j

Every year I see dry ice marketed for use by campers, and it’s certainly effective for keeping things cooler longer, but I never see anyone talk about the fact that it’s a tick magnet, to the point that a cooler containing dry ice, even fully closed, is the go-to lure used by field researchers who WANT to attract as many ticks as possible. Here are some tick traps in action:

You know why people like tea? Flavored water

You know why people like koolaid? Flavored water

Basil: AVOID. You will be astonished how quickly it overpowers literally everything else and it’s bitter. You think you want some kind of basil blend. You don’t.

Mint: you will need more than you think. No, more than that. More.

Strawberry: v good but only do this if you have a way to keep the water very cold, otherwise it kinda tastes slimy.

Apple: surprisingly good. You’d think the water wouldn’t pick up the flavor much, but it does. Add a tiny bit of honey and oh. My. G-d.

Lime: you need much less than you think for MUCH LESS TIME than you think. I put a single key lime in 32oz of water for six hours and ended up with a limeade concentrate. CONCENTRATE. That 32oz made like four pitchers’ worth. It tastes great but ONLY USE A LITTLE!! It’s like the opposite of mint, you need maybe, MAYBE one or two slices and only leave it in there for an hour or two. You can always infuse it longer if it’s not strong enough for you but you cannot un-infuse it.

Oranges: brb jaunting off to Olympus to ask Zeus if this is what “the nectar of the gods” was.

Citrus mix: you will never drink anything but this, ever again. Everything else will pale by comparison. You will yearn for it.

Grapes: great in theory. Did not work at all. I used black grapes. If you like green grapes, it might be worth trying but honestly I would warn you to expect disappointment.

Blueberries: I hate blueberries and tried this on the advice of a coworker who told me it would taste different than regular blueberries. It did not, but I guess if you like blueberries that’d be a good thing.

Peaches: this one was so weird. Not because it tasted bad. Quite the contrary. It tasted EXACTLY LIKE BITING INTO A PEACH and my brain was very confused. I kept trying to chew the water. So like, 11/10 on flavor, but expect your brain to be like the meme of the lady with the mathematical formulas.