ticks

[+tliquidcandyboy]

me the wife and dog was out today and were in a really awsome place but when we realized we were not in the right place we went to the car and realized we were coverd in TICKS not the large ones the tiny tiny itsy bitsy ones after all of us took a bath in sgt's flea and tick i think we got rid of them who else has had a tick scare i dont mean one or two i mean covered to the point we could see them moving they even got on the car seats

 

but hey i feel cleaner than i have by using most soaps lmao

[+mousekakat]

me the wife and dog was out today and were in a really awsome place but when we realized we were not in the right place we went to the car and realized we were coverd in TICKS not the large ones the tiny tiny itsy bitsy ones after all of us took a bath in sgt's flea and tick i think we got rid of them who else has had a tick scare i dont mean one or two i mean covered to the point we could see them moving they even got on the car seats

 

but hey i feel cleaner than i have by using most soaps lmao

 

If they were the tiny little deer ticks you need to keep an eye on where they had bit you. Google borelia or lyme disease and familiarize yourself with the symptoms and signs of it.

 

I HATE ticks. Here in Sweden they are coming out with a new way to kill and remove them that involves some kind of aerosol that freezes them so you can remove them easily.

 

HATE ticks... whole family caches in long pants and high socks just to try to steer clear of them, and Hou(N)dini gets checked over carefully after every trek.

 

Ticks not only are bad here in Sweden, but borelia/tick borne encephalitis is so common that there is a vaccine for it!

 

*shudders* ticks... urgh!!!

[+gnbrotz]

If they were the tiny little deer ticks you need to keep an eye on where they had bit you. Google borelia or lyme disease and familiarize yourself with the symptoms and signs of it.

 

If they were on you for less than 24 hours, you have almost no risk of contracting Lyme disease.

[+Miragee]

This site has lots of good information.

 

I'm not sure about the safety of Sargent's Flea and Tick powder . . . But, getting the ticks off before they can attach and possibly transfer infectious bacteria or parasitic infections is extremely important.

[+DammitNanet]

This is also a good site - CDC's website on Lyme.

 

gnbrotz - not true, I was bit on a Sunday and pulled it off on a Monday and still got lyme.

 

I hike every weekend and a few evenings during the week, and I always blow off putting on the tick and bug repellent; I always just thought it was an annoyance since I shower immediately after being in the woods anyway. The first week of June I found a deer tick imbedded in my shoulder the day after a hike. I thought it was a splinter at first because it was soo small. Pulled it off and it had legs, but subsequently forgot about it. During the last week of June I got really sick with high fever, migraines, stiff neck, dizziness, and aching joints. Went to the dr. and they did some bloodwork but at the time I forgot about the tick bite (there have been so many this year) and all the results came up fine. But I was in bed really sick for a week. Five days into it the bullseye appeared and I went back to Dr. He immediately put my on doxycycline for 3 weeks and did bloodwork to test specifically for lyme. It showed up that I have lyme. I just finished 3 weeks of antib's and feel really good again. I've been out again the last two weekends and I will NEVER forget to use (or blow off using) the tick repellent again.

 

I was lucky they caught it early, my nephew was not several years ago and was on i.v. antib's for 6 mos.

Edited July 22, 2007 by DammitNanet

[+Miragee]

This is also a good site - CDC's website on Lyme.

 

gnbrotz - not true, I was bit on a Sunday and pulled it off on a Monday and still got lyme.

 

<snip>

 

I was lucky they caught it early, my nephew was not several years ago and was on i.v. antib's for 6 mos.

You were lucky. I don't know when I got Lyme disease, but I have been sick for many years and have been on oral antibiotics for almost ten years now.

 

The "bull's eye" rash does not always appear. If you have been bitten by a tick and you feel ill, but don't get the rash, you might have to talk your doctor into giving you antibiotics. The tests are not always definitive . . . If the test comes back negative, the doctor might just want to give you an anti-depressant or Motrin instead . . .

 

Oh, and don't believe what the CDC website says when it states:

A few patients, particularly those diagnosed with later stages of disease, may have persistent or recurrent symptoms. These patients may benefit from a second 4-week course of therapy. Longer courses of antibiotic treatment have not been shown to be beneficial . . .

They can state that, but if you talk to other patients like myself, we will tell you the only thing that has been beneficial is the long-term antibiotic treatment.

[+DammitNanet]

10 years. I can't imagine. You're right - I was lucky. A guy I work with had it bad like you too; he's always sick and has been symptomatic of it for 5 years. At least it hasn't kept you from caching.

[+gnbrotz]

gnbrotz - not true, I was bit on a Sunday and pulled it off on a Monday and still got lyme.

 

I didn't say it wasn't possible, just that it wasn't as likely. From WebMD's site (emphasis added by me):

 

Some ticks can be on the body for 1-2 hours before attaching. Even after a tick attaches, disease transmission may be prevented by prompt removal. Laboratory studies of ticks infected with the infectious agent that causes Lyme disease showed that disease was rarely transmitted if the tick was attached for less than 24 hours.

