We all know that ticks are bad.
They carry Lyme disease, which can be incredibly debilitating and hard to treat in some cases.
So, do hot tubs kill ticks? The answer is yes! The water temperature of a hot tub is usually around 100 degrees Fahrenheit or more. Some ticks will still live in standard heated pools. You should therefore consider heating your spa to 130 degrees to give those pesky little blood-suckers no chance of survival.
But here’s the thing: you actually need to clean your tub before using it if you want it to work as an effective tick killer.
Read on for our tips on how to get rid of these pesky insects so you can enjoy your soak guilt-free!
What are ticks and why should you care about them?
I’m sure you’ve heard of ticks before.
You know, those little insects that latch onto your dog‘s coat or hide in the tall grass and wait for a warm body to come along?
Well, they’re not just a nuisance for dogs – they can also carry tick-borne diseases!
And because it’s tick season right now (yes, it is!), you should be extra careful with your backyard adventures.
In this section, we’ll talk about what ticks are and why I think every hot tub lover or backyard enthusiast should care about them.
What are ticks?
Ticks are small, eight-legged insects that feed on blood from vertebrates (animals with backbones).
They live in moist and humid environments like the forest floor or tall grass.
Are you at risk for tick-borne diseases?
Yes! The most common type of tick-borne disease is Lyme Disease, which can cause fever, muscle aches and joint pain.
How can you protect yourself from ticks?
Avoid high grassy areas or brush piles where the tick might be lurking waiting for a warm body to come along; use insect repellent containing DEET when outdoors in wooded areas with tall grasses or weeds; avoid walking through tall grasses, brush or weeds where ticks may be living; wear long sleeves and pants when in tick infested areas.
What can you do if you find a tick on your skin?
Remove the tick as soon as possible after it has attached to your skin by grasping its mouthparts with tweezers and pulling straight up from the animal’s body.
What are some of the symptoms if you have been bitten by a tick?
Red bull’s eye shaped rash, fever and chills, headache, neck stiffness.
How can you protect your pet from ticks?
If possible apply topical flea and tick treatments according to package instructions; avoid walking in tall grasses or brush areas where ticks are most likely to live; keep pets on a leash so they can be more easily monitored for ticks.
What is the tick season?
The time of year when bloodthirsty ticks are out and about in large numbers looking for host animals such as dogs, cats and humans! This is the time between March – May and August – November.
Why are hot tubs a breeding ground for ticks?
If you have ever been to a hot tub, then you know that they can be breeding grounds for many tick populations.
The tick population is not the only issue with ticks and water, however.
If your dog spends any time in stagnant water like a hot tub or lake, it can increase their risk of tick infestation.
This is because dogs can’t sweat on their skin to cool themselves off in an environment where there is no air circulating around them and instead rely on panting to cleanse themselves of bacteria.
So if your dog goes into a pool or hot tub, be sure to dry them off before they come back inside!
Why are tick populations so high in hot tubs?
Hot tubs provide a humid environment that fosters tick growth. They have stagnant water and an abundance of dog’s fur which ticks love to lay eggs on.
Ticks can spread diseases like Lyme disease if they get under your dog’s fur, so be sure to dry your dog off after they come out of the hot tub or lake.
Ticks like to lay their eggs on a dog’s skin because it is warm and humid, so be sure to check every part of your dog’s body after swimming in stagnant water!
Will a hot tub kill ticks?
It’s a question that many people are asking themselves.
The answer is yes, and here’s why: lone star ticks and blacklegged ticks can be found in the water of your average backyard hot tub.
Both species of tick often attach to humans when they find them on the surface of the water.
Once attached, lone star and blacklegged ticks will typically feed for about 3-4 days before dropping off from their host (that would be you).
Hot tubs don’t just kill lone star or blacklegged ticks though; any type of attached tick will die within an hour if it finds itself immersed in a hot tub at a temperature over 130 degrees Fahrenheit!
That means that if you have small children playing in a hot tub with you, you will have to leave the hot tub because of high temperatures.
Lone moving ticks will less likely make their way onto the human-side of your family’s skin.
The water temperatures found in indoor or outdoor hot tubs can kill other germs and pathogens if they come into contact with them for an hour.
However, those same water temperatures may not be hot enough to kill lone star and blacklegged ticks if they are feeding on your skin.
Therefore, there is still a risk of a lone star or blacklegged tick taking up residence in the water you’re lounging around in for hours at time.
They will die eventually if you turn up the heat but not as quickly as outdoor heat and sunlight would.
But just because there’s a risk doesn’t mean we should be afraid to enjoy ourselves while soaking up some much-needed vitamin D all winter long; I’ll share with you how to have a tick-free hot tub experience.
How to clear a hot tub of ticks
The hot summer months are approaching and that means tick season is too.
I’m sure you’ve heard stories about ticks in the news, but they do come to your backyard?
That’s right – those tiny little pests love to hang out in grassy areas and bushes near a home!
Ticks are a common hot tub parasite.
They crawl on the person and wait for any exposed skin to make contact before attaching themselves with their teeth into the host’s flesh, drawing blood while waiting to be removed or fall off by itself.
When it comes to getting rid of these annoying bugs, chlorine is one of the best options for clearing them from our cool water pools.
In this we’ll touch on how chlorine levels affect exposure times, as well as what time of year the tick population is at its highest.
To get rid of ticks from a hot tub, chlorine levels should be increased to around three parts per million; this is usually achieved by adding chlorine in the water occasionally and topping off with water once it evaporates–every two hours is best practice for most people.
What’s a good chlorine level?
The chlorine level should not exceed the maximum chlorine limit set by your hot tub’s manufacturer.
The chlorine will be unable to kill bacteria if it is at or near its limit, and this can result in skin irritation for those who use the hot tub.
Exposed skin that comes into contact with excess chlorine can also raise the risk of skin burns from the acid.
A healthy chlorine range would fall between 3 ppm in hot tubs and spas.
If you’ve been exposed to a tick, should I remove it?
Yes! Exposed skin is at risk of developing an infection from the bite site if not removed immediately and thoroughly.
To remove ticks try using tweezers or a pair of large pointy-tipped scissors.
You should not use your fingers because they may squeeze the tick and release some of its contents into the skin, which could lead to irritation or infection at the site of attachment.
Ticks can transmit diseases, so it’s important that you remove them as soon as possible!
What if I don’t want to touch the tick?
Some people may have a fear of ticks and the thought of dealing with them directly could be anxiety-inducing.
There are some other options to remove these pests!
To thwart off ticks you can use household plants like lemon balm, basil or cloves for their strong scent that will repel them from coming near your home.
You can also use a citronella-based insect repellent on your skin and clothing.
It’s important to note that these options may not keep ticks away long-term, but they will provide some relief in the short term!
Have hot tub fun tick worry free!
Like any other activity, we should take a few precautions when using our hot tub to ensure we’re not inviting ticks or other pests into the water.
For starters, make sure you heat your spa up to 130 degrees Fahrenheit every now and then so that these pesky bugs can’t survive in them at all.
When it comes to getting rid of ticks from exposed skin after exiting the pool, try using tweezers and for preventing them altogether use chlorine levels around three parts per million as well as keeping your dog out of the water!
I hope you found this article helpful.
Have fun in the hot tub without ever having to worry about ticks again!
