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Ticks in Southern Ontario


Tri_Again

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So just from that I've always tried to be careful in tall grasses. Does anyone have any links to "official information" on this subject?

 

How's this?

 

Ontario Ministry of Health - Ticks and Lyme Disease

 

Health Canada - Lyme Disease

 

Parks Canada - Lyme Disease (Avoiding)

 

Nova Scotia - Government Advisory

 

Centre for Disease Control - Lyme Disease

 

New York State Department of Health

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So just from that I've always tried to be careful in tall grasses. Does anyone have any links to "official information" on this subject?

 

How's this?

 

Ontario Ministry of Health - Ticks and Lyme Disease

 

Health Canada - Lyme Disease

 

Parks Canada - Lyme Disease (Avoiding)

 

Nova Scotia - Government Advisory

 

Centre for Disease Control - Lyme Disease

 

New York State Department of Health

 

You actually misunderstood me, I was talking specifically about Res2100's question, about what type of vegetation they live on, and how they get on people. There's a brochure in .pdf format on the NY State website, which gives the answer. Of course I don't know how to copy text from a .pdf. :D

 

It's at This webpage and it's under the heading "How can I protect against ticks and prevent lime disease". In a nutshell, they live at ground level, but climb up tall grasses and brush up to 18 to 24 inches. It claims they don't jump on people, and you have to have direct contact with the vegetation.

 

Nice work on the links, and nice to have them all in one post, thanks. :P

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You actually misunderstood me, I was talking specifically about Res2100's question, about what type of vegetation they live on, and how they get on people. There's a brochure in .pdf format on the NY State website, which gives the answer. Of course I don't know how to copy text from a .pdf. :D

 

It's at This webpage and it's under the heading "How can I protect against ticks and prevent lime disease". In a nutshell, they live at ground level, but climb up tall grasses and brush up to 18 to 24 inches. It claims they don't jump on people, and you have to have direct contact with the vegetation.

 

Nice work on the links, and nice to have them all in one post, thanks. :P

 

Gosh, its a good thing I never said "hitched a ride" or people would be commenting that ticks don't have thumbs!!

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We conducted an unplanned test yesterday in the Niagara section of the Bruce Trail on the use of permethrin as a tick repellant.

Two of us waded through a field of high weeds to get to a cache approx 200m away. The one with clothing that had been sprayed with permethrin did not pick up any ticks save one on a dangling towel that had not been sprayed while the other cacher who had not sprayed his clothing had gathered at least a dozen ticks while crossing the field.

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We conducted an unplanned test yesterday in the Niagara section of the Bruce Trail on the use of permethrin as a tick repellant.

Two of us waded through a field of high weeds to get to a cache approx 200m away. The one with clothing that had been sprayed with permethrin did not pick up any ticks save one on a dangling towel that had not been sprayed while the other cacher who had not sprayed his clothing had gathered at least a dozen ticks while crossing the field.

 

I may have missed it somewhere in this thread, but where is permethrin available in Canada without going to the on-line drug suppliers?

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I used a dog flea and tick spray that is available at most veterinary clinics or you could try a pet store. This is of course off-label use.

You could also try the following link for Uncle Sam's army navy outfitters with an associate store on Baldwin Street in Toronto. Don't know if they stock it.

http://www.armynavydeals.ca/asp/products.a...&offset=256

Otherwise online pharmacy or any outdoor sports store in the US.

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I used a dog flea and tick spray that is available at most veterinary clinics or you could try a pet store. This is of course off-label use.

You could also try the following link for Uncle Sam's army navy outfitters with an associate store on Baldwin Street in Toronto. Don't know if they stock it.

http://www.armynavydeals.ca/asp/products.a...&offset=256

Otherwise online pharmacy or any outdoor sports store in the US.

 

Got mine through REI in the US...

 

www.rei.com/product/768970

 

I had it on with the BT Bunch yesterday as well but was not around for the hike through the grasses. I'll try the experiment on our next outing and report back, but I'm sure the results will be as Ron mentioned for him.

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I used a dog flea and tick spray that is available at most veterinary clinics or you could try a pet store. This is of course off-label use.

You could also try the following link for Uncle Sam's army navy outfitters with an associate store on Baldwin Street in Toronto. Don't know if they stock it.

http://www.armynavydeals.ca/asp/products.a...&offset=256

Otherwise online pharmacy or any outdoor sports store in the US.

 

Got mine through REI in the US...

