Ticks

[Stercutus]

Between the warm winter and the wet spring producing tons of plant growth we are having an absolutely banner year for ticks. I can't imagine we are the only ones.

http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2017/0 ... ed_fo.html

I can personally attest that every time I have gotten in the tall grass this spring I have picked up 1-4 ticks. I don't recall it being this bad since the summer of '95 at Ft. Bragg. So I thought a little review of tick treatment might be in order.

http://www.webmd.com/first-aid/tc/how-t ... overview#1

Use fine-tipped tweezers to remove a tick. If you don't have tweezers, put on gloves or cover your hands with tissue paper, then use your fingers. Do not handle the tick with bare hands.

1. Grab the tick as close to its mouth (the part that is stuck in your skin) as you can. The body of the tick will be above your skin.
2. Do not grab the tick around its swollen belly. You could push infected fluid from the tick into your body if you squeeze it.
3. Gently pull the tick straight out until its mouth lets go of your skin. Do not twist the tick. This may break off the tick's body and leave the head in your skin.
4. Put the tick in a dry jar or ziplock bag and save it in the freezer for later identification if needed.

After the tick has been removed, wash the area of the tick bite with a lot of warm, clean water. Be sure to wash your hands well with soap and water also.

NOTE: If you can't remove a tick, call your doctor.

More at the link on treatment and avoidance. Honestly, I normally flush the ticks as soon as I remove them. Freezing does sound like a better idea if you can handle the creepiness of putting it where you put your food. I also normally use the back of a knife blade and a thumb to remove the tick as well. Their treatment seems a little better.

[ssdtopgun]

Just curious if you have considered treating your clothing with something like permethrin? If you are regularly venturing into area prone to ticks this can be an effective repellent.

[cv66er]

Just curious if you have considered treating your clothing with something like permethrin? If you are regularly venturing into area prone to ticks this can be an effective repellent.

We've been using it for years in the middle of a "hot"zone. The only ones we find are dead ones tangled in our socks. Don't buy the overpriced Sawyers. Get it as a concentrate at a farm supply or hardware store, and dilute it to 5% in water. Get a spray bottle and apply it to socks, lower pant legs, and around the waist. Also, if you have ventilated shoes, apply it there (damned CHIGGERS!).

Don't dispose of what's left into bodies of water (it'll kill all the fish) and keep it away from cats. Other than that, it's quite safe.

[Ellywick]

It is kind of gross and ticklish to watch them wriggle around before dying, but growing up when we found one us we always coated them with clear nail polish. Since they "breathe" through their carapace, they suffocate and die pretty quickly. When they die that way, their little mandibles go slack, so it is easy to take them off without getting the head stuck in you.

[Hokicake]

omg i would fait if I ever had a tick I saw this movie ticks one time omg so gross.

[Dragon80]

It is kind of gross and ticklish to watch them wriggle around before dying, but growing up when we found one us we always coated them with clear nail polish. Since they "breathe" through their carapace, they suffocate and die pretty quickly. When they die that way, their little mandibles go slack, so it is easy to take them off without getting the head stuck in you.

Probably not a smart way to remove them for the same reason you don't drown nor use fire. They will regurgitate whatever is inside of them, back into you which can give you whatever they're carrying while pulling them out correctly stops them from being able to do the same.

I bought a pair if tick tweezers for like $5 on Amazon and keep them in my IFAK/PAK.

[MacWa77ace]

When I was a kid we used to get chiggers picking black raspberries. Mom would paint the 'bites' with nail polish.

http://animals.howstuffworks.com/arachn ... ion488.htm

One commonly known remedy for chigger bites is to apply nail polish to reduce itchiness. This does not kill the chigger or treat the bite in any way. It simply seals the area off from the air, which keeps the sore from itching so badly. If you want to apply something to relieve itching, it's much better to use a salve or cream that contains antihistamines (Caladryl or hydrocortisone salves are the most common). Like nail polish, these treatments will seal the bite from the surrounding air, but they will also help to prevent infection. If the welts continue to irritate you for more than a couple of weeks, they might be infected and you should see a doctor.

