Tick Talk

[+rnlorna]

Yesterday evening about 7 pm we found a cache near a local business. We had to walk about 10 feet through knee high grass to find the cache. No problem, signed log, traded TB's and were on our way. Had a good evening and went to bed about 11. At midnight I was woken up by something crawling near my leg. I tried to shake it off and go back to sleep. I felt it again, and jumped out of bed and turned on the light, expecting to find a spider. When I threw back the (luckily yellow) sheets, my husband saw a tick walking around. IN MY BED!!!

 

So, I let it crawl on a piece a paper and fed it to the Venus Flytrap in the kitchen and then TRIED to go back to sleep. I laid there for an hour and a half waiting...

 

I knew if there was one, there may be others. And where in the heck was that thing hiding for the last five hours? No bites on anyone, but ugghh! I finally fell asleep and dreamed about ticks all night. Today the sheets get a wash in hot water.

 

Here is my question. Are the ticks worse this year? Or is it that we are new to geocaching? We've walked through the woods with the girl scouts, boy scouts and just the family before, and never had a problem. Now we walk 10 feet through grass by a business and gets ticks in the bed. This is our fourth tick encounter this spring, even using DEET sometimes.

 

Are there superticks in Sacramento? Do I have to put off geocaching until it's cold? Help!

 

Signed,

Sleepless in Sacramento

[wandat24]

I don't live anywhere near ya (NE Okla), but I know they are worse here this year. I was over at my friend's house the other day and the wind came up strong. Her trees where "raining" ticks!!!! Her dad said its cause of the mild winter we had, and they're liable to get WORSE! I hope not, but I would bet they do.....

[+qattales]

from sacramento here..they are bad this year took bella my gsd and we went to spenceville. walking through the grass i looked down and they were all over my jeans. i started doing the not so happy dance..took me three days to find them hiding in my gsd's coat those that tried to bite her died from the advantage. pulled several off me on drive home i didn't see at first. rolling down the window and throwing ticks out. yikes..

[+ThePropers]

from sacramento here..they are bad this year took bella my gsd and we went to spenceville. walking through the grass i looked down and they were all over my jeans. i started doing the not so happy dance..took me three days to find them hiding in my gsd's coat those that tried to bite her died from the advantage. pulled several off me on drive home i didn't see at first. rolling down the window and throwing ticks out. yikes..

 

From PA and they are bad this year. I've already pulled two of of myself and one off my 4 year old. I've already gone through the Lyme Disease antiobiotic treatment twice, so I'm hoping I don't have to do it again.

 

I assume it's because of the warm winter we had this year.

[+Vinny & Sue Team]

Take some chickens or Guinea fowl with with you on your caching outings, and keep some in your yard! They eat ticks voraciously. In fact, we have not seen a tick in our (wilderness backcountry) yard (of many, many acres) in years because of all our hens and Guinea fowl!

[+LDove]

They are bad in Wisconsin too. Pulled a couple off of me LAST month - so early and the guy that found the cache after me said he should have had "tick buffet" sign on his back - got 13 of the little buggers off. I hate 'em. Funny how you fed them to your flytrap, handy plant to have around eigh?

[+carleenp]

Ticks are everywhere again this year this year. I see thread after thread mentioning them.

 

It is the warmer than usual winter, and early spring in many areas that has them out more than normal. Use of deet or permethrin treated clothes will help guard against the nasty little things.

[+drat19]

I got ticked off all over my pants legs caching this past weekend in SE South Dakota. I had a similar experience to Qattales' post above, while I was driving.

[+LDove]

Great idea for swag too, got some of those one time use Off wipes and put them in the caches as I go along. I was happy when I found one and got the idea.

[+Buder]

Tennessee here and its bad for us as well. I haven't had a tick since I was a child and we've found four in the last week.... two of them days after we were anywhere we thought to be worried. We heard that our dog might be bringing them in despite the advantage so will be spraying our yard with stuff to kill off ticks as well. I thought the advantage killed ticks but an article says it only makes animals unpalatable to fleas and ticks and they can drop from your pets into your home still and hungry for a new host. Showers have become longer due to taking the extra time to check for ticks daily.

