Ant pheromones may help protect hikers and campers from ticks

However, new research from Simon Fraser University (SFU) suggests the use of ant pheromones as a topical repellant, or as an environmental barrier, may help protect hikers and campers from the harmful bites of black-legged ticks, which could carry Lyme disease. 

“Ticks like a lot of the places and a lot of the times of years that we also like to be outside enjoying the weather,” says lead author Claire Gooding, a member of the SFU Gries Lab. “There's quite a big risk of tick encounters in the summer, outdoor sports season. People often encounter them on the sides of trails.”

Read more at SFU News.