[Stercutus]

When I was a kid we used to get chiggers picking black raspberries. Mom would paint the 'bites' with nail polish.

http://animals.howstuffworks.com/arachn ... ion488.htm

One commonly known remedy for chigger bites is to apply nail polish to reduce itchiness. This does not kill the chigger or treat the bite in any way. It simply seals the area off from the air, which keeps the sore from itching so badly. If you want to apply something to relieve itching, it's much better to use a salve or cream that contains antihistamines (Caladryl or hydrocortisone salves are the most common). Like nail polish, these treatments will seal the bite from the surrounding air, but they will also help to prevent infection. If the welts continue to irritate you for more than a couple of weeks, they might be infected and you should see a doctor.

We used to do the bleach bath on the chiggers

http://www.grit.com/farm-and-garden/do- ... ite-relief

[rednekrampager]

I just got back from E. TX and Arkansas . No ticks got me but the chiggers got me good.

The bleach bath took care of them no problem.

[Ellywick]

It is kind of gross and ticklish to watch them wriggle around before dying, but growing up when we found one us we always coated them with clear nail polish. Since they "breathe" through their carapace, they suffocate and die pretty quickly. When they die that way, their little mandibles go slack, so it is easy to take them off without getting the head stuck in you.

Probably not a smart way to remove them for the same reason you don't drown nor use fire. They will regurgitate whatever is inside of them, back into you which can give you whatever they're carrying while pulling them out correctly stops them from being able to do the same.

I bought a pair if tick tweezers for like $5 on Amazon and keep them in my IFAK/PAK.

Huh, good point. Never thought of that, it was just what we did that seemed to work. Usually they just let go during the wriggling process, but that doesn't mean they didn't let out some ick beforehand.

[Asymetryczna]

It seems that the heavy mast year of 2015 created a banner year for acorn eating mice in 2016 and thus a great tick year for 2017. I have used permethrin on my field clothes for some time but after clearing some limbs from my yard last weekend I found a small tick dug in pretty good on my left triceps. After careful tweezers removal, I developed the bump and the bulls eye and the itch. Using an online Lyme disease questionnaire and basic research, I think I can rule out disease.

Still, based on the idea that it is better to be armed with knowledge, I am adding some additional info:

The Year of the Tick

Tick Encounter Resource Center

[Tireur]

HELL there was such a warm snap up North, the first tick I found this season was behind my girlfriends dogs ear. In February. In Wisconsin.

One of the very few upsides is that every vet i've been to in two countries has a jar of soft toothed plastic tick combs at the front desk. Dead easy to use once you get the knack, soft slooooow pressure from "behind" the tick, eventually the head will pop out before ripping off if you go easy enough.

But yeah the dogs get Revolution topical treatment, the humans get a liberal dose of diluted Permethrin on everything South of the border.

[Mrselfdestruct]

Hate these bastards with all the passion of an angry, unwilling vegatarian...
See i have an alpha gal allergy...
Lone star ticks bite me, and make me allergic to red meat.
Its fun because of the 4-6hr lapse between eating the meat, and getting the reaction, red welts and itch for me, and ive got ut easy, could be anaphylactic in some.
Took a couple of frustrating years to figure out.
So birds and fish for about a year for each bite.
Sucks, but i can get around the allergy with 2 benadryl.

Dude i work with has to watch what his meds are encased in, gel tabs have enough animal product in them to trigger his, and he's the anaphylactic type.
I can get away with 3 pieces of bacon.

[Stercutus]

We had a cold winter this year. Not much snow, just lots of cold, some of it record cold. I've seen one tick this year after spending a good chunk of the day tending the blueberries. I don't think it will be as bad as last year which was the worst I could recall.

[flybynight]

We're having one of those springs where it warms up enough for the insects to hatch. Then drops back to the twenties with wet snow . DIE AN ICY DEATH YOU BUGGY BASTARDS

[raptor]

Ticks are showing up in South MS already. I am spraying the yard with pyrethrine to deal with them.

Yes death to those blood sucking bastards.

[Halfapint]

Ticks are showing up in South MS already. I am spraying the yard with pyrethrine to deal with them.

Yes death to those blood sucking bastards.

Hey keep the politicians/politics out of this...... OOOOOooohhhhh you meant ticks, sorry.