[+karrooite]

Last night I pulled eight female American dog ticks off my legs after walking through a couple hundred feet of knee high grass in shorts.

 

Ain't she a beaut?

[+carleenp]

Last night I pulled eight female American dog ticks off my legs after walking through a couple hundred feet of knee high grass in shorts.

 

Ain't she a beaut?

 

Yep! Especially since she appears to be dead!

[+Beffums]

well, I can join with everyone in saying that they are bad here too (in Indiana). I found 4 "regular" ticks and deer tick after a quick trip to a rest area cache, and learned something. I grew up in PA, so to me, you get bit by a deer tick = you go to doctor and start antibiotics (see the Propers post). Apparently, IN has no infected ticks - the doc pretty much gave me a "what the heck are you wasting my time for" look and said there is no concern for Lyme disease in the area. However, I happen to be allergic to flea bites and deer tick bites (but not normal tick bites?!), so slight downside - but the huge welt that forms is a dead give-away that I've been bitten!

 

So, to me, it's a good tick year - yes, there might be a lot of them, but this is the first time, ever, that I won't be freaked out about the possibility of Lyme disease (one aunt has it, and didn't get the antibiotics in time - it's miserable). (ok, I'll be honest - I'm still making hubby check my back near the welt every day; old habits die hard). I did manage to make the doc nervous when I said I got the tick bite on the way to Ohio. Apparently if we'd stopped for one of the Ohio rest areas, then I'd be on antibiotics right now.

[+team moxiepup]

I've had a couple of similar experiences. In the past couple of months, I've woken up in the middle of the night three times to find a tick crawling on me, despite checking ourselves and the dog after caching! Nothing wakes you up so thoroughly and completely from sound sleep as a tick on your leg!

The winter was very warm here in Maine. We found ticks while out and about in January!

I like the idea of a venus flytrap. At least something in the house would benefit from their presence!

[+drat19]

This whole thread is making me itchy.

[+LDove]

UG that picture, now that is going to give me nightmares, yech. Moxie - is your dog a rat terrier?

[+team moxiepup]

UG that picture, now that is going to give me nightmares, yech. Moxie - is your dog a rat terrier?

 

I hope the picture you're refering to is the one of the ticks, and not one of my dog!

Nope, not a rat terrier. She's a Miniature Pinscher/Pomeranian mix.

[+LDove]

I should have read that prior to posting it! HA! Yep - I was refering the ugly tic! Your dog is adorable!

[+Treasure Hunting Family]

Apparently, IN has no infected ticks

 

That's really great to hear. I have had 2 in my head just in the last month. My poor dog had one in his ear. This is the 2nd person I have heard from that said Don't Worry.

 

Now if I can just get over the yucky feeling.

[+AuntieWeasel]

Especially bad in New England this year, too. And we gots the little deer ticks and lots and lots of Lyme disease. Brrrrr.

[+Mystery Ink]

Yesterday evening about 7 pm we found a cache near a local business. We had to walk about 10 feet through knee high grass to find the cache. No problem, signed log, traded TB's and were on our way. Had a good evening and went to bed about 11. At midnight I was woken up by something crawling near my leg. I tried to shake it off and go back to sleep. I felt it again, and jumped out of bed and turned on the light, expecting to find a spider. When I threw back the (luckily yellow) sheets, my husband saw a tick walking around. IN MY BED!!!

 

So, I let it crawl on a piece a paper and fed it to the Venus Flytrap in the kitchen and then TRIED to go back to sleep. I laid there for an hour and a half waiting...

 

I knew if there was one, there may be others. And where in the heck was that thing hiding for the last five hours? No bites on anyone, but ugghh! I finally fell asleep and dreamed about ticks all night. Today the sheets get a wash in hot water.

 

Here is my question. Are the ticks worse this year? Or is it that we are new to geocaching? We've walked through the woods with the girl scouts, boy scouts and just the family before, and never had a problem. Now we walk 10 feet through grass by a business and gets ticks in the bed. This is our fourth tick encounter this spring, even using DEET sometimes.

 

Are there superticks in Sacramento? Do I have to put off geocaching until it's cold? Help!

