+Super_Nate Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 Everyone has their experience with ticks, for some they are an everyday sighting....for others they are one in a million....but chances are most if not all the cachers that read this have run into a tick at some point in their Geo-career This holds true especially in the summer months, but regardless what season in the year you find these caching curses, here is a creative way to kill it in a way that you are satisfied of it's fate.....that no decapitation will spring back to life and find another victim to bite onto. I discovered this over the summer, and thought I would share with the rest of you all. If you find a big juicy tick crawling on your stomach, take it off and run for all your worth to your front porch...grabbing a lighter along the way. Release the tick onto the porch and watch it walk around freely for a few seconds Once you feel that the tick has spoke its last words, then light the lighter onto the tick and watch its results. If you do it just right....the tick will quickly cease in his walking around, it will rapidly increase in size, and a full 5-10 seconds into the firing squad....the tick will POP, and EXPLODE and lie helpless on the cement. You can squash it at that time and be surprised on how the tick feels like paper that has just undergone a burning. With that treatment, chances are it is dead and the life history of the tick that once ate Geocachers is officially over. I started doing this over the summer when my dad tryed it for the heck of it. Everyone watching jumped when the explosion took place and I have been doing it ever since. The only time that I don't advocate treating the tick in such a warm way is when you are driving down the road and you feel the beast crawling on your stomach. It is in this situation that you use one hand to grab the tick, hold it firmly in your fingers, and throw it out the window. The wind currents behind your car will slam the tick onto the pavement in which the tick is stunned for a moment....then its fate is sealed when the 18-wheeler carrying tons of swine runs over it, smashing its tick guts all over the road. The bottom line that I leave to all of you when killing ticks is....THINK CREATIVELY! Quote Link to comment
+El Diablo Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 You might want to read my experience with ticks here...Not so bright. El Diablo Quote Link to comment
+DocDiTTo Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 (edited) Once you feel that the tick has spoke its last words, then light the lighter onto the tick and watch its results. Novice! No insect immolation is complete unless flammable liquids are involved. Edited August 31, 2006 by DocDiTTo Quote Link to comment
+team moxiepup Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 I don't believe in cruelty to any animal, even nasty, disgusting disease ridden ticks. As an intended meal of such creatures, I do hold it well within my rights to kill them, but I try to do it as quickly and humanely as possible, using nailclippers, or a nice fast squish with a rock. As far as throwing the ticks out the window of a moving vehicle... It is very unlikely that this will do more than stun the tick. Heck... it may even yell "wheeeeee!" during the flight! There is also the possibility that you may be spreading ticks from an area in which they are prevalent, to an area that, until you did a tick toss, had none. You might actually be helping to spread the little buggers around! Quote Link to comment
+Kryten Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 Incorrect removal of a tick can cause it to vomit the contents of it's stomach into your blood stream as it dies, possibly infecting you with Lymes disease, and you really really don't want Lymes disease. This can happen if you pull the tick off with your fingers, use tweezers, apply vaseline, or try to burn it off. You need to use a tool that is designed for the job, one which looks like a tiny claw hammer, and you can buy them from vetinarians and pet stores. Ticks vomit when they are being attacked, or very occasionally at the end of a feed, so if you find you have a tick, buy a removal tool or see a doctor. It may even be safer to let the tick feed (24 - 48 hours) after which it will drop off. A tick for a day is a lot better then Lymes disease. Quote Link to comment
+Jhwk Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 semi-sick which is why I use Chemicals to thwart the little buggers. and if you haven't experienced an invasion of chiggers, after only one encounter you will become convinced that nature sucks and all insects must die. Quote Link to comment
