Tick Prevention at Pathways Retreat

*March 2023 update: ticks have already been identified in the Pathways woods this year.  Please use bug repellent and check for ticks after walking in the woods.  Picaridin lotion and OFF Deep Woods spray (with deet) are both available inside the side door of the Retreat House.
​If going into the woods, we strongly encourage you to use insect repellent from early spring to late summer. MOST ticks are harmless, especially the larger Wood/Dog tick which are common. Deer ticks are rarer but are carriers of Lyme disease. The nymphs also carry disease and are very hard to spot since they are no larger than a head of a pin.

Prevention is the best approach.
  1. 1.) Stay in the middle of trails
  2. 2.) Wear repellent, especially around ankles. There is repellent in a green box at the beginning of the trail head as well as inside the side door of the Retreat House.  Picaridin lotion and OFF Deep Woods spray (with deet) are both available in the Retreat House.
  3. 3.) Whenever possible, wear shoes and long pants tucked into sock.
  4. 4.) After being in the woods check for ticks.

Follow these simple steps for a successful tick removal:
  1. Locate the head of the tick, grasp it as close to the skin as possible using fine-tipped tweezers and gently squeeze. Do not grab the tick’s body, as this can increase the chance of injecting the tick’s blood into the skin.
  2. Pull outward in a straight motion until the pressure pulls out the head of the tick. Do not twist or wiggle the tick, as that may tear the head off, leaving it lodged in the skin.
  3. Once removed, thoroughly clean the bite area and your hands with soap and water. You can also use rubbing alcohol or an iodine scrub.
If you have a cluster of these symptoms within 4-21 days after being in the woods, contact a doctor. Fever, chills, headache and red, round bulls eye rash around bite (show up about 50% of the time). In this early stage Lyme disease can be quite successfully treated with antibiotics. 
Picture
Blacklegged ticks are also known as Deer ticks. Image from https://tickfreenh.org/identify/