Unless I missed the posting, I do not recall anyone mentioning any methods 
to control ticks before they find you.  I have read several times about 
the use of Guinea Fowl (Numida Meleagris ... I looked that up) to control 
the tick population on your property.  A quick search on google produced 
this one website that provided different testimonies on the effectiveness 
of guinea fowl.  

http://www.guineafowl.com/fritsfarm/guineas/ticks/

I have no direct experience, but I have considered getting guinea fowl for 
my 5 1/2 acres of heaven.  The price of buying them stopped me, but I may 
reconsider.

The last article posted on the given website mentions a program that I had 
never heard of.  It states that the Cape May County, NJ, Corrections 
Department has a program that raises Guinea Hens "for the Agency's Guinea 
Hen Project which distributes the birds, free of charge, to county 
citizens for tick abatement to control the spread of Lyme disease."  

Having spent some time in Cape May County, I often wondered about the 
abundance of Guinea Hens (including  making road kill of one during a 
World Series of Birding).  I will investigate if such a program is still 
in effect there.   

Anyone out there with Guinea Fowl?

Jim Wilson
Queenstown
ps:  my son contracted lyme disease approximately 13 years ago.  Luckily, 
the doctor recognized the bulls-eye rash.  I remember the doctor calling 
everyone working in the office to come see the rash.  Since them, Jim has 
had a second bout with Lyme, I have had it and one of my daughter's had it.

pps:  I have also eaten Guinea Fowl over cabbage at a restaurant in 
France.  It was really good.