 

www.rei.com/product/768970

 

I had it on with the BT Bunch yesterday as well but was not around for the hike through the grasses. I'll try the experiment on our next outing and report back, but I'm sure the results will be as Ron mentioned for him.

 

I remember someone saying earlier in the thread it's toxic to cats? I guess I'll not be getting any, as I have a kitty cat. :laughing: I'm pretty much scared to death of caching in Haldimand and Norfolk Counties next weekend. :P

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I live in Haldimand county and my cat carried a tick in the house last week. I was shocked, I never expected to find ticks around my house! Now I have to do a tick check every time THEY step in the house too... I have 3 cats and they are in and out 24/7.

 

Also, I just checked Cabela's online, I order my hiking boots from them. They also carry permethrine.

 

And since I don't know how toxic it is to cats I probably won't be buying any myself.

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Just to further elaborate on the toxic affects of permethrin in cats it is usually when high concentrations are used on or around cats that causes the problem

 

For instance read the following Q & A

 

"Q. I'm getting ready to treat some travelling clothes with a permethrin-soak before a trip to Thailand. The packaging doesn't say anything about cautions around cats, but I'm wondering if I should keep the clothes out of the laundry basket so they don't lay on them.

 

Most permethrin soaks are 1% or less, which is well below where we'd expect to see a problem with cats. The signs we see are related to the really concentrated (45-65%) permethrins. Many dog and cat flea sprays have permethrin <1% and these are fine to use around cats.

 

Sharon Gwaltney-Brant DVM, PhD, DABVT, DABT

ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center

University of Illinois Allied Agency"

 

and

 

Do you find you have any incidence of toxicity using products with permethrin in lower concentrations eg <10%?

 

"The problems seen with cats stem from the concentrated spot ons of 45-65% - it seems. There are products that contain minimal amounts of permethrin that can be used safely around cats"

 

and finally

 

"In general, pyrethrins/pyrethroids have a relatively wide margin of safety in mammals. Products containing 1% or less pyrethroid/pyrethrin aren't going to be a problem for even cats--it's the concentrated products that cause the problems"

 

Hope this helps

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Just to further elaborate on the toxic affects of permethrin in cats it is usually when high concentrations are used on or around cats that causes the problem

 

For instance read the following Q & A

 

"Q. I'm getting ready to treat some travelling clothes with a permethrin-soak before a trip to Thailand. The packaging doesn't say anything about cautions around cats, but I'm wondering if I should keep the clothes out of the laundry basket so they don't lay on them.

 

Most permethrin soaks are 1% or less, which is well below where we'd expect to see a problem with cats. The signs we see are related to the really concentrated (45-65%) permethrins. Many dog and cat flea sprays have permethrin <1% and these are fine to use around cats.

 

Sharon Gwaltney-Brant DVM, PhD, DABVT, DABT

ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center

University of Illinois Allied Agency"

 

and

 

Do you find you have any incidence of toxicity using products with permethrin in lower concentrations eg <10%?

 

"The problems seen with cats stem from the concentrated spot ons of 45-65% - it seems. There are products that contain minimal amounts of permethrin that can be used safely around cats"

 

and finally

 

"In general, pyrethrins/pyrethroids have a relatively wide margin of safety in mammals. Products containing 1% or less pyrethroid/pyrethrin aren't going to be a problem for even cats--it's the concentrated products that cause the problems"

 

Hope this helps

 

Thank you! It's kinda late for me to mail order any though. I'll let y'all know if the Gander Mountain in suburban Buffalo carries the stuff, as most respondents are from Southern Ontario. And no, I'm not really scared to death of caching this weekend. :D

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I took Smudge to the vet for something unrelated and the doc asked me where Smudge and I usually go hiking.

It turns out there is a lyme disease vaccination for dogs.

Guess who got shot today.

Now I just have to do something for me, I have already had 4 or 5 tick bites this year.

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unfortunately, the canine vaccine for lyme disease is not particularly effective and can itself cause an untreatable form of lyme disease. i found a tick on bucky the geojack last year and after consulting my vet, started treating all three of the geojacks with revolution.

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I was at Hikers Haven in Oakville on Saturday asking about tick repellents. It is located at the QEW and Trafalgar. You can see it from the highway, next to No Frills and Home Depot. If anyone is interested they have a shipment of Permanone on order and expect it within the next couple of weeks.

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...

Guess who got shot today.

