The Summer Camp Essential We’re Not Leaving Home Without

Last summer, even after spraying our Southampton home for ticks, two people still got tick bites.

So yes, consider us officially humbled by Hamptons tick season.

And this summer is already being talked about as a rough one for ticks and mosquitoes, too. The State Department of Health has urged us to take precautions against tick-borne illnesses and national pest forecasts are predicting heightened pest activity this summer as temperatures rise.

Between backyard play, beach grass, farm stands, camp drop-off, nature walks and kids spending basically all day outdoors, bug spray has moved from “nice to have” to “lives in every bag we own.”

That is why we are adding Mimikai to our summer routine - and all our outdoor events (and some indoor ones too).

Mimikai makes mosquito and tick repellent that is plant-powered, DEET-free and EPA-registered. Their formulas are designed for real-life family use: camp mornings, backyard dinners, beach days, playground hangs and all the outdoor moments when kids somehow end up in grass, dirt, brush or all three because they don't smell or feel gross.... so much so that they're sold at both Credo and Goop meaning they feel as good as they are clean and functional.

Even if you treat your yard, even if you are careful, ticks are still part of the Long Island summer reality.

Our summer rule: spray before camp, check after camp.

The CDC recommends checking clothing, gear and pets after being outdoors, showering soon after coming inside and doing a full tick check after time in grassy, brushy or wooded areas.

Mimikai makes that routine feel a little easier because it's compact enough to throw in a camp tote, beach bag, stroller basket or car console, and it does not have that heavy, old-school bug spray feel.

Spray before camp. Spray before backyard play. Spray before farm stands. Spray before evening walks. Spray before anyone disappears into tall grass “just for one second"... spray before The Mom Club TRX workouts and Goat Yoga...

Because summer should be about sandy feet, sticky popsicles, outdoor adventures and camp stories — not panic-Googling tick bites at 10 p.m.