Tick / cleg repellant

[Csm8]

Unsure if this should be in here on gear/equipment talk so apologies if its in the wrong place!

I've never really been that bothered by ticks or clegs, sure I've had a few bites but no adverse reactions or disease, yet.

I've recently read/watched youtube about folk having such a hard time with bites (ticks especially) and in some cases had life changing conditions.

So in order to prevent this I am going to start taking this more seriously! My question would be what do you do to prevent ticks? (I have convinced myself nothing works against clegs).

DEET, Permethrin etc, all claim to be the best chemicals, treating the skin, soaking your clothes in them, spraying them on clothes etc? how long would this last, would you need to reapply everytime you go out?

Cheers

[KatTai]

Permethrin goes on clothing/fabrics, it doesn't need applying each time but you'd need to read the instructions for each brand as to how long it will last.

DEET is effective but was horrendous on my skin (I was in Mexico and it was pretty much essential, the one night my skin was so bad I didn't use it I was bitten by bed bugs) so I don't use it here.

Smidge is Deet-free, I've used that a few times when caught out, seems to keep the nasties away.

There are 'natural' options, some more effective than others. I make up my own mix from my dogs and myself as it makes more sense is all using the same thing rather than different things to do the same job. I use neem, apple cider vinegar and a few drops of peppermint oil (makes it smell a bit nicer). The dogs pick up the occasional tick, I haven't picked up one since using the spray (commercial and home-made) despite spending more time in the hills than I did on the occasions when I did pick up ticks.

[Csm8]

Thanks for the reply. I did try a home made cleg repellent the last couple of years, I think it was tea tree oil, peppermint oil, some other funky stuff I read about - basically I tried a concoction of all the chemicals I read about that was supposed to work and it did absolutely nothing so back to the drawing board on this one but i'll give your suggestion a shot

[KatTai]

Thanks for the reply. I did try a home made cleg repellent the last couple of years, I think it was tea tree oil, peppermint oil, some other funky stuff I read about - basically I tried a concoction of all the chemicals I read about that was supposed to work and it did absolutely nothing so back to the drawing board on this one but i'll give your suggestion a shot

I've used neem for about 8-9 years after the dogs continued to pick up ticks when on Frontline from the vet. I get the stuff for horses (works out a lot cheaper when there's me and 3 dogs to spray) and just dilute it down with the vinegar (also for horses...cheaper...) about 1/2 and 1/2. You can use any essential oil to make it smell better, eucalyptus and citrus are the ones with some evidence for repelling nasty bities. But I like peppermint

[Tringa]

My current favourite to repel midges, clegs and other biting insects is Smidge.

I think it works(in the UK) as well as DEET based products is but is far more pleasant. I find DEET based products sting my eyes, numb my lips and it melts some plastics, which could be bad news for those with spectacles, binoculars and cameras.

I have heard Smidge also repels ticks but have no experience for or against that view.

Ticks appear to becoming more common and there seem to be more reports of Lyme Disease, but it could be more people are getting out there and/or more tick bites are being reported.

Over forty years I have lost count of the number of ticks I have removed from me and other members of the family and perhaps we have all been lucky but none of us have suffered any ill effects.

I think the best action against ticks is trying to reduce the chances of a tick attaching itself and carefully checking on the return from a walk.

The only difference I've seen over the years is almost all of the ticks I have had in the last five, possibly a bit more, years is that they are at the nymph stage and therefore VERY small.

Dave

[Moder-dye]

I'm a mega midge magnet and smidge definitely works for them, supposed to repel ticks too. I guess as I've not had any ticks it maybe does!

My big issue is clegs, nothing I've tried seems to stop them and I come up in massive bumps off them. Only waterproof or other thick clothing seems to protect me and usually its far too hot for that. Any cleg solutions?

[Tringa]

I'm a mega midge magnet and smidge definitely works for them, supposed to repel ticks too. I guess as I've not had any ticks it maybe does!

My big issue is clegs, nothing I've tried seems to stop them and I come up in massive bumps off them. Only waterproof or other thick clothing seems to protect me and usually its far too hot for that. Any cleg solutions?

Sorry I can't help with the clegs but and interesting comment, Moder.

I find Smidge stops them biting but they often get very close or sometimes even land on me before beating a retreat.

On a very hot, sunny and breezy day last year I decided I didn't need any Smidge on for my walk as there was a breeze and midges do not like strong light so there wouldn't be a problem.
I was correct and never saw a midge but the clegs, who sunbathe like there is no tomorrow and laugh in the face of a breeze, had a good meal from me.

