Heading to cottage country? Here’s everything you need to protect against ticks, according to experts

Heading into the wilderness come summertime is always a good idea; the crisp fresh air and abundance of Canadian national parks, hiking trails and campgrounds from coast to coast make it easy to get out and connect to nature. That said, anyone who visits cottage country regularly knows the importance of tick prevention.

Although most tick bites are harmless, Canada has a lot of deer ticks and wood ticks — which can carry Lyme disease and other harmful diseases — so taking extra care to protect against a potential bite is vital.

According to Paul Johnson, founder of the Tick and Mosquito Project, if you’re planning on spending time in a heavily wooded or grassy area, it’s key to exercise vigilance and prepare properly in order to avoid ticks as much as possible.

“Everyone knows to use repellents when they are in the forest or long grass, but you should also be vigilant on trails where you might not expect to find them,” Johnson says. “Ticks often wait above you on trees or branches and drop down on you as you walk by, so it is not all about the ground cover.”

Whether you’re heading out to a remote country home, planning a hike through the woods, or just want to ensure your bases are covered in terms of tick prevention and removal during your day to day, here’s everything you’ll need to prevent and protect against ticks throughout the summer, written by Kaitlyn McInnis.