+Super_Nate Posted August 31, 2006 Author Share Posted August 31, 2006 Incorrect removal of a tick can cause it to vomit the contents of it's stomach into your blood stream as it dies, possibly infecting you with Lymes disease, and you really really don't want Lymes disease. This can happen if you pull the tick off with your fingers, use tweezers, apply vaseline, or try to burn it off. You need to use a tool that is designed for the job, one which looks like a tiny claw hammer, and you can buy them from vetinarians and pet stores. Ticks vomit when they are being attacked, or very occasionally at the end of a feed, so if you find you have a tick, buy a removal tool or see a doctor. It may even be safer to let the tick feed (24 - 48 hours) after which it will drop off. A tick for a day is a lot better then Lymes disease. Good point.....I wrote this granted the tick was not clamped onto your skin. I rarely get them to bite into me because I can detect them walking on me before the feast begins. If the tick is intact, you should remove them via the method suggested by the quoted passage before the fun begins. Quote Link to comment
+Super_Nate Posted August 31, 2006 Author Share Posted August 31, 2006 (edited) I don't believe in cruelty to any animal, even nasty, disgusting disease ridden ticks. As an intended meal of such creatures, I do hold it well within my rights to kill them, but I try to do it as quickly and humanely as possible, using nailclippers, or a nice fast squish with a rock. I have taken that into consideration, but due to the size of ticks....the moment the lighter hits their bodies they are dead. Edit to include that their is no suffering. Edited August 31, 2006 by Super_Nate Quote Link to comment
+Robespierre Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 I don't believe in cruelty to any animal, even nasty, disgusting disease ridden ticks. As an intended meal of such creatures, I do hold it well within my rights to kill them, but I try to do it as quickly and humanely as possible, using nailclippers, or a nice fast squish with a rock. As far as throwing the ticks out the window of a moving vehicle... It is very unlikely that this will do more than stun the tick. Heck... it may even yell "wheeeeee!" during the flight! There is also the possibility that you may be spreading ticks from an area in which they are prevalent, to an area that, until you did a tick toss, had none. You might actually be helping to spread the little buggers around! In this case, I can think of one Steak 'N' Shake parking lot that is hazardous to travelers. Quote Link to comment
+Belfrypotters Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 You might want to read my experience with ticks here...Not so bright. El Diablo When I read El Diablo's story I laughed so much the tears were flowing! This summer after spending the day in the bush my husband and I went to a restaurant for supper. While waiting for our meal my husband felt that tell-tale tickle on his neck, so he reached back and picked off the tick that was wandering around there. He put it on the table and squashed it with his finger. Of course you can't squash a tick with your finger, but he's stubborn, so he kept trying. Every time he lifted his finger the tick scuttled ever closer to the edge of the table. Finally it dropped off, onto his lap. He's wearing shorts, so "Uh oh!". He swung sideways so his legs and hips were outside our booth, and started rooting around under the leg of his shorts for the tick. At this point the waitress arrived and just stood there staring wordlessly at this crazy man with his hand up his shorts. I said "Don't ask", and she didn't; she just turned and walked away. Eventually he found the tick, and this time he flicked it across the room rather than trying to dispatch it. I'm not sure Miss Manners has much to say about proper etiquette with ticks in restaurants, but I'm pretty sure we broke some rules that day. Quote Link to comment
Dale_Lynn Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 Simple tick removal.... Coat tick with a few drops of liquid dish detergent and cover with cotton ball. As tick backs out of skin because of detergent burn it become entangled in cotton ball and you have one live but captive tick.... Dale Quote Link to comment
+Maingray Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 Still the best thing I have found, and use all the time. http://www.tickedoff.com/ Quote Link to comment
+sbell111 Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 I can almost guarantee that I won't have one of those in my pocket when I discover a tick on me. Quote Link to comment