[+tliquidcandyboy]

wooow im glad to hear so many people are responding to this topic

i am in the military and we are tought very strickly about ticks i completly forgot about the deer tick being the lyme carryer (i forgot how to spell to) we are in tn ky area and its not uncommon to see lyme deasese a friend of mine came home from sear course or as we call it camp slappy lol and just got sick the army treated him for everything under the sun before they finnaly got it

 

the poor dog was ate up today but i think the shampoo got them i mean there was already blood dried on him in slpotches he being an indoor dog and a boxer puppy was freaking out lol but i think we got them were going to put advantix on him from the vet when he gets old enough as for us the shampoo worked but its not for people lol as the instructions say we just couldnt fiqure out anything else to get them off of us and yes incase ya wondering you do have to wait the 5 min even for people lol but it causes really dry skin we are issued some stuff comes in a green tube not safe for kids or adults but it works

[+bwmick]

here is what seems to be a good tick removal system

 

http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/001765.php

 

Don't have ticks here but have heard horror stories.

[+DammitNanet]

the poor dog was ate up today but i think the shampoo got them i mean there was already blood dried on him in slpotches he being an indoor dog and a boxer puppy was freaking out lol but i think we got them were going to put advantix on him from the vet when he gets old enough as for us the shampoo worked but its not for people lol as the instructions say we just couldnt fiqure out anything else to get them off of us and yes incase ya wondering you do have to wait the 5 min even for people lol but it causes really dry skin we are issued some stuff comes in a green tube not safe for kids or adults but it works

 

I always worry about my dog too. She always gets so many ticks on her. I've been a bad dog-owner these last few years and haven't gotten her the lyme disease vaccination. I have her scheduled to go to the vet next month for shots and checkup though and to get the vaccination. My getting sick also made me realize she could get it. I was reading about lyme with dogs and it is very debilitating for them too.

[+Harry Dolphin]

Well, I've had Lyme twice in two years. I never saw either tick that got me. The first time I had classic symptoms, including the bull's-eye rash all over my body. (We were on vacation when the symptoms arose.) The second time, I never got a rash, but was feeling symptoms similar to the first case. Blood test showed secondary infection, meaning that I'd had it for a while. Or maybe the first case never went away? Quien sabe? I've played in the woods most of my life, and never even knew what a tick was until ten years ago.

[+Packanack]

There is an article in the current issue of Discover/Discovery Magazine about Lyme--also one in current issue of Yankee Magazine. Both articles dispense with a lot of the myths--But one thing is for sure Deer population is a major factor in the spread.

 

Of interest is that Lyme may be resultant from 3 or more pathogens and that some people who have long term cases may not have been effectively treated for all the different bacteria. The spirochete is the most common and that is often the target treatment, but there are others that may not respond and cause long term illness. I just went through the doxyclycline treatment for a tick that remained undetected on my back. I couldn't see it at all, so it became fully engorged . I picked it up either at High Mtn, Wayne or Splitrock both of which have large deer populations. Lyme is associated with large deer populations. Dr. told me come back in 3 to 4 months to have test for the antibodies. The anitbiotics were given as precautionary measure. The preferred removal method is with forecep tweezers, do not burn off, do not hit with any poison, do not use alcohol. Clip at skin level pull straight back, do not squeeze the tick.

Edited July 23, 2007 by Packanack

[Mr.Yuck]

This site has lots of good information.

 

I'm not sure about the safety of Sargent's Flea and Tick powder . . . But, getting the ticks off before they can attach and possibly transfer infectious bacteria or parasitic infections is extremely important.

 

Had a couple yesterday. But I found them, and got them off within an hour at most, I'll say. One was just crawling around on my neck, the other was in my hair, but I have a military brush-cut, and found it pretty easily. How long does it take for them to attach?

[+Miragee]

Not long, if they have found a prime location. If they attach, and if they are squeezed, or otherwise injured when they are removed, they will regurgitate what they have injested. That is when the bacteria or other parasites can be transmitted.

[Mr.Yuck]

Not long, if they have found a prime location. If they attach, and if they are squeezed, or otherwise injured when they are removed, they will regurgitate what they have injested. That is when the bacteria or other parasites can be transmitted.

 

Thanks for the response! There's also some good information in Post #8. I'm feeling pretty good about my particuliar situation, but will keep an eye on myself. Ticks aren't really too common in my area, (I was out of my immediate area), but I have a newfound appreciation for the danger, and will spread the word whenever I can. I'll keep watching here for experts to post, other cachers stories, and links to websites.

Edited July 23, 2007 by TheWhiteUrkel

[+reptlcal]

[+reptlcal]

[+mousekakat]

Fy fan!

