Ticks

[inthewids]

I have been out in the woods a lot in the last few weeks and thankfully have not picked up any ticks, i had a lot in the summer and early autumn (a few in a rather horrid place) i was wondering, do they lie dormant over the frosty winter period or have i justy been lucky?

 

[Chainsaw]

I've had them april to october :AR15firin This time of year I think they're sleeping

Cheers,

Alan

 

[Joezilla]

Ticks will forage at about 60F, during the winter time the larval stage overwinters in leaf litter.
Tick larvae actually only have 6 legs, even though they are an arachnid. When they molt into their adult stage the extra pair come out.

 

[andybysea]

Are these things on the increase? in 20yrs of being out and about id never had any on me,then 2yrs ago in the lakes i got two in a couple of hours,bloody murder to get them off,
also had one on me whilst in the Orkneys, it had found its way up to my eye lid before i noticed it,lucky managed to get it off before it started to feed,have to admit since then they are always in the back of my mind when im out, unless of course ive had to much Rum then i tend to forget about them!

 

[andy_e]

Ticks will forage at about 60F, during the winter time the larval stage overwinters in leaf litter.
Tick larvae actually only have 6 legs, even though they are an arachnid. When they molt into their adult stage the extra pair come out.

I think your ticks are bit soft over there Joezilla we're lucky if it get's to 60F (15C) in the average Scottish summer

Not had a problem with them in recent years though am very conscious of them being about and maybe that's why. People I've been out with have had them, usually from brushing undergrowth on narrow paths or during comfort breaks etc.

 

[SimonM]

The risk of ticks is hugely exaggerated.

For more info, try this website:
http://www.lymediseaseaction.org.uk/ticks.htm

Or you can download leaflet from here:-
http://www.newforest.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=5561&articleaction=dispmedia&mediaid=1958

Or you can listen to a podcast from Backpacking Light which covers general hygiene and topic such as ticks:
http://backpackinglight.audioblog.co...e1808c989d.mp3

I may have been lucky in my out door time, but to the best of my knowledge, I have never had a tick on me.

Simon

 

[hen]

if you use the search function on the forum there's lots of tick related discussions with loads of really good advice in.

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=32709&highlight=hen

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=31485&highlight=ticks


I don't know if Lyme Disease in this country is exaggerated or not, personally I'd rather take precautions against it just in case.

 

[Joezilla]

Its not that bad when you get it. My close friend has got both lymes disease and rocky mountain spotted fever. Took antibiotics and is good to go.

Normally at my job I remove 3 to 4 embedded ticks a day during the bad seasons. About that time I put permanone on the clothes.

 

[Womble_Lancs]

I saw a thing on the One Show (I think) last week, and they showed someone just using tweezers to pull a tick straight up and out, yet on most websites, they say to use a lift & twist motion.

I think the important thing is not to squeeze the tick.

 

[andybysea]

I think there heads kinda like a screw as well so the pull and twist is better so as not to break the head off and leave it in,and cause a infection.

 

[sirex]

try vaseline on them, they suffocate and fall off.

 

[andybysea]

I thought that but im sure i read somewhere you shouldnt do it, although im probably taking s**t.

 

[Wayland]

try vaseline on them, they suffocate and fall off.

Problem is they vomit all the nasty stuff into you before they go.

I use a little device called an "Otom" for getting them off the dog.

Should work for me too if I need it.

 

[Lurch]

The recent years milder weather has boosted tick numbers, hopefully some cold weather this winter will cull them a bit. You shouldn't get much bother from them in the winter anyhoo.
The O'Tom tick twister Wayland mentions is the best way of getting them off, I was amazed the first time I used one - they come out amazingly easily. In theory a skilled practicioner can get them off just as easily by hand - but I'm no skilled practiconer!

 

[sirex]

Problem is they vomit all the nasty stuff into you before they go.
.

maybe, but i've always done that, and its worked fine.

white spirit / alcohol can be useful too, or in a pinch use your knife. i dont know if its the modern correct method, but ive not had issues with it so i stick to it for now.

 

[andybysea]

Where/who sells these O'tom twister jobbies?

 

[Wayland]

The easy place to get them is a Vet or a pet store.

 

[andybysea]

Cheers for that.

found this on yahoo,shows you how to remove them with the o'tom, although it looks like ones that have been feeding for a while. (hope link works)

http://www.otom.com/homepage.htm

 

[Wayland]

They come in a pack with two, a big one and a small one for shifting all sizes of the blighters.

 

[Lurch]

Where/who sells these O'tom twister jobbies?

<Cough>

Although as Gary says you can get them from most vets and many pet shops.