Are you a 'tic magnet'?

[davyowens]

Just back from a weeks wild camping in the wild northwest of Scotland - out on the Coigach peninsula by loch Osgaig - just {outside} the Inverpollaidh estate boundary ...by outside, I mean there was a 8 foot deerfence & cattlegrids between our camp, & the vast deer-rich estate lands between Ullapool, Elphin & Lochinver. The land we camped on was classic tick heaven - {but minus the deer}, with lots of bracken, long grass, waist high ferns, & boggy heather covered moorland....
Although very wary at first, we quickly realised that that land appeared to be totally "tick free"...so much so that despite my usual strict anti tick "obsession", after several walks across the open moor myself, I was happy to allow my six year old daughter to run around freely.
This ties in with the following quote by 'pango': "Livestock are treated for parasitic infestations, wild deer are not, and there is a definite, credible link between the numbers of ticks and deer populations, and the numbers of red deer on most Scottish estates is mind-boggling!"

Is it a case of no livestock - no ticks?....Looks like it. I'm not suggesting deer are the only wild carriers of ticks, but they are probobly the most numerous in Scotland.
One thing I do know is that tick numbers have gone up alarmingly in the last decade - we're told due to so called 'global warming' - I don't fully buy the 'global warming package' as its sold to us by the 'politized scientists'....the global warming cycle has been shown by proper scientists to be linked to the presessional wobble of the earth over {tens of millenia} in a continous cycles from hot age to ice age & back again - 5000 years from now they'll be telling us about global cooling...so whats really changed in the {mere insigificant 20 years} that I've been walking & climbing in Scotlands wild places...have deer numbers gone up & deer habitat got closer to cities...who knows?... Maybee it's some good old fashioned moorland burning thats needed.

 

[Ph34r]

Yep, been on treatment for a tick bit from salsbury plain, and one from Canada which gave me lymes disease.

 

[Norton]

I got bit for the first time last weekend after 3 nights out by Loch Long, I found about 7 on me and I'm still finding them now on the dog, so far he's had 16, that's despite the fact he is regularly treated with Frontline at this time of year. He's due at the vets soon so I'm going to have to ask for some advice from her, has anyone on here got any ideas for dogs? I have used Advantix on him in the past and may ask for that off her again.

 

[naefearjustbeer]

The garlic theory doesnt work for me I have been bitten by ticks, and midges love me even though I reek of garlic. On average I eat a bulb of garlic every week sometimes more. Last time I got ticks was walking with my bairn round about the paths near Aviemore/ Loch Morlich. She also got ticks but the ones on her crawled under her nappy and died, I presume they didnt like the urine. However what surprised me was the fact that my wee one never walked on anything other hard packed stone path. For the off path bits she was on my shoulders to reduce the risk of her picking up ticks. So either the tick transferred from me to her or she picked it up on a path!

 

[pango]

Hi Norton, I don't know about the UK but I've heard that ticks can carry Parvovirus in some areas of Europe. It might be a good idea to take a run around with the vacuum cleaner. When I get home the first thing I do is to strip off and get into the shower. My clothes go straight into the washing machine and I never go into the bedroom wearing clothes I've been camping in.

Naefearjustbeer, ticks position themselves on the ends of grass stems and such like with their hook-like feet outstretched to catch any passing animals, so it isn't just a case of being wary when walking in long grass but also brushing past a grass stem overhanging a path.

As far as I'm aware, there have been no recorded cases of Lymes disease having been picked up from larval or nymph stages. Think positive!

 

[lisa]

Yeah it is trange how some folks are 'tick magnets'. I'll pick a dozen or so after the best part of 7 months in the woods every year, but my partner Ben will sometimes pick up 30 odd in day!? Given that he is so prone to them, he has put together all the best advice he can find, and put it up on a PDF here - http://www.woodsmoke.uk.com/documents/files/tick_awareness.pdf

Always good to raise awareness of ticks and adopt good drills, the consequences can be so serious...

 

[drewdunnrespect]

never been bitton yet

 

[Lupin Rider]

got bitten on a course 3 weeks ago, had flu type symptoms since and the last few days added achy knees. doc now prescribing two weeks of Doxycycline.

 

[Trackerman]

I´m a tic magnet. I´ve had many, can´t count them. Last one was siiting on my balls and the previous one was ALSO sitting on my balls! I was given penicillin just in case borellia. But I move a lot through dense vegetation and high grass. It has become more common that people get meningitis from tics here.

 

[Retired Member southey]

Perhapse underware mught help you Trakerman

I think i must the polar opposit to what ever the ticks are , even had one leave me to bite Wifey! she was not ammused.

 

[MSkiba]

Been wild camping for over 15 years and never bitten by one but I do camp in a tick free zone I think. Moqueeeetoes on the other hand love me!

Boots sell a nice repellant called jungle something or other that I recently tried and it works great. Problem is its £6 per bottle and you could easily use a full bottle on one camp trip (small bottles)

 

[Sanji]

This year i`ve only had 1 tick (touch wood), most ive had at one time was like 5 when i was like 14. When was at Ardentinny outdoor centre on a school trip. They ended up being on my private place wasnt fun taking them out.