 

*mild Swedish cursing, used for situations like this and at some of the stuff they have to eat/do on Fear Factor*

 

[+cerberus1]

CJ and I were visiting her grandfather in the Sparta/Crossvile area in Tennessee a few years back.

 

'Course we had to hike and geocache while there ! (Our favorite is anything by CaveRat).

 

One day, our legs from just above the ankles to our toes (with hikers on!) looked like we were covered in dirt... Then we saw the "dirt" move !

 

Turns out we were covered by what the locals called "seed ticks". One had a little scraper that looked like a thick credit-card and you "brushed" them off. GROSS!

 

We made sure to spray our FEET as well as everything else after that experience, though we've never spotted the micro-ticks in any other state.

Edited July 23, 2007 by cerberus1

[Orly]

http://www.utahlyme.org/cdcvectormap.htm

 

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/lyme/

Edited July 23, 2007 by Orly

[+DammitNanet]

Dr. also told me that I'll always test positive for it going forward. I just stopped the antib's Friday and I feel good, so does that mean I'm cured and they caught it early enough? It better because I'm leaving for vaca this weekend and I can't feel rotten while I'm away - that'll just stink!

[+Trucker Lee]

When coming out of the woods, always check yourself for ticks immediately. The basic way to remove is grasp it at the head, don't squeeze the body, and pull it along the skin over the tick's head. Don't pull straight out.

 

The pet supplies for dogs won't hurt most humans as our systems are similar. Most flea and tick powders are 5% Carboral, or basically a mild Sevin Dust. If sulphur not available, it will be OK to sprinkle these products around pant cuffs BEFORE going into the woods to discourage the pests from staying on you.

[mavislb]

I've not tried it yet, but I've read that an easy way to remove them is to put some dish soap on a cotton ball and hold it over the tick. It will back out on it's own accord and you can then pick it off without worrying about squeezing it.

[+hukilaulau]

Three words for ya:

1) DEET (on skin)

2) permethrin (on clothes and equipment)

3) Bug Skinz (to wear under your clothes)

Only catch is, you have to actually do it!

 

edited to correct impression that you wear the Bug Skinz "over everything".

Edited July 24, 2007 by hukilaulau

[+Packanack]

Tick Removal

 

but I've read that an easy way to remove them is to put some dish soap on a cotton ball and hold it over the tick. It will back out on it's own accord and you can then pick it off without worrying about squeezing it.

 

http://www.ukcpitbull.com/pit/viewtopic.ph...b8c9d426a410005

 

That is mentioned on various Dog Sites dealing with dogs and tick removal and I can't find a one that says the detergent works. The site above mentions Tea Tree Oil and Tea Tree Oil should never be used on young boys--there is a study that links Tea Tree Oil and Lavender Oils with a condition where they grow breast tissue

 

Everything I have seen with respect to tick removal on humans says use tweezers and no other method.

[+rovers3]

An easy gizmo or a similar one that works really great for tick removal can be found at http://www.tickedoff.com/. I've often used them to remove ticks from dogs and cats, but haven't had to try them on humans.

[+sTeamTraen]

I have one of these which removes them nicely:

 

 

I found it in a cache! They are quite cheap and make great swag.

 

I've pulled about 12 ticks off me this year. No other symptoms so far. In 2005 my son got something which might have been tick-borne encephalitis, which is viral and nasty, but at least there is a vaccine for it, unlike Lyme. (A guy who worked for a big drug company once told me that they had developed a working vaccine for Lyme, but dropped it because they couldn't get any governments or HMOs interested in funding it.)

[+Driver Carries Cache]

How to remove them...

 

My preferred method is to jump up and down while slapping at them wildly with both hands and screaming like a little girl.

 

I hate ticks!

 

DCC

[+DammitNanet]

Three words for ya:

1) DEET (on skin)

2) permethrin (on clothes and equipment)

3) Bug Skinz (to wear under your clothes)

Only catch is, you have to actually do it!

 

edited to correct impression that you wear the Bug Skinz "over everything".

 

Minor Details LOL. I learned the hard way but I will be very diligent going forward! You know, I carry the deet with me in my pack I guess it's time to use it!!!

[Suscrofa]

Faced with the problem of removing ticks and the cost of a special tool I came with this. You need old disquettes with a metallic tab and good quality scissors. Spring steel strip could also be used but harder to get and work with. Thickness of these tabs is about 0.2mm and springy enough.

 

It is a miniature crowbar !

 

 

Cut strip about 6X30, round corners.

 

 

cut a sharp V

 

 

Bend

 

 

Done.

Edited July 25, 2007 by Suscrofa

[+edscott]

I've not tried it yet, but I've read that an easy way to remove them is to put some dish soap on a cotton ball and hold it over the tick. It will back out on it's own accord and you can then pick it off without worrying about squeezing it.

 

I think you'll find more about this on the scopes urban legend web site.