Seoras said:
Just want to say that I have had to use a tick remover quite a few times. It is one from the vets as well. I was discussing this with one of the traders at the Wilderness Gathering (cannot remember the name but he was the one who did all the skinning) and as he advised that as a matter of course once you had taken the tick out (twist and pull) is to put the tick into some candle wax or something similar. It kills the tick but retains it in one piece if neded. He said that a sign of Lymes disease is a Bulls eye type mark appearing around the bite area and if this occured then the hospital would then be able to use the tick (encased in wax) to help with a cure.
Somebody please advise me if I am wrong on this.
The last tick I got a the Wilderness Gathering is still in wax. My daughter has been looking at it under a magnifying glass. Great stuff.
Hmmm
..suspect!
If you get brought into hospital with a gun shot they dont ask to see who shot you before they treat you. Lyme disease (no s ) has an antibiotic treatment irrespective of what tick gave it to you.
It is a good idea to save ticks that bite you simply to help in gathering scientific info as to which species are involved in vectoring should you contract the disease.
If you do get bitten and you do develop the expanding red ring, or any similar marks, one thing to do is take a photo as the visible symptoms may disappear and not all doctors are clued up on the disease should later symptoms occur.
The most important thing to remember though is that the sooner you remove the tick the less chance you have of getting the disease! It is true that you dont want to squeeze it if you can help it so grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible with whatever device, ( beware taking advice from sites trying to sell you something) fine tweezers being great, and pull it out ASAP. The few times Ive been bitten (Im usually pretty careful not to get them on me i.e. I look for them and brush myself off after thrashing through vegetation) I have always got my finger nails down to the head and yanked them out there and then and the few times the head has broken off Ive pulled that out later with the tweezers. Its head isnt going to be injecting you with anything without its body while you get home and get out the disinfectant and the tweezers.
Ticks are gross
; they disgust me so much that I have developed a healthy paranoia and a careful policy of inspection, as I said, after brushing through plants and trees in areas I know they exist and indeed I havent been bitten by one for years now I find them all first. Tuck trousers in socks, keep t-shirt in trousers make friends walk through first
etc. You shouldnt get bitten if youre careful.