Now I just have to do something for me, I have already had 4 or 5 tick bites this year.

 

I often get eaten alive my mosquitos (must like pork, ya i get it, ha-ha), and we get yearly vaccinations for west-nile viruses for the horses (who have yet to contract west nile virus, so i guess its working)

 

Should i give myself a little booster of the stuff? :D Animal vaccines have less quality control then human vaccines obviously, but it still should work, just dead virus coat protiens right?

 

If you want quality, see a doctor... but if you are a cut-n-dry fella, Vets know there stuff too! hahaha

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I have some good news for a change. One of the bug sprays I used in the barn for years is actually listed as containing Permethirin. It's still available on the shelves.

 

Konk Residual Farm and Home contains .5% permethirin and lists on it's label":

 

Kills: Mosquitoes, House Flies, Stable Flies, Black Flies Flies, Gnats, Keds, Ants, Indian Meal Moth, Brown Dog Ticks, Carpet Beetles, Cluster Flies, Cockroaches, Earwigs, Silverfish, Sowbugs, and Spiders.

 

It is also listed as being safe to use in Animal quarters, Milk Rooms, Food Processing Plants, among the myriad of other safe listings.

I knew there was a reason I used to use it in the barn. ;)

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M3J here, reporting in from the west....yes, ticks are alive this way as well! We haven't seen any in Alberta but on the way out here, I picked one up in Wisconsin (felt it crawling up my leg before it latched on) that I think was just another dog tick.

 

In Manitoba, we went out caching and then after getting back in the truck, Joseph says from the backseat "what do ticks look like?" I turn around...."just like that". He found it crawling as well and luckily it hadn't latched on either as it appeared to be smaller, possibly a western black legged tick...the kind that carries lyme disease more often from what I read.

 

Then is Saskatchewan, I went through some tall grasses but looked down every 10 seconds or so and sure enough, saw one more on my sock.

 

Gotta love the rockies...worst thing is giant skitters!

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My daughter picked up a ""wood tick" (or so the doctor called it) this past weekend while we were in St. Catharines. We did do a little bushwacking to get to the proper coordinates. She found it on her head about 24 hours later. We sent her to the hospital to have it removed properly, since my husband and I had never removed one (properly) before.

 

I had tick, myself, last summer that I picked up (likely) at Bass Lake in Orillia while camping, which gave me some problems a few weeks later (I had a "ring" show up around it). My doctor treated me for Lyme just in case. He wasn't entirely sure that it was Lyme but since I had just pulled it off of me (not knowing what it was), and the fact that he couldn't explain the ring, he gave me the meds to be sure. Of which I was much relieved. However, my point with all of this is that ticks are definately present in Ontario so it's important to take whatever precautions to avoid a bite. At the same time, don't panic if you've been bitten, just be aware of what to look for. I'd recommend surfing the net to read up about them, but to be honest, it just got me all freaked out and paranoid waiting for any sign of symptoms. The best bet is to speak to your doctor about it. :ph34r:

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Sorry to invade Canada but here in SW Missouri we have thousMillgazillions of those pesky critters.

I have had thousands of bites,by seed ticks.

I have had the deer ticks as well as the others and them no see ums.

 

Main thing is:Learn how to remove them without leaving the head inside you.

Use tweezers and or fingers if you can and pull without stopping at a slow rate until the tick releases.

Make sure to check or have someone check and make sure there is no little black spot at the place where the head was at.

 

That is where the problem starts when it is not removed.

 

I have just tried a new one I learned and it worked on the last one I removed.

Take pure dish soap and completely cover the tick for a little while over a minute.

He will let go,they can not breathe and let go.

 

The second thing is always spray and powder down.

Permetherine(On clothing) and Deet (Me and clothing)work good for me as well as my secret powder.

I take 1 Part pharmacutical grade sulphur powder and 1 part Unscented Gold bond powder and make a mix and rub it on my lower extremities.

 

As long as I do not forget to do this I have no problems.

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I ordered Sawyer's Clothing Spray from REI in the states, 16 dollars for shipping and 15 dollars for a 24 ounce spray bottle .

It should do me at least for this year, the 6 ounce that compares with the one at Hikers Haven is 8 Dollars.

 

http://www.rei.com/search?query=permethrin

 

If you do have a tick bite, here is how to remove it.

