Ticks

[HillBill]

I've never in all my life been bit by anything. Bit strange really. We have dogs and cats and every now and again, we get fleas in the house they bite everyone bar me. I must taste like crap from a distance, either that or they know better

 

[SimonM]

Blimey You are lucky. I have had 3 in the last two years: all caught "in good time" as they say. Is there much wildlife in your local woods?

Red der, Roe deer and Fallow deer!

Sheep (but only if the farmer lets them in - it's almost a full time jobe getting them back out!)
Badger
Fox


I wear gaiters most of the time and don't expose skin that often - I may have been lucky I suppose?

Simon

 

[Dunelm]

I've never yet been tick infested east of the Pennines (Durham, Northumberland, Yorkshire etc) but cross over into Cumbria and the place is riddled with them.

I was walking through woodland/moorland in shorts in July in Cumbria and when I stopped to check I had dozens of the smaller nymph/larvae stage running, quite quickly, up and down my legs. Took them off with tweezers, only one was large enough to feed and I caught him early enough.

Although not always the case most people who contract Lymes Disease come out in very visible and large concentic red circles spreading out from the bite site.

 

[andybysea]

Cumbria is where i got two ticks on me within hours of each other, although we were bivying in the woods and had gone through alot of ferns to get to the spot, hillbill im the opposite of you, everything that can and will bite has a go at me,and i react in nasty weepy spots to them all.

 

[nomade]

Gosh! Scary creatures! Thanks for the info, everyone.

It looks likeyou can't biv. or camp out there being certain you aren't going to get one or more tick(s)...:theyareon

Can clothing make you almost tick-proof? Like wearing gaters, long trousers and long sleeves?

What about the bivvi bag and the tent at night? Would a mosquito net be a tick-proof barrier?

As for your four-legged fellow traveller, checking on him all the time must be very difficult to do as they have a large surface of fur, even more difficult with long-haired dogs...

 

[andybysea]

Nomade, things like mossie nets,tents,bivy's etc will stop ticks getting at you so will gaiters etc,the problem is if they are on your clothing and you dont notice them they will/can find away to your skin unless you remove them.Dogs etc i have no idea about but i imagine if your in a forrest/ferns/heather/long grass etc theres always a chance they will come into contact with them.I read somewhere(ticks) they are most active early and late summer,dont know if this is true but i could presume like most other creatures they will be less active in the winter months even more so on frosty/snowy days.

 

[nomade]

Thanks for the info, Andybysea! I understand better how ticks reach you.

As for the seasonal differences, I read somewhere something about a temperature range, but I don't remember it. They are inactive out of a certain minimum and possibly maximum temperature (35 Celsius? I have a vague memory of this upper limit but it should be verified).

 

[trail2]

Don't know if you can buy this in the UK but it works well and I use it most of the summer.
Also there is a product called Notix (I think) That is supposed to work as well.
Keeping them off you is the best way if you can manage it.
Hope this is helpful.
Jon R.