Fortunately, other than the initial bite which is bad enough, I have no adverse reaction.

Dave

[Cairngorm creeper]

We go for the cover up approach, long trousers with short gaiters, light weight long sleeved hooded tops and an emergency supply of smidge if the midges are over whelming. Plus a thorough inspection for ticks at the end of the day, we have picked up very few since taking this approach. Permethrin is damaging to the environment, especially on shoes and trousers where it can get into the water supply so is best avoided.

[Mal Grey]

Another vote for Smidge as a repellent.

However, for things like ticks, the problem is that unless you spray our whole body with repellent, they will still get onto your clothes and crawl until they find somewhere nice and soft and warm

If in a particularly "ticky" area, I keep my trousers tucked into my socks. This seems to work fairly well, as in recent trips though I've seen more ticks, the last few on me have been on my wrists (probably from sorting out kit on a wild camp, or whilst portaging (=dragging) the canoe up some stupid slope!)

Ticks are often found in low lying areas where deer may have gathered, small paths on the approach through bracken/long grass, and other similar places. I pay even more attention then.

I'm normally only in Scotland when its cold enough to be wearing long trousers and in fact, normally base layers underneath! I still get the odd one of two on Easter trips, and a regime of checking yourself each evening is necessary on a multi-day trip.I use the O'Tom Tick Twisters.

I hate the little tickers, but you can't over worry about it or you'd never go out.

[Essan]

I have never had any ticks when using Smidge, but that may just be coincidence. I also treat my clothing with permethrin (from Lifesystems) before any long trips.

I am pretty sure the only thing that deters clegs though is 2 inch armour plating. And I'm not sure they wouldn't get through that. Fortunately, they are not around much in the spring and autumn when I'm more likely to be out.

[Csm8]

Cheers, will go for smidge on skin and permethrin on clothes I’ve never bothered with any repellents before but after some scary tick related stories it would be unwise to ignore it any longer. Still only had a handful of tick bites in 25 years of hill going but they seem to be getting more prevalent!

The last two summers the clegs have been horrendous...I actually got swarmed by them, hundreds of them, on that big boggy area in fisherfeild in the heatwave summer 2018. Never knew they swarmed, I had to literally sprint over the bog - after having done the 5 Munros before hand. Sore legs that night... they are attracted to darker clothing in my experience and bite through them. Luckily I don’t react, but it’s the thought . Clever wee shites too, you can’t feel em land and they approach from behind

[mynthdd2]

May I recommend EUREKA which also keeps midges away? No harsh chemicals either..before that a cleg in Orkney had me booked into hospital for a really mingy bite on my hand.... so Eureka it is (plus it smells nice which, actually, helps me convince myself I do not have you know what)

[Sunset tripper]

Ticks dont seem to like me as I have never found one on me. I dont get too bothered by midges compared to most, but I find smidge to be the best thing I've tried.
Last year while sitting outside the Strontian Hotel on Loch Sunart the midges were quite bad and we got speaking to some Yorkshire folk who had little plastic skooshy bottles filled with mouthwash. They swore by it and said they had used it for years and any mouthwash would do. I remember trying it and it felt quite refreshing on the skin, unfortunately I had quite a few drinks and cant remember how it performed overall.

[Sgurr]

Best thing for ticks is to check yourself after every walk and if you find any use a Tom Twister to get them out, There's a very good link here https://www.lymediseaseaction.org.uk/about-ticks/tick-removal/. You won't get Lyme disease if you can stop them regurgitating into you as you pull them out. Essential to do it as soon as possible, but at least within 24 hours. I don't think anything repels them. I use Jungle Formula for midges, but it probably has deet in.

[tweedledog]

I agree with Sgurr on ticks; I don't think anything repels them. And that's not just on humans. None of the flea/tick repellents for dogs seem to deter them in my experience. For me and the dog the little twisty tool does the trick, although it's rare for me to get one since I always wear long trousers tucked into socks and try to avoid shoulder high bracken! As to midges, I live in Argyll and my garden (for which read "untended wilderness") is a haven for them. Fortunately they don't much like the taste of me but they can be maddening nonetheless. Believe it or not, both myself and visitors have had some success with the traditional formula Skin So Soft. On clegs I have no sensible advice - the buggers can stab you through quite thick clothing. Last year, for the first time I think, I was mobbed by keds and had all sorts of trouble getting rid of them from my hair. I suppose standard repellents may have some effect on them.