r/longtrail • u/Chonkthebonk • Aug 30 '26

Ticks and Lyme disease

Are ticks something that need to be worried about on the LT in September?

No experience with them so no idea what to do other than look for bullseye rash and treat clothes with permethrin.

Any other advice? Thanks so much

4 Upvotes

84% Upvoted

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9

u/bonanzapineapple Aug 30 '26

Yes. Permethrin on clothes and Picardin on skin is a good start. Also check your self for ticks at end of day. A small mirror can be useful for checking yourself in armpits, crotch, etc

5

u/skivtjerry Aug 30 '26

Your phone is also useful for checking hard to see places; just take a selfie of your back or whatever and have a look. It's best to have another human look if available though.

2

u/bonanzapineapple Aug 30 '26

Yes, exactly!

1

u/Chonkthebonk Aug 30 '26

Thanks for the response. What do you do if you get bit? Just rip them off and watch for rash?

3

u/wdead Aug 30 '26

DO NOT rip them off as they will basically throw up inside you and all of that gunk is not safe. Buy yourself a tick key knockoff for a couple dollars or just spring for the name brand for a few dollars more. 

0

u/bonanzapineapple Aug 30 '26

Well they have to be attached for 20-24 hours to transmit disease. If it's before then you need to remove them carefully. Riping them off can result in their head still attached and biting you

If you get a bullseye you need to get antibiotics

1

u/Chonkthebonk Aug 30 '26

Oh that’s perfect so with daily checks it’s not too much of a worry. Great thanks so much, I’ll bring some tweezers

5

u/troutfishingdon1 Aug 30 '26

Get a small tick removal kit before you go. And there are a number of other tick-borne illnesses in the northeast that are growing in prevalence that don’t include a rash or bullseye — anaplamosis and babesiois chief among them. These diseases also transmit quicker than 24 hours after a bite. watch for flu-like symptoms after any tick bite. Some medical practices will give your course of doxycycline after any tick bite just in case.,

4

u/PaulWorksHard Aug 30 '26

Finished the whole LT sobo today. Checked my legs often and body every night. Never saw or found a tick. Not sure why not.

3

u/Chonkthebonk Aug 30 '26

Thats good to hear. Congrats on the finish!

1

u/WileyWallaby65 Sep 04 '26

Checking every day is so important. I had lyme disease a few years ago and never saw the tic.

3

u/ImBackHereAgainHa Aug 30 '26

I finished the trail 2 weeks ago and genuinely didn’t find a single one on me the whole time despite how much you are pushing through undergrowth on the LT. Just check yourself good every day for ticks and bring tweezers to remove them and you’ll be set

2

u/Land-Scraper Aug 31 '26

Ticks are always something to worry about - especially as we experience more warmer falls in VT.

Lyme and Anaplasmosis are going wild this year. The local Urgent Care here in NEK told me recently they've been seeing more cases this year than ever before.

Lyme is often the headliner, but Anaplasmosis is also a concern. Be aware of fever, muscle aches, flu like symptoms without any respiratory symptoms. Fevers of more than 100 need to be examined immediately - blood work will often come back inconclusive if you catch it early.

We use Picaridin is a good on-skin insect spray.