 

Signed,

Sleepless in Sacramento

 

haha I live sort of close to you about 2 to 4 hours depending on how fast you drive.

I am a tick magnet ticks in my area are getting a little bad im finding alot more of the smaller ones then the bigger ones though. I have been bitten a couple times and no matter what it always leaves a scar. Usually what I will have to do after a I get back from a hike is strip wash your clothes right away and and take a shower 3 or 4 times you may still find one floating around somewhere. After.... everytime you have an itch on your arm you will end up thinking it's a tick. Also when going out try to where light colored clothes so you can see them better when they crawl on you. But most important when you get back get out of the clothes and get them in the wash cause you might miss one and it may drop when you get in the house. Just becareful when walking through brush I try to avoid it and find an alternate route if you can't find one run like a little school girl to area waving your hands in the air to a more clear area.

 

Lately I have been also seeing a few of these in my area, I have never seen one in the 18 years I lived in this house and just one day I was sitting in my house and I see this huge brown thing flying thing in my house so I caught it. They are HUGE this one was close to about 1/4 to 1/2 an inch. I don't know what they are but I do know they hurt though when you get bitten by one.

Edited May 11, 2006 by Mystery Ink

[+Tsmola]

I've only found one on me this year, and that was after I walked out in the yard barefoot.

 

I've been caching in a lot of weedy and wooded spots lately and I figured for sure I'd pick up a few from each spot, but nothing.

[+Airmapper]

I went to a cache recently and got probably 50+ ticks off me. They were all over my socks, shoes, and up to my knees. But believe it or not I've had many thousands of ticks on me at one time, thanks to their wads of young that appear in the Fall.

 

I live in a rural area, so ticks are nothing new. They are getting worse, I believe that a foreign species of tick was brought from Asia on Fallow Deer, and due to the different climate here in the southern US, that they are spreading and growing in numbers. I could be wrong, but thats my theory. 10-15 years ago, maybe sooner, you could walk anywhere and not get ticks, you would get the bigger dog ticks, but those are large and easy to spot. Now we have smaller ticks in greater numbers, and walking in the weeds you'll find ticks every time.

[+headybrew]

Here in southern california, I think they are much worse than usual this year. But I'm not sure I'm the best source of info. I just know I've never really had to deal with them much here before this year.

 

A month or two ago I was on a hike and found some crawling up my pant leg and had to take them off.

 

Then about 1 month ago, I woke up the next morning after a cache day and felt a bump on my leg. Half asleep I scratched at it... And GOD what a creepy feeling to feel the bump wiggling and squirming! I looked down and saw little legs sticking out of my flesh, struggling to get deeper in! EEEWWWWW!

 

I grabbed my laptop and logged onto the internet... A google search can tell you a lot about the right and WRONG way to remove ticks. How you remove them can make a big difference in whether you get infected or not with whatever they might be carrying.

 

Basically, don't do anything to irritate it or squeeze it, or it might regurgitate into you. YUCK! Use tweezers and grab it up hear it's head. NOT IT'S BODY. Be gentle and try to get it all out in one slight tug. You don't want to squish it or break it's little nasty mouth parts off inside of you. Wash the area and look for any little parts that may be left inside. Remove them like you would a splinter.

 

YUCK!

 

After removal, treat the area with a topical antihistimine (benedryl) or cortizone cream. Watch for signs of infection and tell your doctor right away if you feel any symptoms.

 

(I'll leave it for you to look up what signs or symptoms to watch for.)

 

I'm not a doctor, so look this stuff up for yourselves from a reliable source. It pays to know what to do before you find yourself in this situation. There are a lot of old myths that could make the situation worse by causeing an unnecessary infection to take place.

 

Let me say it again: Yuck!

Edited May 11, 2006 by headybrew

[+Mystery Ink]

 

I live in a rural area, so ticks are nothing new. They are getting worse, I believe that a foreign species of tick was brought from Asia on Fallow Deer, and due to the different climate here in the southern US, that they are spreading and growing in numbers. I could be wrong, but thats my theory. 10-15 years ago, maybe sooner, you could walk anywhere and not get ticks, you would get the bigger dog ticks, but those are large and easy to spot. Now we have smaller ticks in greater numbers, and walking in the weeds you'll find ticks every time.

