woodsmaster
Minister of Fire
We also have ticks extreamly thick this year. I've found them on the kids, myself and are indoor dog. Worst I've ever seen them. And thats in my yard not the woods.
Tic Toc Ticks
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PapaDave
Minister of Fire
Was in the woods yesterday for about an hour bucking up a couple fallen maple. Went in the house afterward and had a cool drink, then went to change my pants, and found one on my shin. Nasty little buggers.
First one I've ever seen or had on me, that I know of.
First one I've ever seen or had on me, that I know of.
mecreature
Minister of Fire
I think I had Lyme disease last year in early June.
Went to a Souther Indiana lake and those small ticks were everywhere. My son and I found dozens on us and tons of bites.
About 3 weeks later I got very bad head aches and high fever with no other symptoms.
After about 2 weeks I took an antibiotic I had saved from a previous visit to the doc (after stepping on a rusty nail) and it slowly went away.
Never figured it out for sure but the symptoms matched and the timing left me wondering.
I would eat 20 packs of matches if it worked... LOL it was terrible.
Went to a Souther Indiana lake and those small ticks were everywhere. My son and I found dozens on us and tons of bites.
About 3 weeks later I got very bad head aches and high fever with no other symptoms.
After about 2 weeks I took an antibiotic I had saved from a previous visit to the doc (after stepping on a rusty nail) and it slowly went away.
Never figured it out for sure but the symptoms matched and the timing left me wondering.
I would eat 20 packs of matches if it worked... LOL it was terrible.
fireview2788
Minister of Fire
Did you have a "bullseye" around the spot where the tick was? If not then it wasn't Lyme disease. Also, once you get it you always have it. Pres. Bush has Lyme Disease and was treated throughout his presidency.
fv
fv
midwestcoast
Minister of Fire
fireview2788 said:
Not so fast, the Bullseye definitely does not form in all cases. A good indicator that you do have it, but not good indicator that you don't. If you catch it early you can get rid of it with antibiotics only. Even after a month or more most cases clear-up well when treated though the symptoms by then are pretty bad. Leave it for months or a year + and you are not gonna be in good shape at all, but treatment can still turn this around, just more slowly.
Here's a good summary of the stages & symptoms of Lyme disease from backpacker magazine. http://www.backpacker.com/june_2006_skills_lyme_disease_symptoms/skills/10608
Thistle
Minister of Fire
Only seen 2 on me in the past month so far.Been in the woods 4 times for 4-5 hrs each time.I shower,shampoo & comb my hair etc immediately after coming inside.I'm concerned but keep watch for any of them.When I see one I remove it & cut it in half on a board with pocketknife.
fireview2788
Minister of Fire
Well, I sit corrected. I will admit that I haven't looked it up recently (years more likely) so they may have found the right ways to treat it. Thanks for the info!
fv
fv
mbcijim
Member
I've had a 100+ ticks on me, and literally 1,000's on my dog's. I lived next to some farm fields that were pretty badly invested. Some weeks I would pull off 100 over the course of the week if I was letting the dog(s) roam and/or it was high season.
Just some facts based on a LOT of experience:
In Northeast Pa, the peak season is usually November and March. Not nearly as many in the summer as late fall and early spring.
90% of the time you will feel them walking on you before they bite you.
There was a myth that you had to burn the things off. Just grab as close as you can to the skin and pull. Use your fingers, not tweezers. Tweezers can cut them in half, which is bad. If they are very early on you (or your pet), sometimes I'd let them get bigger for 12 hours so I could pull them off if they were too small. I cut too many in half with tweezers rushing to get them off. They won't hurt you. Let them get big enough so you can just pull.
Per my vet it takes 2-3 days of the tick being on you before you will get Lyme disease.
I never seemed to have much luck with any control product for pets, i.e. Frontline.
I haven't had one get too full size on me for 20 years (since I was a kid). You'll figure out they are there and you will get them off before it is capable that you get Lyme disease.
The myth is much, much worse than the reality. Ticks should be respected, but in my experience, relatively harmless. One dog did get Lyme disease but he was treated and cured relatively quickly.
Just some facts based on a LOT of experience:
In Northeast Pa, the peak season is usually November and March. Not nearly as many in the summer as late fall and early spring.
90% of the time you will feel them walking on you before they bite you.
There was a myth that you had to burn the things off. Just grab as close as you can to the skin and pull. Use your fingers, not tweezers. Tweezers can cut them in half, which is bad. If they are very early on you (or your pet), sometimes I'd let them get bigger for 12 hours so I could pull them off if they were too small. I cut too many in half with tweezers rushing to get them off. They won't hurt you. Let them get big enough so you can just pull.
Per my vet it takes 2-3 days of the tick being on you before you will get Lyme disease.
I never seemed to have much luck with any control product for pets, i.e. Frontline.