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

Edited by Nozzletime
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In my case the tick was on the back of my left calf muscle. I didn't do a visual inspection right away as I didn't even think about it. I'm estimating it was on my leg for about 7-14 hours. Everything I've read so far tells me that it needs to be on for about 24 hours before there is any real danger (but don't quote me on that!!). Anyway, I actually thought that I was having a small muscle spasm. It felt like a pinch, nothing more. When I went to go to bed I took a look, and there it was.

 

I too heard that the only area that has ticks that we should be concerned about are along the north shore of lake Erie, of course about a month ago we did a trip along there and didn't know...fortunately it was uneventful.

 

I'm not trying to create any type of panic, just create a discussion chain where people can get informed so that their caching can be more enjoyable.

 

Tri_Again

 

You are right about the 24 hours. Lyme Disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever are the result of a bacterial infection from spirochetes injected by the tick as it leeches your blood. If you get them off in the the first twenty-four hours or so, there is almost never an issue, since they haven't had time to inject enough bacteria. If you have one attached longer than that, as I did, it's a good idea to have a propholactic round of antibiotics, just to make sure. The most common antibotic for this purpose is doxycycline. This is the generic, and its pretty cheap and effective. If you wait and develop symptoms - flu like, and bulls eye rash at point of attactment - get the antibiotics pronto!

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Well I've finally been ticked. I've found them in the past scampering across my skin and clothes but Sunday night after a day of caching along the Linc , Mud St. and Rymal Rd. in Hamilton I found one embedded on my leg. Scrambling around the house looking for tweezers proved unsuccessful so after realizing that all the walk-in clinics were closed I headed off to Emergency feeling like a fool.

After a somewhat lengthy wait a doctor came to see me. I am amazed that doctors who deal with all sorts of real emergencies can get the heeby jeebies over a tick. Even the woman at the initial check-in was panicking, telling me to make sure it didn't jump off! After the doctor removed the tick she called the lab to see if they could check it for Lyme disease. From behind the curtain I could hear the entire emergency room staff freaking over the little critter.

I was informed that Lyme disease has not been detected in the Hamilton area and that the tick was probably harmless. They will let me know if they find anything. Time to get the permethrin!!

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I got 2 bottles of Sawyer's Permethrin from Cabela's while I was in Indiana this past weekend. It cost $5.99 per bottle, 2 apps per bottle(soak the clothes - lasts 6 weeks per app)

 

I was wondering how long tick season lasts. I haven't seen a tick in a few weeks, although I know they are still out there. (I've been really lucky so far, being in tick infested Niagara region a lot, but only having ticks on my clothes and not my skin) I ust want to know if I should still treat my clothes now, if the season is almost over. I'd like to get the most out of the treatment I have, since it's not readily available around here.

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I got 2 bottles of Sawyer's Permethrin from Cabela's while I was in Indiana this past weekend. It cost $5.99 per bottle, 2 apps per bottle(soak the clothes - lasts 6 weeks per app)

 

I was wondering how long tick season lasts. I haven't seen a tick in a few weeks, although I know they are still out there. (I've been really lucky so far, being in tick infested Niagara region a lot, but only having ticks on my clothes and not my skin) I ust want to know if I should still treat my clothes now, if the season is almost over. I'd like to get the most out of the treatment I have, since it's not readily available around here.

 

Don't know about Niagara ... but last week I opened (flung away) a logbook that had a couple dozen of them waiting inside while visitng a cache in Cape Breton.

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I'm another one in the Hamilton area who has had a tick bite this year. I have never seen one in my 40+ years of life and now they are eveywhere.

 

I was down at the Waterfront Trail in Hamilton for a walk. I was wearing long pants, this was in May. I didn't feel a thing. Later that night, I noticed something on the back of my knee in the shower. GAG!! it moved!.

 

My dh came home from work around the same time and I had him remove it with tweezers. It looked like the tick in one of the previous posts. I didn't have the symptoms of Lyme's Disease however, it did swell up. I still have a red mark from the bit in May.

 

In June, I discovered what I thought was a growth on my dog. We laid him down and dug through his long fur. It was a HUGE dog tick. Again, dh pulled it out.

 

We live in an urban area. My dog hangs out for a few minutes at a time in our manicured back lawn. He doesn't like to be outside alone so he runs back in after his business. I walk him moslty on the sidewalks in our neighbourhood. I have no idea where this came from. He is mostly an indoor dog.

 

Be careful, there are so many reports of ticks this year and it will only be a short time before Lyme's Disease shows up. It is quite prevelent at Turkey Point.

