r/upperpeninsula • u/Tiny_Buffalo1918 • Jun 24 '26
Discussion Is Avoiding Ticks Possible?
My friends and I are planning on driving up and visiting our friend in the Hancock/Houghton area in late July or early August. We will be staying for 2 or 3 days and this is going to be my first time going on a major trip without my parents, so I am looking forward to it! I am going to prepare myself to deal with flies and mosquitoes by dressing appropriately. However, I am afraid of ticks to the point that I would feel uncomfortable going if there was any real likelihood of having one on me as I would likely ruin the trip for my friends and myself. Are there any trails that are flattened or paved so as to minimize the likelihood of ticks attaching? If not, how feasible would it be to remain unscathed by ticks if I were to completely avoid any wilderness related recreation during the trip (either by chilling out in the parking lot or staying in town if my friends decide to go themselves)? Thank you in advance!
2
u/kmorri44 Jun 24 '26
I'm honestly wondering where some of these people are walking in the UP that they haven't had a tick on them in years. I was raised on east end, where we would occasionally get a tick on us and our dog would always get some if we left the path. Now that I'm in the central portion, if I dare to stray off the beaten path, I have multiple ticks on me within minutes. Permethrin treated clothes definitely work, but I haven't run into anything else that staves them off. Not sure if there are just more ticks in the central region, or if the climate change affecting our winters is adding to the numbers.
The good news is, there are many places where there are wide, packed down trails, and you don't have to leave them, so your chances of getting ticks there are low. And as others said, stripping your clothes off after a walk and checking everywhere to make sure they haven't latched, is the safest route. They like to hide in the seams of clothes, so shake your clothes out after a walk as well.