I haven't had one get too full size on me for 20 years (since I was a kid). You'll figure out they are there and you will get them off before it is capable that you get Lyme disease.
The myth is much, much worse than the reality. Ticks should be respected, but in my experience, relatively harmless. One dog did get Lyme disease but he was treated and cured relatively quickly.
The information I have is that it takes 24 hours for a infected tic to spread the Lymes. They must feed and then they regergitate the blood which is when the disease is passed. I would not leave a tick on for any time, since you can't be sure when the bit you. The primary, and I believe the only tick that carries and transmit Lymes is the Deer tick. It is the size of a pen point. You need to check in soft skin, hidden areas of your body for them; arm pits, belly buttons, behind ears etc. That disease is not harmless. It is subtle and often misdiagnosed early. It can kill you through kidney failure and also cause legal blindness. If you think you have it, you need to go to your doctor and make sure you have a prescipription for Docecyclin (spelling?) before you leave. Don't leave without getting that. If you don't test positive for Lymes, it does not mean you are free of it. The testing alone is very imperfect.
I can't believe nobody has recommended permethrin yet.
Get some permethrin, apply it to your pants and go about your daily life. End of discussion.
Permethrin is what the military treats their clothing with. It lasts up to 6 weeks on clothing (even if you wash it) and ticks will drop dead after crawling mere inches on it. OMG, it must be really toxic if ticks will drop dead after crawling mere inches on it right? No, it's completely harmless to humans.
Permethrin
[/thread]
Get some permethrin, apply it to your pants and go about your daily life. End of discussion.
Permethrin is what the military treats their clothing with. It lasts up to 6 weeks on clothing (even if you wash it) and ticks will drop dead after crawling mere inches on it. OMG, it must be really toxic if ticks will drop dead after crawling mere inches on it right? No, it's completely harmless to humans.
Permethrin
[/thread]
mecreature
Minister of Fire
midwestcoast said:
I had no bullseye that I could see. The body aches and the stiff neck all the way down my back with the most God awful head aches.
Like I said I never figured it out for sure but I did my research. Tons of bacteria/viral symptoms but no respiratory problems.
The antibiotic I took was a big dose for 14 days. They gave it to me to KO blood poisoning from stepping on a big rusty nail that hit the bone hard.
But what do I know.
backpack09
Minister of Fire
Just got back from the doc's last night - tick embedded with bullseye forming - no big deal if caught early, just take the medicine. First one ever on me, couple on the dogs in the past. Never noticed it showering the night before, but it was burrowed in at the morning shower.
So don't spray it on your cat then...Backpack09 said:
In all honestly, lyme diseases is very bad for you as well. Just take the proper precautions and minimize your cat's exposure to it and you should be just fine.
wannabegreener
Member
This is a little off the subject, but has anyone ever put 'tick tubes' around their yard. I know it won't help if you are in the woods, but wonder if anyone had ever tried it. I'm not sure what kind of results you would be able to notice, but???
Basically these tick tubes are toilet paper roles stuffed with cotton balls loaded with permethrin. I guess mice are more of a carrier for ticks than deer. The mice find the cotton balls and bring it back to the nest. When the mice bed in the cotton balls, the ticks die. Not supposed to harm the mice - which I couldn't care less about.
Basically these tick tubes are toilet paper roles stuffed with cotton balls loaded with permethrin. I guess mice are more of a carrier for ticks than deer. The mice find the cotton balls and bring it back to the nest. When the mice bed in the cotton balls, the ticks die. Not supposed to harm the mice - which I couldn't care less about.
With mice I've always heard that hantavirus is the disease to be wary of. Interesting note is that on CDC's Hantavirus page the mice they picture for our area are mice I really haven't seen but the ones stated as being in our area look like the ones that we have...our government at work. :-/wannabegreener said:
Ed
firefighterjake
Minister of Fire
PapaDave
Minister of Fire
Found another on my back yesterday after being in the yard. I was moving and burning a bunch of blow downs.
I think I'll be getting some permethrin soon. I've heard they can be kept at bay with Deet as well.
These are the size of the end of a pencil eraser.
I think I'll be getting some permethrin soon. I've heard they can be kept at bay with Deet as well.
These are the size of the end of a pencil eraser.
Kenster
Minister of Fire
Kenster
Minister of Fire
I keep a bag of sulpher dust and fill an old sock about halfway up and knot it. I whack my feet and ankles/britches legs and give them a good dusting and that seems to help. This works great for areas with chiggers, too.
You can do the same with Sevin dust. I give my beagles a dusting before we go into the woods. They also wear a flea collar. I give them a good inspection when we get back and have not seen a tick on them in a few years.
You can do the same with Sevin dust. I give my beagles a dusting before we go into the woods. They also wear a flea collar. I give them a good inspection when we get back and have not seen a tick on them in a few years.
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