+Maingray Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 I keep one in my lil' caching first aid pack. But right...the vast majority of our (embedded) tick removals are done at home during the routine tick check. Those things are so quick, and no forward motion to make the ticks extrude stomach contents. Quote Link to comment
+sbell111 Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 Actually, I was just making a comment regarding my poor memory. Not only would I forget to take it with me, but I would quickly lose it. Quote Link to comment
+Super_Nate Posted August 31, 2006 Author Share Posted August 31, 2006 While waiting for our meal my husband felt that tell-tale tickle on his neck That tickle is so familiar that just the hint of it I can guarantee that it is a tick before I even see it. See, I get a TON of ticks with every summer caching season and....ohhhh, here comes that tick tickle. Quote Link to comment
+Kryten Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 Simple tick removal.... Coat tick with a few drops of liquid dish detergent and cover with cotton ball. As tick backs out of skin because of detergent burn it become entangled in cotton ball and you have one live but captive tick.... Dale And a case of Lymes disease if it puked, use a tool. Quote Link to comment
+BillsBayou Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 If the tick has any sort of disease, I certainly don't want it exploding. Quote Link to comment
+sparqui66 Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 (edited) The stories are way too funny! Some of us just love to be cruel to those disgusting creatures. I know all life on the planet serves some purpose, but I fail to find a reason for the ticks existence. Anyway, the debate about tick vomit and removal got me thinking...I looked up the following sites to re-acquaint myself with tick removal procedures: CDC's info, for what it's worth Snopes, read down Today is the first time I had ever heard of tick vomit, but I now consider myself WARNED! Edited August 31, 2006 by sparqui66 Quote Link to comment
+Jhwk Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 The tell-tale "snap" sound nice... Quote Link to comment
+BillsBayou Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 Can I show the tick my Geocaching ID card? Maybe it'll realize that there's been some sort of mistake and leave me alone. Quote Link to comment
+sbell111 Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 ...Snopes, read down... tickling its underside Quote Link to comment
+BillsBayou Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 ...Snopes, read down... tickling its underside and blow in it's ear. softly... Quote Link to comment
+Super_Nate Posted August 31, 2006 Author Share Posted August 31, 2006 ...Snopes, read down... tickling its underside and blow in it's ear. softly... Quote Link to comment
+alexrudd Posted September 1, 2006 Share Posted September 1, 2006 The best treatment is prevention: although I regularly wear shorts and thus get more of the little devils, they're easy to spot and remove. Unfortunately I usually don't have a lighter with which to finish them off. Sounds fun. Quote Link to comment
Earleheart° Posted September 1, 2006 Share Posted September 1, 2006 The best treatment is prevention: although I regularly wear shorts and thus get more of the little devils, they're easy to spot and remove. Unfortunately I usually don't have a lighter with which to finish them off. Sounds fun. :DIjust pick them off and step on them. lol Quote Link to comment
+spooky j Posted September 1, 2006 Share Posted September 1, 2006 Sure cure for Tick removal. One drop will do it , Go to your friendly drug store and ask for "Clororoxylenol 5 %solution " . No POPing , no Fire hazzard , And no chasing tick . Spooky J. Quote Link to comment
+Maingray Posted September 1, 2006 Share Posted September 1, 2006 Sure cure for Tick removal. One drop will do it , Go to your friendly drug store and ask for "Clororoxylenol 5 %solution ..which is Dettol. Quote Link to comment
+Airmapper Posted September 1, 2006 Share Posted September 1, 2006 Nate, you forgot the best part when they make that high whistle and then POP! They will pop so hard sometimes they blow away. I use one of those grill lighters that throw out a 3-4 inch flame. Quote Link to comment