I agree I rarely ever find the big dog ticks anymore it's always the small ones now.

Edited May 11, 2006 by Mystery Ink

[wandat24]

I was told by my doctor i could use vicks to make them remove themselves, but it could cause it to regurgitate. How ever the odds of getting it out whole and not get infected are much better using somthing like that.... or nail polish. Like HB said, though, you may want to look it up, they coulda changed their minds in the last 2 years.

I'm a bit lucky in the fact I don't get them often (my mom always said it was cause of my blood, being thick or somthing). BUT, when I do get them it's usually under my *hmm thinking of a good word to use...* breast (only one I came up with, sorry) Or on my head.

[+rnlorna]

haha I live sort of close to you about 2 to 4 hours depending on how fast you drive.

I am a tick magnet ticks in my area are getting a little bad im finding alot more of the smaller ones then the bigger ones though. I have been bitten a couple times and no matter what it always leaves a scar. Usually what I will have to do after a I get back from a hike is strip wash your clothes right away and and take a shower 3 or 4 times you may still find one floating around somewhere. After.... everytime you have an itch on your arm you will end up thinking it's a tick. Also when going out try to where light colored clothes so you can see them better when they crawl on you. But most important when you get back get out of the clothes and get them in the wash cause you might miss one and it may drop when you get in the house. Just becareful when walking through brush I try to avoid it and find an alternate route if you can't find one run like a little school girl to area waving your hands in the air to a more clear area.

 

Lately I have been also seeing a few of these in my area, I have never seen one in the 18 years I lived in this house and just one day I was sitting in my house and I see this huge brown thing flying thing in my house so I caught it. They are HUGE this one was close to about 1/4 to 1/2 an inch. I don't know what they are but I do know they hurt though when you get bitten by one.

 

I probably wouldn't like to see that flying at me either. I remember visiting Pennsylvania when I was a kid and being bitten by deer flies. They really hurt too! I guess I don't like any creepy crawly things in the house, or on me. That's why we have the Venus Fly Trap, to get rid of anything that shouldn't be here. It's pretty healthy, and my daughter loves seeing it eat!

[+clearpath]

Last night I pulled eight female American dog ticks off my legs after walking through a couple hundred feet of knee high grass in shorts.

 

Ain't she a beaut?

Okay, I'll bite ... how do you know they are female?

[+markp99]

It's really bad here in NH.

 

I spent about 6 hours caching last Friday. I pulled 4 ticks off of me (2 were already firmly attached - ugh!). Next day my wife had two firmly attached, one of which required very careful tweezer surgery and a magnifying glass to get a detached remnants from her back. Nasty! She swears she checked herself when she got home, so these may have been little presents she picked up in bed (our dogs share our bed).

 

I also took two ticks off one the dogs, one was on his eyelid. The other dog was tick-free this time.

 

Update:

 

My local news station was broadcasting a segment on ticks as I was typing this mesage. A local doctor noted that an infected deer tick would need to be attached for 48 hours in order for one to contract Lime Disease. This is good to know!

Edited May 11, 2006 by markp99

[+drat19]

Last night I pulled eight female American dog ticks off my legs after walking through a couple hundred feet of knee high grass in shorts.

 

Ain't she a beaut?

Okay, I'll bite ... how do you know they are female?

You'll bite? Wrong thread to use that phrase!

[+Harry Dolphin]

They're female ticks because females need blood to reproduce. Male ticks don't bite (or I don't think they do. They don't need blood.)

I've been places (New Jersey) where I've had to stop the car to toss the buggers out the window. Strangest occurance was visiting the laundromat three days after caching. Tossed my jeans in the washing machine, and a tick fell off. Squushed it!!

The time I got Lyme, however, I only had the one tick, and I didn't see her at all. She settled in under my right shoulder blade.

From what I've read, the tick needs to feed for seven to nine hours before it regurgitates. It's the regurgitation that introduces the Lyme bacteria into the blood stream.

[+ickster]

This link has some good pictures. It also has some info on a tick "puller" that is purported to be available.

