Author Topic: TICKS ALREADY. (Read 957 times)

powderman · « **on:** March 26, 2010, 08:13:42 AM »

Just found a darned tick on my arm. It got down to 32 last night and only 47 right now. I hate those darned things. I'd hoped that all the bitter cold that we had that many had been killed out, afraid not. POWDERMAN.

bearmgc · « **Reply #1 on:** March 26, 2010, 08:22:48 AM »

Strange isn't it. They're less abundant when its dry. The loads of moisture most of the country has gotten will probably have more ticks and mousquitoes this year. Sometimes those ticks will camp in your house and feed on your pets during the winter too.

DDZ · « **Reply #2 on:** March 26, 2010, 11:13:22 AM »

As soon as the temps start to rise is when ticks become active. The first warm weather in March, I make sure I get frontline or K9Avantix on my dog. Although dog ticks do not pose as much danger to humans as deer ticks do, because dog ticks do not carry the lyme bacteria, and dog ticks are larger and easy to see.
Deer ticks hatch out in the spring, around April or May, and when they are in the nymph stage they are very hard to see, because they are about the size of a pin head or smaller, but they can be carrying the lyme bacteria when in the nymph stage. Ticks secrete a chemical that numbs the area of the bite, so when they attach themselves to a host its not normally felt. They also get to an area where the body temp is warmest, and usually these places you can not see.
The best protection is to apply a repellant. One of the best tick repellants is one with permethrin. Permethrin should only be applied on clothing and is made to kill ticks on contact. A repellant that has deet works only when it its evaporating, so it lasts only so long, where permethrin can last weeks on clothing. If you live in an area that has deer ticks its a good idea to be protected, especially when walking in grassy fields or woods.

http://www.oes.org/html/how_2_identify_different_ticks.html

powderman · « **Reply #3 on:** March 26, 2010, 06:26:11 PM »

If I have to go into a really bad area I use SKIN SO SOFT BATH OIL from Avon, rub it all over my bare skin. All of the loggers I know of around here swear by it. It does help considerably. POWDERMAN.

littlecanoe · « **Reply #4 on:** March 26, 2010, 07:21:33 PM »

powderman,
Found one after an outing to look for deer shed a few weeks ago. Warm Saturday and we had a tick.
We're in the south central part of the state.

I don't remember seeing a tick this early prior to this.

powderman · « **Reply #5 on:** March 27, 2010, 04:13:13 AM »

We're in the south central part of the state.

Which State?? POWDERMAN.

Old Fart · « **Reply #6 on:** March 27, 2010, 06:25:18 AM »

Thanks for the jinx powderman.

I woke up this morning with a seed tick on my side.

Central Oklahoma.

powderman · « **Reply #7 on:** March 27, 2010, 07:58:51 AM »

Quote from: Old Fart on March 27, 2010, 06:25:18 AM

Thanks for the jinx powderman.
I woke up this morning with a seed tick on my side.
Central Oklahoma.

HEH, those critters really can travel. POWDERMAN.

littlecanoe · « **Reply #8 on:** March 27, 2010, 10:41:17 AM »

Kaintuck

FourBee · « **Reply #9 on:** March 27, 2010, 02:37:47 PM »

Last week I found one in the bend of my knee. Thought it was a deer tick, but after close study, it was a male Lone Star tick. I still kept a close watch on the bite area for several days. Better get out my repelent.

luckydawg13 · « **Reply #10 on:** March 27, 2010, 05:29:58 PM »

I HATE TICKS youth turkey hunt is next weekend i got sum no stinking tick spray hope it works temp will be in the 70 they say the ticks will like that

Land_Owner · « **Reply #11 on:** March 28, 2010, 01:16:40 AM »

You guys might start thinking about making up some permethrin insecticide to kill ticks and mosquitos. there is a lot of information in that regard here (follow the link):

Quote from: Land_Owner on August 05, 2007, 12:33:10 AM

Have you tried Permethrin?

slim rem 7 · « **Reply #12 on:** March 28, 2010, 02:19:57 AM »

anybody ,,anybody ..some old timer, older than me.. if you know a secrete other than skin so soft by avon ...
theres always deet. but it stiiiinks
some secrete ,, that will keep ticks from latching on to you .. nows the time ..please let us know the secrete..
skin so soft has two drawbacks.. every critter in the woods is gonna catch wind of you
long before you might ever spotum..plus if you don t get the skin so soft off..you can expect some funny looks from any men you come accross,, at say a convenience store..

plus now i go see my wife of a evening an the folks there [nursing home]like me ,an i love them,, because they treating her so good..i ll have to explain to them all ...why i smell like a pretty lady..

so im all ears please share a better secrete ..if there is one.. slim
ps.. now don t say stay out the woods.. that ain t gonna happen..

land owner im studying your links right now..

FourBee · « **Reply #13 on:** March 28, 2010, 04:16:54 AM »

I had an old uncle that would pour sulfur into the cuffs of his pant legs. Said he never had any ticks on him. But you could sure smell him when he was around.

Land_Owner · « **Reply #14 on:** March 28, 2010, 04:40:08 AM »

Sulphur sure works and does stink like you said. When we had sulphur water as a source of potable drinking water (circa 1950's), we never had bugs on us.

slim rem 7 · « **Reply #15 on:** March 28, 2010, 04:42:45 AM »

sulfur..that be interesting..thanks four b.. i can change pants when i get back ,easy enuff..
\ then put them on again,, when i go to woods the next day..thanks again..slim

magooch · « **Reply #16 on:** March 28, 2010, 04:48:37 AM »

In nearly 67 years, I can't remember ever having a tick on me--at least not one that got embedded. My question is, what is the best way to get them out?

