Fight the bite

Along with spring beauty comes a dangerous, often unseen threat—ticks, including those known to carry Lyme disease. Symptoms of a tick bite are rarely more than a small red bump, so your best bet is prevention. Ticks live along the border of trails, deep in the brush and leaf litter, so stick to the walkways. This includes Bidwell Park and Lake Oroville Recreation Area, where recent surveillance by the Butte County Mosquito and Vector Control District has found increased populations of the western black-legged tick (aka deer tick). Try to wear long sleeves and pants while hiking; even turn up the dork-meter by tucking those pants into your socks. Fortunately, not all repellents have to be chemical-based. Though DEET and permethrin sprays are proven effective, garlic oil and other essentials like rose-geranium oil and oil of lemon eucalyptus also repel the suckers. And don’t forget the all-important tick check: Find a good friend to help you inspect all of your hidden spots including your scalp, and make sure to examine your pets and kids, too.