Tick Prevention Summer Camp Survival Kit Ideas

Have you or a loved one ever had a tick on your body? If so you will know it is a little scary knowing that a small creature is attaching itself to your body. Prevention is the best way to keep these little insects off of you and your loved ones this summer. 

Make sure you have these items on hand or send with the kids to summer camp.

Tick Prevention Summer Camp Survival Kit ideas:

• Tick-Repellent Clothing.  Brands such as Insect Shield, ExOfficio’s BugsAway or ElimiTick can be purchased from retailers like L.L. Bean and Eastern Mountain Sports and are effective for up to 70 washes.  Clothing-safe tick sprays such as those with permethrin, an insecticide that repels and kills ticks, are a great alternative to pre-treated clothing.  Footwear, socks and sleeping bags should always be treated along with pants and shirts. 

• Maximum Coverage Clothing.  Children should bring along a pair of pre-treated, light-colored long pants, a long sleeve shirt and a hat.  A reduction in the amount of skin exposed means a reduction in the number of places a tick can attack.

• Insect Repellent that is approved by the EPA should be included and many brands come in easy-to-carry travel sizes that are perfect to take on long adventures.  DEET is a well-known repellent, but it’s not recommended for children.  Parents may want to try a spray like Buzz Away Extreme, Repel Lemon Eucalyptus Insect Repellent or Avon Skin So Soft Bug Guard Plus Expedition.

• Re-Sealable Bags.  When returning from the outdoors, a child should place any untreated dirty clothes in a re-sealable bag until these clothes can be put in a dryer, which would kill any existing ticks.  Sealing up the untreated dirty clothes will prevent any ticks that might be on these items from being transported to the child’s clean clothes, bedding and anywhere else.

• Lots of Soap!  Many ticks are so small that they can go unnoticed and showering immediately after spending time outside will help to spot and remove unattached ticks.  Bath time is the perfect time for a child to carefully inspect themselves for any unwanted hitchhikers.  Fun bath-time Products like Avon Kids Bath Time Body Paints or SpongeBob SquarePants Soap Filled Bath Sponge will entice kids to get clean as soon as possible.