The ticks are biting in the Ozarks...

Little buggers are chasing me wherever I go outside.

So, would it be fair to say you're a ch - er, tick magnet?

They are biting at the east end of the Columbia River Gorge, too. I'm sure they are also massively swarming and biting along the California coast.

I use permethrin spray on pants, shirt and top of hat, and wear shortie gaiters (also sprayed) so the critters can't crawl up inside my pants. I also head for the shower with a mirror when I get home, just to be sure. Last time I got one was about 10 years ago along the central California coast (Big Sur area).

I haven't sprayed my clothes yet, but I'm going to have to soon.

Here, you really can't even go walk outside without them getting on you. I've been bit well over a dozen times already. But getting them off of you fast is the key.

I think I'll be making some gaiters and looking for some clothes for gardening this summer. Some light cotton pants, like painter's pants, gaiters, and a long sleeved light cotton shirt would be good, but I don't really know where to find them yet.

I take a multi-pronged approach to tick control. I'm not convinced everything works but its not terribly expensive and not likely harmful. I can't say I never get a tick but I have been hiking with others where I didn't find any ticks on me and others did.

-treat clothes and gear with permethrin
-take a sulfur based supplement. I take MSM for joints anyway.
-use a sulfur based repellent . I read somewhere that DEET is better for flying insects and sulfur is better for arachanids which includes chiggers and ticks. Please don't ask me to cite my source.
-shower with tea tree oil soap . Tea tree oil is one of several essential oils that is supposed to repel ticks and other insects. In any case the soap I chose is a made in USA soap and that makes me feel good too.
-finally, do tick checks throughout the hike or whatever activity

Bill, for whatever it's worth, we used to put powdered sulfer in our socks and dust pants, pinch points, etc. It certainly wasn't foolproof, but it did seem to help. best, jcp

A grand reminder of why I left the Ozarks for The Land of Enchantment.

Yeah, the ticks do encourage lots of people to enjoy their escape from here.

But we do have the best swimming holes in the entire US, and those make it worthwhile for me in the warm months. Luckily, ticks don't swim

I've always liked NM too though. I haven't been there in a long time now, but the bits of time I got to spend in the mountains there I really did enjoy. I've often thought about going there for some Spring backpacking, after the ticks show here.

Swimming holes, the big rock upstream of the bridge over Beaver Creek stands out.

For much of New Mexico it is still possible to get away from the crowds. I like that.

That's one of our favorites. It's about the closest to us so we go there often. I always walk up to the old Mill site where the damn used to be. There's a natural "Jacuzzi" there when the water's just right