maraq t1_jdoigb7 wrote on March 25, 2023 at 11:19 PM

They're terrible in May and June, especially on hiking trails, and near lakes and when you're trying to enjoy a meal outdoors! Personally, I find they leave me alone unless I'm deep in nature but they eat my husband alive no matter where we are. If you're super sensitive to bites, your best bet is to use an insect repellent with DEET in it on any exposed or bare skin (do not spray directly on your face - spray on your hands, then wipe on the parts of your face that you want it on). Wash it off at the end of the day. I know we all want to use the safest/most natural thing possible but in my experience, natural repellents are only marginally effective. That might be fine for someone who doesn't react poorly to bites but for someone who has an allergy or will be miserable for a week after, the risk of using DEET briefly might be worth the benefits! Otherwise, wear long sleeves, long pants etc- they act as a deterrent - may and june can be mild here but rarely so warm that you have to opt for short sleeves and shorts.

If you hike or will be spending a lot of time in wooded or high grass areas where there is a great risk of encountering ticks, consider treating an outfit of clothes/shoes with "permethrin". It's something you spray or soak on fabric, let it dry and it will kill ticks, fleas and mosquitoes on contact. One treatment will last 6 weeks or 6 washes, whichever comes first. My husband and I hike regularly most summers and I usually drench a hiking outfit, couple pairs of sox, our hiking boots and hats with permethrin twice a summer (I spray everything outside, hang it up to dry overnight in my garage or somewhere outdoors) and we always come home tick free (it won't do anything to protect your exposed skin but it helps so much and you can wear long pants, long socks etc for added protection). If you have a cat, don't let it near the permethrin soaked clothes while they are wet (it's safe for them when it's dry though). Some of the ticks we have are incredibly small (like the head of a pin!) and while you should always do a tick check after spending time outdoors in NH, using permethrin will give you some confidence / peace of mind when you do!

Enjoy your trip!

jessesparkell OP t1_jdomcc8 wrote on March 25, 2023 at 11:48 PM

Wow, thank you for the detailed guidance, and yes we do have cats so this is very helpful. Starting to wonder if we should just avoid too much exploring of the natural areas, which seems a shame but I didn’t realise there was so many insects to consider. Naïve tourist alert 🙁

LordColbyJack t1_jdoxcqe wrote on March 26, 2023 at 1:12 AM

Dealing with ticks is not as much of an issue as visitors think they are. Tuck pants into socks, and when you come inside strip down and do a thorough check for ticks (including in your hair). They will crawl on you for a surprisingly long amount of time before they bite.

Seeing the outdoors is well worth a few bugs.

jessesparkell OP t1_jdp3nhd wrote on March 26, 2023 at 1:59 AM

Thanks for the reassurance 🙂 all of this feedback has really helped

maraq t1_jdy954r wrote on March 28, 2023 at 1:44 AM

If it makes you feel better, I lived in NH for the first 41 years of my life and I’ve never had a tick on me! My husband on the other hand seems to pick them up every time he does yard work. 😆 You can explore here safely with a few precautions (the permethrin isn’t necessary just peace of mind if you were planning lots of woods time) and one thing to know is that if ticks do get on you, they don’t bite right away and once they do they need to be attached for 24 hours to transmit most disease (so you have plenty of time to flick them off). Enjoy yourselves!

jessesparkell OP t1_jdz7z2y wrote on March 28, 2023 at 7:31 AM

Thank you very much for the extra information, bugs tend to find me delicious but it’s reassuring to read your specific comments re. ticks 🙂