Lymeez Tick Gaiters In general, I try not to let this birder trend to be insects, arachnids, and other objectionable, but in the face of arthropods bug me too much. Lyme disease, I’ve acquiesced. II’m fortunate in that I don’t Today I’m here to tell you react to mosquito bites, and I’d that, as fashion-forward bird- just as soon share a little space ers, we can now have our cake with a spider rather than kill it. and eat it too! Behold: tick In general, I find that insects gaiters from Lymeez! I first get a bad rap and that they are saw these calf wraps in action often unjustly maligned. at the Acadia Birding Festival I make an exception for this past May, and was ticks, however. I’m sure some- impressed enough to contact body can put a positive spin on the folks at Lymeez to review ticks but I’m not the person for a pair for this column. At $30 that job. It was four years ago per pair, I think these might that a bug bite on my upper leg be just as important as a good transformed into the bullseye pair of binoculars for birders rash that is a calling card of who enjoy the outdoors in tick Lyme disease. To this day that country. Not only am I spared experience is one that I’ll go from having to tuck my pant out of my way to avoid—more legs into my , but I get than any other. I’d rush into some added design benefits the arms of poison ivy and bit- with these gaiters. ing flies if it meant escaping There are three ways in the fever, general fatigue, and which these gaiters are designed malaise that I experienced from to keep ticks out of your pants. that tick bite. The first line of defense is sim- When the situation war- ply covering the gap between rants, I even tuck my pant legs your pants and , which into my socks to deter the little we all understand. Second, the buggers from up my 3-D mesh texture of the gaiters legs. In the past I’ve found creates a surface that is much

B e n L i z d a s BEN LIZDAS

116 birdwatchersdigest.com • November/December ’18 • Bird Watcher’s Digest Bird Watcher’s Digest • November/December ’18 • birdwatchersdigest.com more challenging for ticks to traverse. According to Lymeez, the 3-D mesh pattern slows a tick’s climbing rate by from four to eight times. The last line of defense is the permethrin- infused fabric, which is an effective tick repellent. This is the same repellent infused in most of the “bug proof” cloth- ing we see on the market, which has proven to be relatively effective. While the permethrin is said to endure up to 50 wash- ings, unlike my bug resistant socks, I wouldn’t feel compelled to have to throw these gaiters in the wash after a hard day of birding. That’s another positive in my book. Being an affordable and size-fits-all product! effective product that Lymeez gaiters are available in birders’ needs will generally birder friendly earth tones includ- lead to high marks here on ing tan and olive, so you don’t The Well-Equipped Birder need to worry about standing out pages of BWD. When you like a crossing guard when you throw in comfortable and easy- are wearing them (though I do to-use, then you’ve got your- hear that a safety orange offering self a real winner. I found the will be debuting soon). With the gaiters to be lightweight and Lymeez gaiters—affordable, effec- breathable. In fact, I even wore tive, and comfortable—I can tell them with on those you that for this birder, the days hot days of summer when I of tucking my pant legs into my couldn’t bring myself to wear socks are over! a long pants. I also love the fact that I can put them on and off Ben Lizdas has 16 years of without having to remove my experience in the birding optics . These gaiters business and is the ad sales around your calves and fasten director for Bird Watcher’s onto themselves with Velcro, Digest. Lymeez tick gaiters are

B e n L i z d a s BEN LIZDAS making them an effective one- in stock at RedstartBirding.com.

Bird Watcher’s Digest • November/December ’18 • birdwatchersdigest.com 117