Ticks! Yikes

[Echo154]

Just a reminder…not that anybody really needs it but ticks are heavy this year, having just moved from central Illinois to north central Arkansas I have been astonished with the tick population here….especially Lone Star ticks! Have had two red ticks removed and multiple Lone Star ticks on me in the few day I was brushing hogging….despite Repel brand permethrin spray on clothing and 40% DEET! Anybody know of better repellants?

 

[McMXi]

Just a reminder…not that anybody really needs it but ticks are heavy this year, having just moved from central Illinois to north central Arkansas I have been astonished with the tick population here….especially Lone Star ticks! Have had two red ticks removed and multiple Lone Star ticks on me in the few day I was brushing hogging….despite Repel brand permethrin spray on clothing and 40% DEET! Anybody know of better repellants?

I lived in central Arkansas for two years (Nov '11 to Nov '13) and woke up one night to a pain on my forearm. A Lone Star tick was biting me. I killed it, but over the next week or so a terrible rash developed that ultimately covered most of my arm. I finally went to the doctor and got on antibiotics. That f'ing tick had given me STARI which stands for southern tick-associated rash illness.

My ex-wife came up from Hawaii to visit a couple of times and she also got bitten, and also got STARI. I've been in Montana for 13 years now and have never found a tick on a dog despite hiking regularly, and have never had a tick on me.

 

[NCL4701]

Might try something with Picaridin if the DEET and permethrin aren’t getting the job done.

Or move to Montana. Don’t move to NC. We’re full up with both people and ticks.

 

[KubotaHawg]

Seems like a pretty good trade off to me—you don’t have to deal with a corrupt far left state government anymore, just ticks…

Spray everything—don’t forget socks—with heavy dose of permethrin night before and let hang dry in garage overnight. At least you can ward off ticks.

 

[jimh406]

A distant friend just died in TN from a tick in less than 3 weeks, and he had medical care.

We don't have a lot of ticks in my area of MT, but we do have some. In any case, be careful out there.

 

[skeets]

SW Pa has a lot of them too, already had a couple after mowing, and I have lymes and never knew it and thats bad juju too!

 

[Scm]

We use drops for the LGDs and cat. NEVER on the pet dogs or people. I check our 2 pet dogs at least daily at night. 2-3 times a day during high time (seed ticks). Wife checks me at least twice a day.

 

[Scm]

Seems like a pretty good trade off to me—you don’t have to deal with a corrupt far left state government anymore, just ticks…

What does the left, right and ticks all have in common? hint #2
That is all.

 

[Bmyers]

Might try something with Picaridin if the DEET and permethrin aren’t getting the job done.

Or move to Montana. Don’t move to NC. We’re full up with both people and ticks.

I'm a big fan of Sawyer Picaridin Lotion and spray. When we first started cleaning up the farm, I had a tick fall on my arm from walking through high grass. Looked down and seen it crawling on my arm, which was treated. It crawled to the side of my arm and jumped off, it did not like the Picaridin. Been using the stuff for 8 years and so far, no ticks.

Since my wife suffers from Lyme disease, I make sure that I take precautions because I don't want to go through what she has gone through.

Just a little footnote, you don't always get the red bullseye mark with tick bites and lyme. The studies are showing between 30-40% of the people do not get the rash, which my wife did not, so they didn't treat her. Ten years later, they finally tested her to find out that she had the markers for long term Lyme.

 

[D2Cat]

I take capsules of odorless garlic every day throughout the year and use vinegar in salads. Very seldom get a tick on me. If I find a t ck I put a dab of Vicks Vapo Rub on it, and in a couple of minutes it's easy to get off.

 

[Blue2Orange]

Tick season starts once the temps break freezing and last until snow season up here. Lymes or suspected Lymes plus other tick caused diseases was a very frequent issue at the non-profit community health clinic I use to work at. All my neighbors that border my property have had clinically dx Lymes. So far, I've been lucky to avoid. AGS, aka red meat syndrome/allergy seems to becoming more of a concern with the wider number of species of ticks that might transmit alpha-gal molecule in their spit.

Permethrin clothing spray to kill the critters. Picaridin 20% lotion or spray on me. Permethrin doesn't kill instantly. Unsure if ticks that have contacted permethrin will still bite you. Permethrin works as a neurotoxin. Have a pair of wool felt chukka style shoes I wear during our cool Springs. Bit on the fuzzy side now. Find a few ticks stuck on them. Sort of dead ticks or barely active. Sawyer brand of Permethrin clothing/gear spray seems to last for a long time on these shoes.

 

[Scm]

Not to discredit Lyme, but I'm more worried about Alpha Gal.
I have two steers and a ram in the field I cant wait to eat.

 

[Echo154]

My old barber had Alpa-Gal…….he lamented it was worse than death…….if he had one wish he said he would lay naked in a tub and eat 12 Big Macs……….now you know why he’s my old barber!

 

[trikepilot]

I live in a tick infested region and I feel it is important to be thoughtful of how you approach the problem and do not let ticks - or fear of ticks - hold you hostage. As a medical professional, here are some tick strategies that have served me well over the years.

1. Avoid the kinds of places that ticks inhabit if you can. Thick brush, high grass, and other similar habitats.
2. Dress appropriately to defend against ticks. this varies but use good judgment.
3. Perform REGULAR tick inspections. I mean SEVERAL times a day and an extra thorough pre-bed inspection.
4. Transmission of the more nasty pathogens from ticks takes alot longer than most people expect. Look it up online and you'll see that getting a tick disembedded within 24hrs greatly reduces your chances of disease transmission. Know which ticks spread which pathogens.
5. Get your PCP to write you a prescription for oral Doxycycline. It is an old and cheap drug. A 200mg oral dose one time is all that you need to get out in front of diseases like lyme. I keep a bottle of Doxy at the farm and at home for those times where it is unknown how long the tick was on me or I just want to be extra careful.

 

[Bmyers]

I live in a tick infested region and I feel it is important to be thoughtful of how you approach the problem and do not let ticks - or fear of ticks - hold you hostage. As a medical professional, here are some tick strategies that have served me well over the years.

1. Avoid the kinds of places that ticks inhabit if you can. Thick brush, high grass, and other similar habitats.
2. Dress appropriately to defend against ticks. this varies but use good judgment.
3. Perform REGULAR tick inspections. I mean SEVERAL times a day and an extra thorough pre-bed inspection.
4. Transmission of the more nasty pathogens from ticks takes alot longer than most people expect. Look it up online and you'll see that getting a tick disembedded within 24hrs greatly reduces your chances of disease transmission. Know which ticks spread which pathogens.
5. Get your PCP to write you a prescription for oral Doxycycline. It is an old and cheap drug. A 200mg oral dose one time is all that you need to get out in front of diseases like lyme. I keep a bottle of Doxy at the farm and at home for those times where it is unknown how long the tick was on me or I just want to be extra careful.

I tried to help my wife with the pre-bed inspection and got myself slapped.