Bite protection is a two-tier routine: set up permethrin-treated gear and a bite kit once, then repeat repellent application and a full-body tick check after each outing, with high-heat drying reserved for clothes worn in tick habitat.

Your Two-Tier Bite-Prevention Checklist

One-time setup (before your first outing):

Treat clothing and gear with 0.5% permethrin. Apply it to fabric, never to skin.
Inspect tent mesh for holes and repair them at home, where you have light and tools, not at the campsite.
Assemble a bite kit: repellent, fine-tipped tweezers or a tick remover, after-bite relief, a head net for midge country, and light long-sleeved layers.

Repeat actions (every outing):

Apply an EPA-registered skin repellent to exposed skin and clothing.
Wear light-colored, long sleeves and long pants; tuck pants into socks and shirt into pants.

After outdoor time (same day):

Do a full-body tick check.
After bushland or tick-infested areas, tumble-dry clothing on high heat.

Repellent buys time. The check catches what repellent missed.

Pre-Outdoor: Know Your Pest, Then Layer Up

Different biting insects need different tactics, so timing and location set what you apply and when. Mosquitoes peak at dawn and dusk near standing water, shade, and humid air; ticks wait in long grass, leaf litter, and woodland edges rather than flying to you; biting midges swarm in still, humid air near water, worst near dusk. That timing matters for repellent: apply before an evening trip to still water or a morning walk through wet grass, rather than once bites start.

No single product covers all three, which is why a repeatable, layered routine works better than one repellent purchase. Clothing is the base layer. Pale colors make ticks and midges easier to spot before they bite, and tucking pants into socks closes the route ticks use to reach skin. A hat covers the scalp, a spot ticks favor and people rarely check.

On top of clothing, use an EPA-registered skin repellent with an active ingredient such as DEET, picaridin, IR3535, or PMD (para-menthane-3,8-diol, a plant-based repellent). Follow the manufacturer's instructions on how to apply it and how often to reapply. A head net, part of the bite kit, covers the face and neck in midge country.

For tick-heavy woodland, permethrin-treated clothing and gear add a long-lasting layer that complements skin repellent over multi-day trips. The CDC lists treating clothing and gear with permethrin as a before-outdoors step for tick prevention.

After Outdoor Time: The 24-Hour Tick Check

Prompt removal within 24 hours dramatically lowers infection risk, which is why the check belongs in the same ritual as taking off your boots. A tick that stays attached longer has more time to pass on an infection, so the check is time-sensitive rather than optional. Do a full-body tick check every evening and again before sleep.

Check the places ticks prefer: the scalp, behind the ears, the back of the head and neck, the groin, the armpits, and the back of the knees. Run your hands over each area rather than relying on a glance, because an attached tick is small and easy to miss against skin. Check children the same way, and check pets regularly, since they can carry ticks indoors.

Then handle the clothes. After a trip through bushland or a tick-infested area, tumble-dry the whole load on high heat for at least 10 minutes to kill ticks still on fabric, not just the outer layer.

A tick that attached during the day can still be caught in the evening, so the check is worth doing even when you feel nothing crawling. If you find one, remove it promptly with fine-tipped tweezers or a tick remover rather than waiting for the next day. After-bite relief in the kit treats the itch that follows a bite, which matters because scratching a bite breaks the skin.

When a Bite Is More Than a Nuisance, and How to Reduce Ticks at Home

A bite followed by symptoms such as a rash or fever is a reason to seek care from a healthcare provider. Do not self-treat.

Home landscape work is part of the routine, not a separate project. Ticks need humidity to survive, so reducing moisture around play areas and paths makes those spaces less hospitable. Mow lawns regularly, remove mulch and leaf litter, and trim overhanging shrubs where ticks wait for a host to brush past. Clear leaf litter from under decks and along fence lines, where humidity stays high and ticks survive between hosts.

Some choices play out over years. Planting smooth-barked trees such as angophoras may help reduce tick incidence. Attracting insectivore birds to the garden has been suggested as a natural tick control measure. Chickens have been shown to reduce the prevalence of larger ticks, though not the nymph stage.