It’s summertime, which means more and more people are going outside so they can soak up the sunshine. More time in the garden, hiking out on trail and just generally enjoying the outdoors.
This means that lots of people will come into contact with ticks this summer. With more than 300,000 people per year catching lyme disease you really need to take some precautions.
Experts recommend covering up your legs, tucking your pants into socks, and wearing long sleeve shirts, but who’s gonna do that in the heat of summer? Head out in jeans and a long sleeve shirt in 80° weather you’re more likely to die of heat stroke than get bit by a tick.
Moisture wicking leggings are a great option to cover up your legs without being overbearingly hot. That leads to the question, can ticks bite through leggings?
Can Ticks Bite Through Leggings?
Leggings are the perfect alternative to jeans on a hot summer day. They’re moisture wicking and cool enough to be bearable on a hot summer day and warm enough after the sun goes down. But will leggings protect your legs against ticks?
Ticks can’t bite through leggings! Just make sure you buy leggings that cover up your ankles so you don’t have exposed skin. You might want to wear long socks and tuck them up under the leggings for further coverage.
If you look at lycra, nylon and spandex under a microscope the weave is usually much denser than natural fabrics. So as long as your skin is covered you should be fine in leggings.
Protect Exposed Skin
Even though ticks can’t bite through leggings you still need to worry about other areas of your body. They will land on your leggings and crawl around searching for exposed skin.
The old adage that you need to tuck your pants into socks works, but it looks very dorky. If you do have exposed skin on your ankles that’s where you need to check for tick bites when you get home.
Don’t Forget About Your Arms/Neck/Face
Ticks don’t just land on your legs and ankles. If they can’t find exposed skin on your legs they keep crawling until they do.
Make sure you check the back of your neck and right at the edge of your hairline. If you feel a slight bump that could be a tick. You can use a hand mirror to check yourself, or you can just ask a friend.
Consider Wearing Knee High Pantyhose Under Leggings
If you don’t want to wear high socks and tuck them into your leggings you can always wear knee high leggings. They will be much less noticeable and still offer protection from ticks.
Wearing pantyhose out in the woods to prevent tick bites is actually an old hunters trick; although that could have just been a way to haze the new guys(it does work)!
Look For All Day Leggings
Keep an eye out for leggings marketed as for all day wear. They might not be perfectly squat proof at all angles for the gym, but they tend to be way more breathable.
When it’s 80° outside you don’t want to be drenched in sweat and kicking yourself for not wearing shorts. What’s worse, heat stroke or a tick bite?