Are there Ticks in Corcovado National Park?
Yes. Do we have to worry about that? Not at all.
A tick is a parasitic arachnid living by feeding on the blood of animals. Ticks locate potential hosts primarily by sensing body odor and heat in a warm and humid climate. Ticks do not jump, fly or fall from trees. Instead, when they receive an olfactory stimulus, they crawl into the floor vegetation, ready to grasp and climb to a bird, mammal, human, reptile, or amphibian. If a grasp tick is not removed within 36 hours from a human body, it may lead to infection in some rare cases.
Here is what we need to know about ticks in the Osa Peninsula
Ticks in Central America do not carry Lyme disease. Therefore, there are currently NO known cases of Lyme disease in Costa Rica.
If you are traveling between May and December, the chances of seeing ticks are very low. However, between January and April, the weather conditions for the eggs to hatch on the ground are perfect. Corcovado National Park is one of the most biodiverse places on Earth, so there are plenty of hosts for ticks.
How to prepare against ticks before your outdoor activities in the dry season?
Apply insect repellent
No brand, in particular. You can also use essential oils of lemon, orange, citronella, cinnamon, peppermint, lavender, or eucalyptus, which do not have an attractive odor for insects. You should apply it on your skin and gear, including shoes, clothes, and backpack.
Please stay on the trail
Animals tends to get ticks because they constantly brush against the vegetation. Walking in the middle of the trail will help avoid catching them. Before taking a break, let your experience guide quickly observe the area where you can sit or rest.
Wear adequate clothing
Many of us like to wear short sleeves and shorts in this climate, but in the rainforest of the Osa Peninsula, you may regret it. Wearing light long-sleeved and long trousers will make a difference. For more protection, tuck your pants into your socks and your shirt into your pants. Light-colored clothing will also help you spot a tick easily and it is important to remove it immediately before it crawls to your skin.
Carry a tweezer
Do not alarm yourself if a tick is grasped on you. However, removing it as soon as you detect it is recommended.
After hike body inspection
Ticks tend to grasp on specific places of the body, especially in and around hair and ears, behind elbows and knees, in the groin area, between the fingers and toes, in the belly bottom, under the arms, and just above your socks if you are wearing shorts. Because ticks are little, they are very hard to see, so you might even confuse them with tiny moles. Tt is essential to do a personal body check-up in all the above places.
How to properly remove ticks from your body?
They are different methods to remove a tick. You must remove the entire tick, as leaving part of the tick can be irritating for many weeks. Going to the hospital is not necessary unless of an infection.
One of the most commonly advised ways of removing a tick is using slow, gentle pressure with a pair of tweezers grasping the head as close to your skin as possible and pulling gently but steadily. Another less traumatic method is to apply a small amount of liquid soap to a cotton ball. Cover the tick with the soap-soaked cotton ball, lot it for 15-20 seconds, and the tick will spontaneously detach and stick to the cotton as you remove it. Next, clean the area with soap and rinse. Finally, disinfect tweezers and your hands with alcohol.
Final thoughts
The benefits of taking an overnight tour are plentiful – moreover, spending a night in the middle of the rainforest is an incredible experience. By choosing an overnight tour in Corcovado National Park, you cannot go wrong. It should be the first thing on your bucket list for your Costa Rican trip!
Booking a Tour with Osa Green Travel
Are you a month to three months away from your travels? We would love to help you with your next Corcovado National Park Tour. Want to know more about us? Check out our raving reviews on Trip Advisor. We pride ourselves every year on getting a Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence.
Leaving a Green Experience at the Osa Peninsula!
