Camping and bushwalking are some of the best things about an Australian summer, and they put you right in tick country. Government health advice is clear about how to cut your risk: cover up, use the right repellent, treat your clothing, check your body afterwards and think carefully about where you sleep. Here’s a practical checklist to run through before your next trip, plus the one place most people forget to protect: the backyard you come home to.

Why Campers and Bushwalkers Need a Tick Plan

Ticks live in bushland, long grass and leaf litter, which is exactly where campsites and walking trails tend to be. Australian Government advice on preventing tick bites sets out a handful of simple habits that make a real difference. None of them are complicated, but they work best when you do all of them together.

Your Tick Protection Checklist

1. Wear light-coloured, covering clothing

Choose light-coloured long sleeves and long pants. Light colours make it much easier to spot a tick crawling on you before it attaches.

2. Tuck your pants into your socks

It looks a little silly, but it closes the gap at your ankles, which is where ticks often climb on from the ground and grass. Closed shoes are a good idea too.

3. Use a repellent containing DEET or picaridin

Government advice recommends applying an insect repellent containing DEET or picaridin to exposed skin. Follow the directions on the label and reapply as instructed.

4. Treat your clothing with permethrin

Permethrin-treated clothing is recommended as an extra layer of protection. Treat your walking clothes and socks before you leave, following the product instructions.

5. Do a thorough tick check after every outing

Check yourself, your kids and your gear when you get back from a walk or at the end of each day at camp. Look carefully in warm, hidden spots such as behind the ears, along the hairline, under the arms, around the waist and behind the knees.

6. Sleep on a camp bed, not the ground

Camp beds are recommended over sleeping directly on the ground. Lifting your bedding off the leaf litter and grass keeps it further from ticks.

7. Know what to do if you find a tick

Don’t pull it out live or squeeze it. Kill it where it’s attached, as explained in our Freeze It, Don’t Squeeze It guide, and see a doctor if you develop symptoms or aren’t sure.

Don’t Forget Pets and Kids

If the dog comes along on your trip, it needs checking too. Pets can carry ticks back to the car, the tent and eventually the couch, and paralysis ticks can be fatal to dogs and cats. Read more in our guide to tick paralysis in pets, and make tick checks a family routine, especially for children, who are harder to spot ticks on.

You Protect Yourself in the Bush. What About Your Own Backyard?

People who camp and bushwalk regularly often live in or near tick-prone areas, with homes that back onto bushland, parks or reserves. Native animals that carry ticks wander through those gardens every day, and ticks drop off into leaf litter, long grass and shady garden beds. The same precautions you take on the trail apply at home, because your backyard can be tick habitat too.

A few garden habits help: keep lawns mowed short, remove weeds and dead vegetation, prune low plants so light and air reach the ground, and use gravel mulch rather than wood chip or straw near paths and play areas. See our backyard tick-safe guide for more.

Get Your Home Treated Before You Go

Garden habits only go so far when ticks keep arriving on native animals. A professional tick treatment eliminates active ticks across your property and keeps killing new ones as they hatch, with regular scheduled visits that break the breeding cycle. Our products are water based, biodegradable and very low in toxicity to people and pets. See our safety information for details.

Booking before the school holidays and long weekends means your family and pets come home to a yard that’s already protected. TickSafe treats properties across Northern Sydney and the Northern Beaches, so check our service areas or get in touch to confirm we cover you.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I prevent tick bites when camping in Australia?

Wear light-coloured long sleeves and pants, tuck your pants into your socks, apply a repellent containing DEET or picaridin, wear permethrin-treated clothing, check your whole body after each outing and sleep on a camp bed rather than the ground.

What repellent works for ticks when bushwalking?

Government advice recommends repellents containing DEET or picaridin applied to exposed skin, used alongside clothing treated with permethrin. Always follow the label directions.

Where should I check for ticks after a bushwalk?

Check the whole body, paying extra attention to warm, hidden areas such as behind the ears, the scalp and hairline, under the arms, around the waist and behind the knees. Check children and pets as well.

Is it safer to sleep on a camp bed?

Yes. Australian Government advice recommends camp beds over sleeping directly on the ground, as it keeps you further from ticks in leaf litter and grass.

Can ticks be living in my own backyard?

Yes, especially if your home backs onto bushland or reserves. Native animals carry ticks into gardens, where they live in leaf litter, long grass and shady beds. A professional treatment can eliminate them and keep new ticks under control.