 

http://www.vigps.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?...=ticks&start=20

 

Ignore the title of the original post, as the discussion quickly evolved into a "tick - talk"

[+BlueDeuce]

From a kid's health website. (did this person ever meet a kid? )

 

You don't feel anything when the tick first bites you. You probably won't even know the tick is feeding. After an infected tick bites you, it pumps water out of its mouth to lower its body weight (it's heavier from the blood it's just sucked out of you). Then the tick spits the spirochetes into you. If the tick has been there a while (more than a day), you might get Lyme disease.

 

====================

 

2. 60 sec. - Tick Check Rap (Puppets: Dr. Ticked-Off and Major Tick-Check do an amusing musical rap)

 

Verse: If you're near the woods, hanging around the trees, you might forget about Lyme Disease.

That tick may get ya and it's hard to find, so protect yourself and keep this in mind . . .

 

Chorus: Do a Tick Check. What'd ya say?

DO A TICK CHECK! Oh! H-H-Ha!

 

Verse: If you cover yourself from head to toe, you've stopped that tick, s/he's got nowhere to go.

If you spray yourself, that's your best bet, and when you go inside just don't forget . . .

 

Chorus: Do a Tick Check! What?

Do a Tick Check! Do a ticky ticky ticky ta-tick ta-tick ta-tick check! TICK CHECK! Now, that's Funk!

 

Verse: If it bites you man, you might get sick, so one good check should do the trick.

It might be cute & it might be small, but that tick can hurt you, so I'm telling you all!

 

Chorus: Do a Tick Check! Do Tick Check!

Do a Tick Check! Do a ticky ticky ticky ta-tick ta-tick ta-tick check! TICK CHECK!

Word to your mother, ... and your father ... word!

Edited May 11, 2006 by BlueDeuce

[+clearpath]

A number of geocachers have contracted Lyme disease over the last several years including myself. Curious if anyone has gotten Lyme more than once ...

[+karrooite]

Last night I pulled eight female American dog ticks off my legs after walking through a couple hundred feet of knee high grass in shorts.

Okay, I'll bite ... how do you know they are female?

There are many reference sources. As an example, the Department of Entomology of Cornell has information about Tick Biology for the Homeowner. Look about a quarter of the way down the page.

[+Miragee]

Lymnet has lots of interesting information about Lyme disease, ticks, and treatment regimens.

 

Untreated, or under-treated, Lyme disease can become a horrible chronic illness.

[bogleman]

Good to know I was not going crazy. I've always enjoyed the woods/grassy areas and up until this January I have never seen a tick. I went out in a known bad area one fine winter day (whopping 50 outside) and ended with six on me.

 

I've found many on me and one planted in an rather, well private area. My wife found one that I brought home, that little episode almost cost me my GPS.

 

No phobias BUT I HATE TICKS, wanna see a 6'2" grown man swqirm, tell him he has a tick on his neck.

[+Team_Talisman]

I live in the colorado Rockies and the ticks here dont like me, must be the menthol cigarettes I smoke...

 

Only two ticks embedded in my legs in 57 years....

[bogleman]

How is it in Erie PA? I used to live there (well Millcreek and Girard) for 11 years. I miss it up there. [sorry for being off topic]

 

Things are going great, the ticks are really busy this year. Found several in Millcreek nothing in Girard yet.

[+1stimestar]

Ahhhh another wonderful thing about Alaska, NO ticks, nor fleas either for that matter. Of course, our mosquitos kind of make up for it.

[+TeamGuisinger]

I'm right there with ya! I woke up one night last week and had something pinched between my fingers. Like it had been crawling somewhere and I grabbed it in my sleep. I was disoriented and trying to figure out what it was. I sat it in the palm of my other hand so I could get a better feel....it RAN UP MY ARM! I jumped up turned the light on and started searching. Sure enough it was a tick! (feeling bugs crawling on me just thinking about it)

 

We're in Ohio and have noticed an increased number of ticks. Thank God our dog is see through when wet b/c she always ends up covered. We've pulled no less than 9 ticks off of her each time we've had her out. One even crawled out of the book I was reading the other day. I think it must have been living in there since we were out last weekend. (yes I take a book for when Mr. G wants to go exploring in places the kids can't go, I sit and read while they play around)

 

Everyone please be sure to check yourself, your kids and especially your animals. Frontline will eventually kill them, but it does not repel them. Smaller kids you can check those intimate areas, teach your older kids what those intimate areas are that they need to check. Our kids thought we just didn't want bugs on them until we stressed how important it is.