+Hula Bum Posted September 1, 2006 Share Posted September 1, 2006 Just a note-a tick at least the kind we have in the US must be attached for at LEAST 24 hours in order to transmit Lyme Disease, so PLEASE PLEASE don't leave it on so it will fall off on its own! A tick removal tool is absolutely the best way to go, but if you are camping and forgot to pack one don't wait til you get home to get him off! And thank you for the topic that is once again making my skin crawl. El Diablo your story had me laughing so hard I was crying. Quote Link to comment
AZcachemeister Posted September 1, 2006 Share Posted September 1, 2006 WD-40 It kills cockroaches...ticks have no chance. Quote Link to comment
+Airmapper Posted September 1, 2006 Share Posted September 1, 2006 WD-40 It kills cockroaches...ticks have no chance. Hey, WD-40 is flammable! Spray first, then torch it! (Can you tell I despise ticks ) Quote Link to comment
+OHMIKY Posted September 1, 2006 Share Posted September 1, 2006 That tickle is so familiar that just the hint of it I can guarantee that it is a tick before I even see it. See, I get a TON of ticks with every summer caching season and....ohhhh, here comes that tick tickle. why do you think it is called TICKle? Quote Link to comment
+Super_Nate Posted September 1, 2006 Author Share Posted September 1, 2006 Nate, you forgot the best part when they make that high whistle and then POP! They will pop so hard sometimes they blow away. I use one of those grill lighters that throw out a 3-4 inch flame. YES!!!!!!! Now you are THINKIN'!!!!! WA-HOOOOO! I think we should compile a bunch of ticks and make a loud whistle firecracker for July 4th! I would say New Years but ticks aren't as populous then as they are in the summer. All this tick prevention was not the original point of this topic.....the point was people's creative way of killing ticks. I don't know about these people who are humane to ticks....I HATE THEM! Quote Link to comment
+wimseyguy Posted September 1, 2006 Share Posted September 1, 2006 You might want to read my experience with ticks here...Not so bright. El Diablo Silly forkboy-the smoke is supposed to come out of the front of your head, not the rear! I carry one of the removal tools that maingray mentioned too. But thanks to regular and thorough applications of 99%DEET I have only had to use it once or twice since I got it. Good thing there are no lasting side effects to using that much DEET. I carry one of the removal tools that maingray mentioned too. But thanks to regular and thorough applications of 99%DEET I have only had to use it once or twice since I got it. Good thing there are no lasting side effects to using that much DEET. I carry one of the removal tools that maingray mentioned too. But thanks to regular and thorough applications of 99%DEET I have only had to use it once or twice since I got it. Good thing there are no lasting side effects to using that much DEET. I carry one of the removal tools that maingray mentioned too. But thanks to regular and thorough applications of 99%DEET I have only had to use it once or twice since I got it. Good thing there are no lasting side effects to using that much DEET. well there is that slight stuttering problem..... Quote Link to comment
Pinster56 Posted September 1, 2006 Share Posted September 1, 2006 Still the best thing I have found, and use all the time. http://www.tickedoff.com/ I doubt this gadget would work on the nymph deer ticks. One day I thought I had an itchy mosquito bite with a TINY black dot in the center. It was a deer tick. It is as small as the period at the end of this sentence. Could only tell it was a tick with a magnifying lens. Went for a swim in the ocean and it fell off. Quote Link to comment
+Jhwk Posted September 1, 2006 Share Posted September 1, 2006 Still the best thing I have found, and use all the time. http://www.tickedoff.com/ I doubt this gadget would work on the nymph deer ticks. One day I thought I had an itchy mosquito bite with a TINY black dot in the center. It was a deer tick. It is as small as the period at the end of this sentence. Could only tell it was a tick with a magnifying lens. Went for a swim in the ocean and it fell off. round here we call'em seed ticks - I hate them worse than a normal tick. Harder to see and feel until they latch on and chew for a while. BTW - Chloroxylenol is commonly used in antibacterial soaps such as Dettol; in agar patch studies, it has been found to kill a wide variety of microbes, including bacteria, fungi, and the superbug MRSA, within 15 seconds. Its antibacterial action is due to disruption of cell membrane potentials, blocking production of adenosine triphosphate (effectively starving the cells). [nice ] Chloroxylenol is not significantly toxic to humans and other mammals but is toxic to fish. It is a mild skin irritant and may trigger allergic reactions in some individuals. I prefer impaling them on a pin and then slowly roasting with a hot match. struggle, then pop. And infinitely more satisfying than flushing down the toilet. Quote Link to comment
