts to control the tick populations 👏

Being an ex-guerrilla grower, I spent a lot of time in the woods in America's heartland and know this plight well. Gold Bond medicated powder with the zinc oxide is a game changer. It's like boric acid to cockroaches, it aggravates their exoskeleton. Tea tree oil on the outside of shoes helps also.

Here in Maine, we put out tubes stuffed with a bit of cotton ball, or dog hair, sprayed with parathion. The mice are the vector that the tick nymphs grow on during the winter. The mice take up the cotton/dog hair and use it for their nests. The parathion kills the ticks. We have only done this once, this last fall. It is April 24th and it appears that there are less ticks so far this year, although that is difficult to assess so early.

A fun experiment that I have done in the past to help better understand a ticks reproductive process and ability, is to when I have came across a full plump tick, usually from dogs, is to remove the tick and place it into a secure container, such as a jar with lid, then wait until the tick parishes, from the beginning of its demise it starts excreting hundreds of eggs and babies and throughout its decomposition, it releases thousands upon thousands of near microscopic eggs and hatchlings. It really provides and understanding of how much offspring just one fully feasted mature adult can produce. Its amazing! Stay safe everyone!

I've practiced exactly these talking points for years, remove a dozen ticks a year off me and the dog and have yet to contract Lyme. Not only important to be aware, but get the tick off immediately, monitor the bite site. Thanks Adam! Educational videos like this could really save your life, Lyme is no joke.

You are the perfect gentleman Adam, we love you. Don't ever change. We appreciate all the useful information you give us. You're very enjoyable to watch and listen to. There are so many people out here in the world and I talk to them on the Internet strangers complete strangers but yet there's one thing we have in common and that is we all say how much we love Adam on learn your land. Till next time, God bless

As a native of NE Pennsylvania, I’ve dealt with my fair share of ticks over the years. I’ve utilized all the methods you’ve mentioned. My usual go-to is also simply being aware of where they are and tactfully avoiding those areas, but many times, this is not feasible. If I expect to be walking through a lot of brush, ferns, leaves, or tall grass, I’ll constantly check my clothing. Truthfully, I do like permethrin, as that makes your time outdoors virtually worry-free, though I do understand why people are off-put by coating their clothing in a toxic chemical. My father’s method of tick avoidance is actually very effective in most cases: tall rubber boots. Ticks do not like climbing on the rubber, and will seek easier prey when confronted with this type of impediment.

I love the "maneuvering" advice. While out in the woods I treat everything as if it were electrified and if I brush against it I'll get shocked. Also don't forget to have a pair of reading glasses if you need them. You can't deal with the ticks if you can't see them. Happy trails.....

Hi Adam, A very interesting video. I have researched ticks and the diseases they carry for over 30 years. I like the way you presented your video and look forward to more. Thank you.

Thank you! I have lived in the Hudson Valley ("Upstate" NY) most of my life and have been treated for Lyme disease 4 times. Once I had it so bad I needed IV antibiotics and was told I might never walk again. Fortunately, with the help of vitamins, supplements, and a few anti-inflammatory medications I have made an almost complete comeback. I appreciate your educational videos. Especially this one. While I know most of this stuff, it's a helpful reminder and also a great learning tool I can pass on to others. Happy Trails!

I would very much like to see your video or series on anti inflammatory and tick-conscious diet. Please consider making that series for us!! Thanks Adam!!!

I'd be curious to hear why you don't use permethrin or permethrin treated clothes and shoes. They have been extremely beneficial to my family.

Japanese knotweed, Cat's Claw and Lion's mane helped me recover from lyme disease. Andrographis and Chinese skullcap helped a lot too!

I'm glad you mentioned anti-inflammatory diets. After sustaining a horrible back injury due to an auto accident, anti-inflammatory eating has become essential in my pain management strategy. I can immediately feel a difference in my body when I eat something inflammatory like fried foods or sugary foods like breads

Thank you for your wisdom on this topic. My health was devastated by Lyme Disease from a bite in 2014. I was the bitten by a deer tick in December 2013 in the Northeast USA. I was not aware of the potential danger. This tick bite, I believe, occurred no more than 10 ft from my back door. I have previously found ticks on me just walking my dog outside the house. It took me over a year and a half to walk again and make reasonable cognitive decisions and have my autonomic nervous system function properly again. I find the information you share here, in my opinion, is incredibly helpful and valid. This helps me to get back out in the woods again more confidently. Thank you!

"Before tick bite... After tick bite..." I'm not sure how many others got this reference to the classic Buddhist saying, but I appreciated it greatly! Thanks, Adam!