All ticks come in small, medium, and large sizes, and all tick stages have seasons of activity, too. Late July through September is when the youngest and smallest stage of ticks–the larval stage–are most active. Having hatched from eggs laid in clumps of up to 3,000 or more earlier in the springtime, it’s quite common to encounter many larvae all at once, sometimes hundreds of miniscule 6-legged specks that will attach, bite, and suck blood if given the chance. These larvae are mostly at ground level hidden in leaves, so the best first-line defense against this near-invisible invader is to wear permethrin-treated shoes and socks. Spray shoes monthly (May-September; see Tip#2) and consider spraying or purchasing many pairs of socks to be ready for larval ticks–ticks SO SMALL they can crawl right through your socks! Read more about larval tick encounters…