TICKS

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Greg
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TICKS

Post by Greg »

I've been taking tick precautions for a while now. But it looks like I need to bump them up, and any practical tips would be appreciated.

I check myself and others, and have yet to find any attached ticks. But I just found a dead one. Lone star tick (that part was obvious), engorged (that part was gross) but obviously dead.... part crushed, and the legs were gone. But get this, it was in one of the blankets (wives like lot of little thin blankets) ON MY BED.

So somehow, don't know how or when, one got brought inside, and it bit someone (don't know who or when), then it dropped off and apparently got crushed. Chance it went through a laundry cycle.

What should I be on the lookout for? The last time I dealt with a tick was oh about 7 years ago when I pulled one off someone's cat.
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Darrell
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Re: TICKS

Post by Darrell »

I warned you, didn't I??? ;)

I was a tick magnet when I grew up in the Missouri Ozarks. Ugh. :P
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JustinR
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Re: TICKS

Post by JustinR »

Supposedly, the permethrin spray you can buy at Walmart, Academy, and other sporting goods stores, that you spray on clothing and things like tents, and is good for several wash cycles, is supposed to be a good repellent/killer of lots of insects including ticks. I bought some to spray on my new camo I bought for pig hunting this year to see how it works with all the G-D mosquitoes.

If you have cats, do NOT allow them to come in contact with clothing that has been sprayed with permethrin or overspray, it is poisonous for them.

This is a good page I found:http://oklahomastationsci.org/news/The- ... ggers.html

Also, since ticks and chiggers are similar, one thing I learned from a Texas electrical line worker that had to go through chest-high grass all the time, was to coat himself (or just areas like ankles) in baby oil after a shower, and it helped greatly in repelling the little buggers. Don't know if it would help with ticks.

My father worked for the USFS most of his career in the woods, I will ask him about it tomorrow.
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Denis
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Re: TICKS

Post by Denis »

I've had two ticks attach themselves to me since the start of this hunting season. Just check yourself before and after showering, and have proper tick tweezers on hand to get rid of any you've picked up. The nymphs can be colourless, and very hard to spot.

Otherwise, use common sense - don't bring outdoor clothing or animals indoors, shake off your outdoor clothes outdoors before taking them off, then shake them off outside again, and don't store used-outdoor and fresh clothing togther.

I have been vaccinated against the incurable tick-borne encephalitis, and I get a blood test for Lyme disease / Borrelliose at the end of each hunting season, when I am having my annual medical and bloodwork done anyway. Lyme is curable with antibiotics before it becomes chronic, but the early symptoms are easily ignored or overlooked, so a blood test is important if you're often exposed to ticks. If you do get a tick, and a red ring develops around the bite site, see a doctor, as that's a sign of Lyme.

My forester friend bought tick-repellent trousers and a shirt, and so far has had no ticks at all this season, whereas he would normally have many, so the pyromethrin impregation seems to work. I use DEET to repell mosquitos and midges, and it probably has some effect on ticks too...
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Erik
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Re: TICKS

Post by Erik »

What Denis said.
Denis wrote: Just check yourself before and after showering, and have proper tick tweezers on hand to get rid of any you've picked up.
This is by far the best tick removing tool.
Denis wrote: I get a blood test for Lyme disease / Borrelliose at the end of each hunting season, when I am having my annual medical and bloodwork done anyway. Lyme is curable with antibiotics before it becomes chronic, but the early symptoms are easily ignored or overlooked, so a blood test is important if you're often exposed to ticks. If you do get a tick, and a red ring develops around the bite site, see a doctor, as that's a sign of Lyme.
Since I've had Lyme disease, and know friends that have had it, I thought I should add a few things to this.

Make sure they do check for Lyme disease. I'm in a part of the world where it's common, but I havent yet seen a doctor check for it unless you tell them to. It wont show up in the regular tests they run, so you have to make sure they do test for it. What's even worse is that the doctors often wont suspect it, even if they know you spend a lot of time outdoors, unless you yourself tell them about the tick or tell them to check for it.

You wont always spot the tick and/or the red ring at the time. If you dont, you'll notice it through weird symptoms a few weeks or months later. A few I had was shortness of breath, loss of strength, tiredness, and the occational chestpain. All of it is pretty easy to ignore as being out of shape. Then it triggers some other diseases that makes you really sick, which is what finally got me the doctor. I got there in time, a friend was not as lucky.

As for clothing, make sure you cover yourself completely. Wrap your pant legs tight or use Gaiters. Tight fitting sleeves, and neck as well. And make a habit to check yourself and bruch yourself off after going through a particular brushy area.
I have no knowledge of any repelling clothes, I dont know anyone here that uses them. Tight fitting clothes and close inspection when coming home, and inspecting pets regularly is what people around here do.
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Vonz90
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Re: TICKS

Post by Vonz90 »

Deer carry them a lot, so if you have deer, you will have ticks.

Around the house I have a service that sprays for them, I have no freaking idea what they spray, but it works very well (they spray for mosquitoes, gnats, etc too - well worth it).

Birds love them, so if you have free range chickens or guineas they will pretty much wipe them out.

In the woods, I've found if I spray enough deet on, I don't get them (Off, etc.) They will occasionally grab on since they are just attracted to movement/heat, but they seem to just crawl around without biting since they don't like the chemical. I'm relatively aware about that sort of thing, so I've picked many off of me, but haven't actually been bitten by one in years.

Long pants and boots help, but not completely.

My dad used to like to put dog flea collars around each boot. He swore by it (an Army thing apparently).
Last edited by Vonz90 on Fri Sep 18, 2015 9:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Denis
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Re: TICKS

Post by Denis »

Vonz90 wrote:Deer carry them a lot, so if you have deer, you will have ticks.

Around the have a service that sprays for them...
I haven't heard of widespread spraying, but I have seen tick traps used on sheep land - a big roller made of sheep fleece, with CO2 pumped through it, is dragged behind a tractor. The dormant ticks in the grass are wakened by the CO2 and movement, latch onto the fleece and are carried away to die of hunger or be poisoned with insecticide. Ticks can lie dormant for ages, but once they switch "on", they have to find a host quickly or they die.
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Netpackrat
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Re: TICKS

Post by Netpackrat »

Sounds as though we will have to start worrying about them in Alaska, too:

http://www.adn.com/article/20140125/dog ... -plan-stay
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toad
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Re: TICKS

Post by toad »

Reminds me of an old Looney Tunes line, "He's and excellent watch dog because he's full of ticks." rim shot optional.
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Vonz90
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Re: TICKS

Post by Vonz90 »

Denis wrote:
Vonz90 wrote:Deer carry them a lot, so if you have deer, you will have ticks.

Around the have a service that sprays for them...
I haven't heard of widespread spraying, but I have seen tick traps used on sheep land - a big roller made of sheep fleece, with CO2 pumped through it, is dragged behind a tractor. The dormant ticks in the grass are wakened by the CO2 and movement, latch onto the fleece and are carried away to die of hunger or be poisoned with insecticide. Ticks can lie dormant for ages, but once they switch "on", they have to find a host quickly or they die.
I don't spray everything, but we do about 3/4 of an acre in the immediate area that around the house. I've never seen fields sprayed for them, but it might be done somewhere.

I have zero experience with sheep, but cattle they normally spray or dip rather than worry about the ground.
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