The Arc’s All-species All-natural Insect HIGHLY EFFECTIVE Repellant. WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE USE OF DILUTED ROSE GERANIUM ESSENTIAL OIL ON YOUR LEGS AND PANTS which, when diluted 1:10 with rubbing alcohol and put in a glass spray bottle (both easily obtainable online), has proved to be an excellent deterrent. It is also natural and non-toxic, so it is not a problem if it is misted on your skin. Plus it smells good.

Training your eyes for small. Chiggers are incredibly small and so are some of the newy hatched ticks. Unless you have lost your near vision, with some brain training, you can see either of them. Chiggers look like tiny red dots. Inspecting your ankles, inside elbows, bra, underwear, and waist lines after a hike is good idea if you know you’ve gotten into them. Keeping a bottle of rubbing alcohol in the car is another good trick to minimize bites. And so is tucking in lint roller in your car. This simple tool is very effective if you get into a hatch of them.

In mid and late summer, insect repellant is ALWAYS recommended, whether you are in the forest or in open meadows.

Be sure to stay strictly on the trail. Going off-trail will increase exposure to ticks and chiggers by many magnitudes, and we are certain you will be sorry if you ignore this advice.

Avoiding Chiggers.

Chiggers are usually not injurious long-term, but if you get 20-30 bites on you, the itching will drive you nuts. It’s good to try to avoid the experience. Chiggers peak in July and August and run into September. They are much more numerous in fields and old farms (even if they have turned back into woods) than in undisturbed forests, but can be found in either. Staying on the trail is absolutely essential to minimize chigger bites. Chiggers (and in some cases ticks) have especially high populations at Samson-Obrist, Plum Run, Kamama Preserves, and potentially at any other place the Arc has open fields.

Chiggers usually take their meal and drop off just a few hours after attachment. If you wait to inspect your body until an evening shower, they are probably already gone. Bites are itchy for about a week for most people, unless you have sensitive skin. Ironically, we have found that bare legs and open-toed sandals sometimes attract less chiggers than socks and shoes. We are not necessarily recommending shorts and sandals, but if you enjoy wearing them, we wouldn’t discount doing so. Chiggers love to burrow in those tight places between skin and clothing, so don’t tuck your pants into your socks unless you also apply a repellent and/or, if you are really zealous, a round of duct tape on the interface. Otherwise, the chiggers will just go over the top of your socks and bury into your ankles.

Regardless of apparel choices, spray yourself lightly with diluted rose geranium oil (see above recipe) or other favorite repellant..

As soon as you get home, wash vigorously with a washcloth and old fashioned soap, follow up with a swab of rubbing alcohol, and take a visual check. If you have good eyes and you get to the task fast enough, you can even see chiggers as very tiny red dots on your skin that can be scratched off.

A Special Note on Ticks.

It is wise to minimize exposure to ticks since several species can carry diseases. Bare legs can also deter ticks because most people can feel them crawling up their legs, as well as visually seeing them. They can then be easily sent on their way. If you run into a hatch of tiny seed ticks, which can be very alarming, we recommend stopping at a gas station bathroom when you leave the field and doing a thorough tick check, Be sure to include checking under your arms, your pubic area, and the base of your hairline. We always recommend a good tick check at night before or after showering if you have been in the field. A buddy is most helpful in this regard. You have more time to remove ticks than you do chiggers, as ticks can be a bit slower making an attachment.

Tick Diseases. The key to addressing tick-borne Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Lyme’s disease risks is to be aware of symptoms and demand proper diagnostic tests if you suspect their presence. Both diseases are treatable if detected early, so it is wise to be proactive and urge your doctor to consider this in the diagosis.

Here are some symptoms to remember, which tend to be flu-like. In addition, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever usually results in rashes.

• Pain areas: in the joints or muscles

• Whole body: fatigue, fever, or malaise

• Joints: stiffness or swelling

• Also common: the appearance of large red blotches, sometimes with a bulls-eye pattern,

• Headache

• Palsy

Tick-borne diseases may leave a lingering effect called Alpha-Gal Syndrome, in which the body becomes allergic to mammal meat, and in severe cases, dairy products.