Ozark's area climbing and Ticks (the bugs)

First time in the area and wow the ticks are so bad.  Not sure if this is common for this time of year.  Went to The Hood a few days ago.  Poison ivy was also really bad along the trail and all along the crag.  Vegetation at this crag pretty much grows all the way to the base, so between that and ticks it was hard to find areas to sit and put stuff down.  

Visited Candy Mountain and a lot better, more rock/dirt along the cliff base but still found a few ticks on us throughout the day.

Last one we visited yesterday was Cave creek, by far the worse.  Spent time down at the Meat Wall and was just getting swarmed.  We could see the lonestars actually coming to us when sitting on the rocks.  Killed them whenever spotted and total for the day on the 2 of us and small dog was probably in the 30-40 range.  All sizes from very tiny, medium and adults.  We sprayed clothes and packs with off, sprayed skin with wonderside (cedar wood) and rubbed Neem oil on us. I even take Neem supplements each morning.  I think all this helps give you more time to find them and get them off but eventually they will bite as I got 3 bites total for the day.  

Still looking to climb the rest of the week so if anyone has places that maybe aren't as bad that'd be great.  Or do you pretty much just avoid from April to fall? :D

Can't go to HSC as we have a dog this trip if by chance that is better.

Our home climbing area is RRG and while ticks are bad in the spring, staying in dirt and rock areas near cliffs usually you don't have to worry, only when you get away from the cliff bases into leaf litter/debris.

Ticks are bad, but shouldnt be crazy quite yet.  of course with a warm spell, they come out.  The more popular crags with the shortest approaches to the wall will be best.  Sams, Candy, Horseshoe, Invasion come to mind.  Then you have the urban crags like Fitzgerald, Crystal Bluff in NLR, and Dardanelle.  

This is super normal for the area.  It gets better as the summer continues.  The baby ticks will grow and many will die off.   It’s your call on how to handle it.  I always found the heat more irritating than the ticks.  I am amused by Coloradans who flip out if they see one tick, as the numbers you are dealing with are honestly on the low side from my experience living there for 30 years.   

Yeah we ended up being able to do a day in HCR and didn't have an issue which was nice and relaxing.  Hudson Mountain seemed ok too.  

Either way, definitely want to get back and do more climbing in the area, we'll just either come a little earlier in the spring or fall when they shouldn't be near as bad.  

Thanks