Land_Owner · « **Reply #17 on:** March 28, 2010, 05:26:00 AM »

Using tweezers, place the tips against the tick's point of attachment, asclose to the skin as you can get. Squeeze the tweezers tight, DO NOT SQUEEZE THE TICK, pull steadily upward, away from the skin, until the tick comes away.

It is not generally recommended to burn their rear end, cover in petroleum jelly, or Vicks, although I have done each of these.

Failing tweasers, I use my pocket knife horizontally across the skin to shear them off. So far, so good. Now I do not recommend this method if they are "High and Tight".

DDZ · « **Reply #18 on:** March 28, 2010, 06:39:09 AM »

LandOwner, that is correct. You hear many ways for removing ticks, like putting liquid soap on them, holding a match or cigarette to them, but a very small pair of tweezers is best. There are even tick removal tools made for removing ticks. I'm not sure how well these tools work, because I've never tried them. I do know that a small pointed pair of tweezers work well. The reason for not wanting to squeeze the tick is, because the Lyme bacteria is in the ticks gut and squeezing it while its attached can force the gut contents into the bite area.

They say it takes around 24 hours for the spirochetes (lyme bacteria) to move from the ticks gut through its mouth parts into the bite wound. So removing the tick as soon as possible is important. From what I know now about lyme disease. If I ever had a deer tick attached. I would remove it and send it to one of the labs that can test a tick for the lyme bacteria. Do not rely on waiting to see if the bulls eye rash appears, because forty percent never see a bulls eye rash. I didn't. Just because you don't see a bulls eye rash around the bite, does not mean the bacteria has not entered your blood stream. If you did see the rash, and or get flu like symptoms within a week after knowing a tick was attached. Get to a doctor that knows how to treat lyme disease and diagnose it.
Many doctors do not know much about lyme disease, and treat it how insurance companies tell them to. If caught early lyme disease can be cured. The general cure is two weeks of antibiotics, but many times this is not enough. I would want at least a month of treatment. I'm not a doctor, but I know more about lyme disease than many doctors do. Please don't take this as me being boastful, this is something I have experienced in just talking to general practitioners.
Once the bacteria is in your system for awhile it can lie dormant and become asymptomatic, and it can become very resistant to antibiotic treatment.

subdjoe · « **Reply #19 on:** March 28, 2010, 07:44:48 AM »

Here in N. Calif. they have been starting to come out too. I haven't found anything to really keep them off100%. Wearing non-red colours does help. Blouse your pant legs into your boot tops.

I've tried rose geranium oil with moderate success (2 TBS of olive or almond oil - almond oil has a trace of sulfur which also helps - and about 20 to 25 drops of essential oil of rose geranium) to be reasonably effective.

Also - pennyroyal aka tickweed. Mix a cup of water and 15 to 25 drops of pennyroyal essential oil, shake it really well, and use a spray bottle to apply. In the field, if you run across pennyroyal, just rub it on.

Keep it away from pregnant women since pennyroyal is an abortifacent.

And, keep both out of eyes.

Josey Walls · « **Reply #20 on:** March 28, 2010, 08:19:18 AM »

http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&keywords=BUZZ+OFF&rh=n%3A1036592%2Ck%3ABUZZ+OFF&page=1

I've been wearing buzzoff clothing for about 10 years. If you want to end the agravation of insect bites, I recomend you invest in a pair of pants, shirt and socks, you'll never have to worry about ticks or chiggers again.

kitchawan kid · « **Reply #21 on:** March 28, 2010, 10:18:38 AM »

Have gone through lymes treatment two times,live in new york state.One thing always makes me laugh is check for deer ticks,unles you go over your body with a microscope,you woun't see anything till you start to itch,then you have a problem.

littlecanoe · « **Reply #22 on:** March 28, 2010, 12:09:21 PM »

A few years ago I got into what people around here call turkey mites.
That was miserable.
For Christmas that year the family bought me a pair of "Bug Skinz"
undergarments sold by Cabela's.
So far those work but add a layer and build up warmth in late spring and summer.

powderman · « **Reply #23 on:** March 28, 2010, 01:25:38 PM »

JOSEY. Never heard of those clothes, thanks. POWDERMAN.

Josey Walls · « **Reply #24 on:** March 28, 2010, 02:08:53 PM »

More than welcome POWDERMAN. These clothes are for anyone who spends a lot of time in the outback or just want to set in your back yard and be insect free.

S.S. · « **Reply #25 on:** March 28, 2010, 04:01:39 PM »

Was on a quota hunt on Cumberland Island Georgia a while back and
I got so many of those little devils on me that I looked like someone
had sprinkled pepper all over me! Had a time getting all of them off.
Old fella' that was in camp heard me and let me in on his secret.
He wore women panty hose? apparently ticks can't get through them.
Struck me as kind of funny until I found out that several other guys
had them on too! One said he wore them in Viet-Nam he called them Nylons
but they were about the same I guess.
And NO! I have not wore them

But, If I would have had some on that Island,
I would have! Heck with macho,I was being eaten alive!

powderman · « **Reply #26 on:** March 28, 2010, 05:24:36 PM »

Last spring there was an elderly man accross the river in Indiana who went mushroom hunting. After he got into the woods he said he couldn't recognize what used to be familiar landmarks, he hadn't been there in many years. He got lost and had to spend the night in the woods. He was found sore and tired the next day and taken to the hospitol by ambulance. They found over 100 ticks on him, but he was ok. He said he would not go mushroom hunting alone anymore. POWDERMAN.