+Maingray Posted September 1, 2006 Share Posted September 1, 2006 (edited) Still the best thing I have found, and use all the time. http://www.tickedoff.com/ I doubt this gadget would work on the nymph deer ticks. One day I thought I had an itchy mosquito bite with a TINY black dot in the center. It was a deer tick. It is as small as the period at the end of this sentence. Could only tell it was a tick with a magnifying lens. Went for a swim in the ocean and it fell off. Actually, it gets most of them. We've used a tool like this to remove tens of tick nymphs from my son on a couple of occasions. The notch on this tool is very small at the end. Some nymphs *are* too small, or inside to small a space to get the cup around.... so then you just use forceps (tweezers). Only prob with that tool is that it is expensive for single orders... other places eg vet supplies sell the same things for a lot cheaper. I think even usageocoins sells them. I remember our local geocaching org got together and did a bulk order a while ago. Edited September 1, 2006 by Maingray Quote Link to comment
+Jhwk Posted September 1, 2006 Share Posted September 1, 2006 is it just me or is this thing just a notched plas(tic) measuring spoon? Quote Link to comment
+Super_Nate Posted September 1, 2006 Author Share Posted September 1, 2006 is it just me or is this thing just a notched plas(tic) measuring spoon? No 'cuz tick is spelt with a "k" sucka That clock on the wall has a TICK tock Quote Link to comment
+gotterv Posted September 1, 2006 Share Posted September 1, 2006 You can find these tic removers at PetsMart and PetCo. Wal-Mart might even have them. Quote Link to comment
+Airmapper Posted September 1, 2006 Share Posted September 1, 2006 I've been considering adding this to my tick arsenal: Quote Link to comment
+Airmapper Posted September 1, 2006 Share Posted September 1, 2006 I also found something to wear while caching: Quote Link to comment
+ranger-rob Posted September 1, 2006 Share Posted September 1, 2006 I guess it's safe to assume (despite Matthau's warning) that waiting until winter after the first good hard frost to go into the woods isn't an option with this bunch. Quote Link to comment
+Sparrowhawk Posted September 1, 2006 Share Posted September 1, 2006 (edited) Question about ticks: If you had slippery skin from having put on a bunch of very oily suntan lotion or something like that, would that make you tick-proof? Edited September 1, 2006 by Sparrowhawk Quote Link to comment
+Jhwk Posted September 1, 2006 Share Posted September 1, 2006 Question about ticks: If you had slippery skin from having put on a bunch of very oily suntan lotion or something like that, would that make you tick-proof? no Quote Link to comment
+Team Snoopy Posted September 1, 2006 Share Posted September 1, 2006 I just heard that if you have a tick on you sprinkle garlic on it and it'll take off...which you can then torch it!! This same person also said if you eat alot of garlic, the ticks won't stick to you. I too love burning them! There is great satisifaction to really killing one after you have picked it off your body, or your childs! Quote Link to comment
+Super_Nate Posted September 1, 2006 Author Share Posted September 1, 2006 Question about ticks: If you had slippery skin from having put on a bunch of very oily suntan lotion or something like that, would that make you tick-proof? No, it doesn't matter what you wear on your body. You can wear 15 layers of clothes to try to make the ticks life harder to get to your skin.....and they will always find a way. When you have suntan lotion on, very little clothing is on your body so they just climb on up. I have found that COATING yourself with OFF, and then hiking in the thickest of woods won't keep them down much either. Quote Link to comment
+Super_Nate Posted September 1, 2006 Author Share Posted September 1, 2006 I've been considering adding this to my tick arsenal: I don't like that idea becuase then the ticks get blown away before you see them POP and WHISTLE! Quote Link to comment
+horsegeeks Posted September 2, 2006 Share Posted September 2, 2006 I guess it's safe to assume (despite Matthau's warning) that waiting until winter after the first good hard frost to go into the woods isn't an option with this bunch. That's correct Quote Link to comment
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