As we get embark on another summer of camp packed with outdoor adventures, many parents share a common concern: the risk of ticks and Lyme disease. Ticks thrive in grassy, wooded areas and can pose a serious health risk by transmitting Lyme disease, a condition that can have lasting effects if not promptly treated.
Ensuring your child’s safety while they enjoy nature’s wonders is paramount, and being informed about tick prevention and the importance of regular tick checks can provide peace of mind. We’ll share practical steps you can take to protect your children from ticks and equip them with the knowledge to stay safe while having fun at camp.
Let’s dive into essential tips and best practices to keep those tiny invaders at bay!
What are ticks?
Ticks are arachnids that live in the woods and grassy fields. They are blood feeders. A tick will typically stay attached to their host for a few days or a week to complete their feeding.
There are many different types of ticks (deer ticks, American dog ticks, and rocky mountain wood ticks are a few). Only deer ticks transmit Lyme disease bacteria. According to the Centers for Disease Control and the American Camp Association, it’s unclear if deer ticks must be attached for longer than 24 hours to pass on the Lyme disease infection.
Nymph ticks, which are active during the spring and summer, are tiny—often no bigger than poppy seeds—and are the most likely to spread disease.
That’s why daily tick checks at home are very important!
Calleva campers spend all day, every day outdoors in areas where ticks are prevalent. One option for repelling ticks is to spray your child’s clothing and shoes with Permethrin, an insecticide that kills ticks. There is a very small risk of Lyme Disease transferring to a human if a deer tick is removed within 24 hours. That’s why Calleva recommends parents to check their camper for ticks at the end of every camp day!
The University of Rhode Island TickEncounter web site offers some great information for kids and families who spend time in the outdoors, including how to avoid tick bites, how to check for ticks, and more!
Here’s a video depicting how you can check your child for ticks.
If our staff find a tick on your child:
If our staff find a tick on your child during the camp day they will circle the tick with a permanent marker so that you can find it easily and remove it at home. A camp director will notify you so you can remove the tick at home.
We prefer not to remove a tick without the specific permission of parents, just in case a small part of the tick is left under the skin.
The CDC provides guidance for tick removal and follow up.
Removing the tick’s body from your child’s skin will reduce the risk of diseases ticks sometimes pass on during feeding. Once a tick is properly removed (see below), it is important to examine and evaluate the person who was bitten for signs of tick-borne illness. Symptoms may not appear immediately, so pay attention for signs of tick-borne illnesses, which could appear a few days later.
D.A.R.E. to keep your kids safe from ticks at camp
The DARE 2B Tick Aware is a PA Lyme Prevention Program that shares the D.A.R.E. acronym to increase tick awareness:
- DEFEND: Use skin-safe repellent and wear permethrin-treated clothing. Light-colored clothes and tucking pants into socks make it easier to spot ticks.
- AVOID: Steer clear of damp, dark areas where ticks thrive, such as downed logs, leaf piles, tall grass, and the edges of fields and wooded paths.
- REMEMBER: After outdoor activities, do thorough tick checks and have campers shower within two hours.
- ELIMINATE: Remove ticks with pointed tweezers and cleanse the bite site properly. Follow step-by-step removal instructions for safety.
Learn the Tick Song
The catchy Tick Check song, by Louis and Dan and the Invisible Band, makes tick checks a fun after camp tradition. The lyrics are easy to remember:
“Check for ticks! tick check! Don’t get sick! Tick check! Check your head, check your hair, check your armpits and underwear. Check your knees, check your feet. Elbows and toes are places ticks will go.”
Safe Campers are Happy Campers!
For more information about ticks at camp, visit the American Camp Association website.
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