Ticks have been bad in north central Arkansas ever since the
spring of 2011, even throughout the "winter" months in unusual
numbers. In particular, there are a lot of seed ticks, say park
officials. Coming into contact with ticks in this part of the
country is normal and those who live here generally know the
common-sense steps to take to minimize tick contacts and tick
bites. Avoiding tick habitat, including grassy, brushy, and
wooded areas, doesn't leave much else but gravel bars, parking
lots, and lake surfaces. However, just knowing that you may be
entering such areas will help with the next level of preventive
measures: - Use 20%-30% DEET insect repellant on exposed skin
and clothing (yes, there are risks associated with using DEET,
too). Premethrin is a chemical which will kill ticks on contact
but should not be applied to the skin. - Wear long pants, long
sleeves, long socks; tuck pant legs into sock tops or wear
gaiters to help keep ticks away from the skin. - Check clothes
for ticks, preferably befor