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I have some folks coming in for the 4th of July holiday and we want to do some hiking up along the BRP. Bug spray with DEET is annoying, and we'd rather not have to check for ticks. I hear ticks are particularly bad this year because our rainfall is back to normal and they're making up for lost time. This is going to force us away from our lower elevation waterfall hikes.
Is there an approximate "tick elevation line" above which finding one would be rare? The Grandfather Mountain website says ticks within their park are exceedingly rare, but we'd rather avoid the crowds there. Since most of that park is above 4500 feet in elevation, would that be something of a rule-of-thumb to use?
Craggy Gardens is way up at 5700 feet (with the top being as high as the summit of Grandfather). Would that be a good bet? Also, how shaded is that hike? Any other recs. are appreciated.
I have some folks coming in for the 4th of July holiday and we want to do some hiking up along the BRP. Bug spray with DEET is annoying, and we'd rather not have to check for ticks. I hear ticks are particularly bad this year because our rainfall is back to normal and they're making up for lost time. This is going to force us away from our lower elevation waterfall hikes.
Is there an approximate "tick elevation line" above which finding one would be rare? The Grandfather Mountain website says ticks within their park are exceedingly rare, but we'd rather avoid the crowds there. Since most of that park is above 4500 feet in elevation, would that be something of a rule-of-thumb to use?
Craggy Gardens is way up at 5700 feet (with the top being as high as the summit of Grandfather). Would that be a good bet? Also, how shaded is that hike? Any other recs. are appreciated.
I just have to ask, is there a particular reason you are going so far out of your way to avoid ticks? Like, is someone deathly allergic to them or something?
Because really, just taking normal precautions will keep 99% of people tick-free. In all my years hiking, backpacking or camping in NC I have NEVER found one tick on my body. You have just as much chance getting a tick on yourself while cutting the grass at home as you do hiking. Do your waterfall hikes, or whatever it is that interests you, just wear long pants if you are really that concerned.
I just have to ask, is there a particular reason you are going so far out of your way to avoid ticks? Like, is someone deathly allergic to them or something?
Because really, just taking normal precautions will keep 99% of people tick-free. In all my years hiking, backpacking or camping in NC I have NEVER found one tick on my body. You have just as much chance getting a tick on yourself while cutting the grass at home as you do hiking. Do your waterfall hikes, or whatever it is that interests you, just wear long pants if you are really that concerned.
A couple reasons - first, I had a friend who just went hiking in the woods near Greenville, NC a couple weeks ago and literally pulled 75 ticks off of himself during the course of the day. Also, I usually have to pull ticks off hiking down here in the Piedmont. I don't have a lot of experience up in the mountains. In any case, I've had to use a lot of DEET lately for field work and am getting sick of it since it lingers and doesn't come off well in the shower. Just lookin' for a vacation from that as well.
You do need to be concerned with ticks. They carry about a doz diseases including some that are fatal like Rocky Mtn Spotted Fever. Deer ticks are growing in number and distribution and are a particular problem in the woods plus they carry Lyme disease. I have been working in the woods for over 30 years and never got a one until the last 3 years. Now I can count on getting a deer tick on me almost every time I go out to the park.
However by observing a few rules you can come home tick free. First, no rolling in the bushes and stay out of deep grass. Second, be careful where you sit and where you do your business. Third, wear long pants and keep the legs tucked into your socks. Finally, it can be fun for you and your significant other to check each other for ticks at the end of the day.
Now if you do find one, do not grab it and try to pull it out--that will only squeeze the ticks body fluids into you and increase your chances of getting a disease. Use a pair of fine tweezers to grasp the tick head as close to your skin as possible. Pull it out and put it in a small bottle or better yet sandwich it between 2 pieces of Scotch tape and save it. Write down the date you were bitten. If you have access to an antibiotic like doxycycline take one within 24 hours of being bitten and you can usually prevent infection. Then if you develop any nasty headaches or rashes in the area of the bite within about a week to 10 days get to a doctor immediately and take the tick in with you.
These diseases are predominately spirochetes that head for your brain (as well as other areas) thus the headaches. Lyme disease is characterized by a bulls eye type rash. Even after an infection you can usually knock out the bacterial infection with an anibiotic taken over a 2 week period. Be safe and have fun
If you are hiking trails, spraying a repellent on your shoes/socks should be fairly effective. If you will be walking in brush, tall grass, (please get back on the trail you are damaging possible fragile plants) long pants and spraying shoes/socks and cuffs should be effective.
They do seem to be abundant this year, got 4 off of myself last Saturday, but had not used repellent.
I got an e-mail about putting the dryer sheets in your pockets and around clothes for a bug repellent. Has anyone else heard of this. I just spray my shoes with bug spray and not repellent, so as to avoid fire ants. Ticks can be very dangerous because they are disease carriers for lyme disease and rocky mountain spotted fever. I can't imagine having so many on you. I have lived in North Carolina most of my life and have had very few ticks actually bit my skin. My mother checked me about every day and she found most of the ticks before they got past my clothes. I do remember one that was stuck in my ear lobe.
I would be more concerned about rattlesnakes this time of year than ticks. Stay on the trails. Don't sit down on any bench or log you haven't checked under.
We have ticks on our property and I do fear them for the reasons cited above. We wear hats (for the ticks that drop off trees above), long pants with socks pulled over pants, and bug spray. I have grabbed several ticks off my husband before they bit into him. We also use Advantix on our dogs to repel ticks, as we fear ticks on them too. And yes, we do have Rattlers and Copperhead snakes, so look down! Wear long boots when hiking and bring a snake bite kit with you - helps but you will need medical attention quick if bitten. We also have Bear and Coyotes. This is ALL part of living in the mountains. You just deal with it the way you deal with crowds and traffic in the suburbs/cities. I prefer the ticks/snakes to the traffic truthfully.
I plucked about 10 or so ticks off me last week, and I was wearing shorts (I was using a lemon/eucalyptus repellent). The only benefit there is that you can feel them crawling up your legs, so you can dispose of them before they dig in. Personally, I'd rather be able to see and feel my enemy -- that way I don't end up bringing them into my tent if they've clung to my long pants or socks. But I don't think that's the standard advice.
From my experience, heat and humidity is a more relevant factor. The hotter and the more humid, the more ticks I see. Last week, I saw all the ticks on Saturday and Sunday, when it was really hot and muggy. When the temps cooled off, so did the ticks.
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