[+team moxiepup]

I've seen a couple of references on this thread, to people tossing ticks they've found on themselves out the car window. I hope these are ticks you've already killed, otherwise, you could be spreading ticks around to areas where they aren't prevalent.

I lived most of my life in western NY state, and we never had ticks there. I had always thought it was we were too far north. Imagine my surprise when I moved to Maine, and discovered it was a tick haven! With all the traveling people do, it would be easy to spread these little buggers further than they deserve!

 

Please be sure to dispose of all ticks properly.

(Maybe someone should market a "pocket" venus flytrap!)

[+CharlieP]

... Please be sure to dispose of all ticks properly.

(Maybe someone should market a "pocket" venus flytrap!)

 

The easiest way to kill the little blood suckers on the trail is to place it on a flat rock and then pound it to mush with another rock. This is also strangely gratifying. You can also crush them between your thumbnails, but this is not much fun.

[+carleenp]

... Please be sure to dispose of all ticks properly.

(Maybe someone should market a "pocket" venus flytrap!)

 

The easiest way to kill the little blood suckers on the trail is to place it on a flat rock and then pound it to mush with another rock. This is also strangely gratifying. You can also crush them between your thumbnails, but this is not much fun.

 

Ticks will sometimes explode when set on fire.....

[+qattales]

Ticks will sometimes explode when set on fire.....

 

hehe..yes they will. i want to make sure they are dead. i was in the same area i got them and tossing them. we have them up and down the valley and foothills. alas..no safe zone. even have found them in town in our alley before.

[+Team Dougherty]

I have a couple of these. http://www.tickedoff.com/ I keep them in the cars, pop-up and house. They are great for removing ticks. I do not rember where I bought them though. It was not from the above website. I am thinking a camping store though. They where much cheaper where I bought them though and they work great.

 

Paul

[+team moxiepup]

You can buy the "tickedoff" tool in many pet stores. We even put one in our Moxie's Dog Lover's cache as swag!

 

Ok... my next statements are probably gonna cause some reproof from some here. So be it

 

Tick burning is nasty! Not just because of the mess, but I think it's cruel! Yes, ticks are vile, disgusting and can carry disease, but they are still living beings just trying to get along in the world.

 

Imagine it from the tick's perspective. There you are... waiting... longing. You're a tick so you don't have the ability to think much on this, you only know that you are longing for something and you are hungry. Suddenly, that something appears. It is warm and smells good. Mecca has appeared before you so you latch on. Every instinct in your body tells you this is right, that this is good.

 

Do I think it's good? No! It's nasty! Do I kill ticks? Yes! As the intended prey item and protectress of four-legged prey item, it is my right. I do try to do it quickly and as humanely as possible. (A quick squish with a rock or lopping their heads off with a nail clipper).

 

~climbs off soapbox and covers ears while singing the "Meow-mix" song~

[+BlueDeuce]

lousy tick lover.

 

 

[2B Amazed]

If the Department of Entomology was to ever need a dynamic "tick per square mile" population count they could call on me...not a willing subject but no means! Put me smack dab in the middle and they will hone in on me like stink on dewdew.

 

I was out mushroom and wild asparagus hunting with two friends in SD, at the end of our hunt I came out with 13 ticks compared to 1 on each of them, garnering the coveted Tick Magnet Award for the 3rd straight year.

 

Being susceptible to tick bites, light skinned, fair-haired, I dress with a large brimmed hat, light-colored long sleeve shirt and pants. Being in love with the outdoors I will prevail... by adding duct tape to my arsenal along with a tick and flee collar... I might just stand a chance.

[+team moxiepup]

lousy tick lover.

 

 

 

Meow meow meow meow, Meow meow meow meow, Meow meow meow meow Meow meow meow meow....