[pct-l] Ticks in SoCal

[Diane at Santa Barbara Hikes dot com]

Right, the oak woodlands are right around Warner Springs and they  
like the grasslands, too, which is also around Warner Springs.

I remember Granite Mountain as being devoid of much growth. But my  
memory may be fuzzy. Still, it's not worth carrying bug dope for a  
few ticks. I don't know if they really respond to it anyway. Seems  
the nylon pants are enough. They can't hold on very well, and if you  
have the zip-off kind, they can't crawl past the zipper. Just do a  
quick tick check every once in a while and brush them off.

They like dewy mornings and springtime. They don't like dry and hot  
or places after wildfires. At least that's been my experience on the  
tickiest trails near Santa Barbara. Didn't see a single tick on the PCT.
On Mar 17, 2010, at 12:31 PM, pct-l-request at backcountry.net wrote:

> Someone posted:
>
> <snip>
>> Ticks will also be rare as you will spend very little time in the oak
>> woodlands they prefer. Ticks like a bit of moisture.
>
> My experience has been different.  I have found the grasslands  
> across the Warner Springs horseshoe, and the stretch from the top  
> of Rodriquez Canyon to just before the flats leading to Scissors  
> Crossing, both have a prime tick season. In the chapparel along the  
> side of Granite Mountain, I collected 3 of the buggers in a seven  
> mile stretch, and knocked a half dozen more off my pants.  In the  
> meadow, it's possible to see them clinging to the ends of the grass  
> blades, waiting for a cow or a hiker to wander by.
>
> I've never been able to figure out the trigger for the tick  
> "bloom", but would suspect that it's a combination of warmth and  
> humidity.  Thank goodness that it doesn't last too long.
>
> eckert

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