Now let’s talk about the T— word, the one no one wants to talk about. But we will. Ticks are common in the woods of rural and urban communities, and one or two might try to latch onto you if you walk in the deep grass.
Hiking is one of the favorite activities on our 400-acre farm. We take care to be sure that our guests are not burdened by these crawling insects. In some cases, they are known to cause Rocky Mountain spotted fever and, mainly further to the Northeast, they can cause lyme disease. Harmless but itchy chiggers also roam in the grass.
–The three-mile trail is mowed regularly, keeping the grass pretty low.
–We advise hikers to wear long pants and tuck them inside their socks.
–We have insect spray that will deter most ticks. If you would like we can treat your pants overnight with tick-resistant spray
–At the end of a hike, we suggest that hikers check themselves for ticks. A shower isn’t a bad idea.
–If a tick is found, it is best to remove it with tweezers because fingernails aren’t always effective. Drop it in the toilet or a cup of rubbing alcohol to be sure it doesn’t latch on to somebody else.
–You can also just sit on the tick-free front porch and enjoy a glass of lemonade.