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I first learned of ticks when I took a trip to the deep south to ask for a man's daughters hand in marriage..

 

(this isn't a joke, so don't wait for a punchline)

 

He told me, "would it really matter if I said no?", "no" i responded. "well then.." he said.

 

As i had 2 weeks off and that was the rather short exchange he had me clear out his "fishin pond" after the last hurricane. So wade i did into the chin deep bayou with an axe to clear out the trees.

 

The worst things I was worried about was the alligators, and the alligator snapping turtles, ticks came a distant third - but they got me all over.

 

Everynight after my first shower, and before my second, i had a good search over from the fiance for ticks. My now father in-law has a trick for dealing with them - take a cigarette and burn its butt - The tick will panic, release, and back out. After he has removed himself from you, squish him good.

 

Anyways, we took a few days coming back. When i got back to Ontario i found one last tick on me, he had hitched a ride.

 

I did squish him, but there might have been more.

 

So.. sorry for introducing an invasive species ... :D

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I first learned of ticks when I took a trip to the deep south to ask for a man's daughters hand in marriage..

...

Anyways, we took a few days coming back. When i got back to Ontario i found one last tick on me, he had hitched a ride.

 

I did squish him, but there might have been more.

 

So.. sorry for introducing an invasive species ... :laughing:

And that Purple Loosestrife you brought back to plant in your garden... also a bad idea.

 

dave

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Concerned about ticks that we found today on our two boys, I quickly searched the net to get as much info as I could and came across this blog.

 

We were caching in Halton Hills on The Great Esker Side Trail in the Silvercreek area. My youngest son asked us what type of bug it was; that he found on his pants as we were leaving parking... We pulled over to look for more and found ticks on the pants of our boys tucked under the zipper at the knee of their zip away pants, and when we got home we thouroughly inspected our clothing and found more.

 

We’re not sure if the boys picked them up in the cave at "light at the end of the tunnel" because my husband and I didn't go in and we didn't have any on us, but after reading a bit about ticks on line I read they crawl to the top of weeds and grasses waiting to hitch a ride... and they also need a host to survive. I’m not sure what to do with the now crushed ticks that I saved in a kleenex. I may take them to the health dept. to see if they can be tested for Lyme disease. Needless to say we'll be looking very closely for the next week or so, to see if any rashes and such appear.

 

Does anyone know if they are killed if they go through the washing machine?

Edited by Norton Clan
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I’m not sure what to do with the now crushed ticks that I saved in a kleenex. I may take them to the health dept. to see if they can be tested for Lyme disease. Needless to say we'll be looking very closely for the next week or so, to see if any rashes and such appear.

 

Does anyone know if they are killed if they go through the washing machine?

 

Most likely the ticks are just dog ticks which are not a carrier for Lyme disease. Deer ticks are this.

Before you do anything with the ticks in a kleenex image google "dog tick" and "deer tick" to identify which one you have positively.

 

As for the kleenexed ticks just toss them in a garbage. I don't think the Health Unit would test them.

I would imagine that a wash in the machine would kill them and are small enough that they would get "washed" through the drain holes in the barrel.

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While bloodhound training in Virginia, we used to find at least a half dozen ticks on the hound and as many on ourselves.

 

If you suspect you or your kids have been bitten, see a doctor. They will need to see the tick to identify it and test for Lyme's. If you don't have it, they may elect a course of antibiotics to be safe.

 

I have two bloodhound handler friends that have been infected with Lyme and it is no joke. In both cases, it ended their K9 careers.

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Last week I found a tick on my dog for the first time. She hadn't even left my backyard! Took her to the vet and was told that this area (Pickering/Ajax) has had an increase in ticks lately. We had been camping the week prior but there were no ticks on her when we returned. This one was in the middle of her back. It was dying because she's on Revolution but ARGH!

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I just plucked a tick off my puppy, most likely picked up in the Rouge. It's extremely small (actually, the puppy AND the tick), so mustn't have been there for long, which is why I can narrow down the possibilities. There's quite a bit of long grass as you approach TLI General McArthur, my strongest suspect thus far.

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If you have a phobia regarding ticks, don't go geocaching in Manitoba or in fact any state immediate to Manitoba, especially in the late spring and early summer. You will certainly pick up ticks if you are in the bush or long grass. My sister and her dog and I were geocaching in Oak Hammonk Marsh area in Manitoba. We managed to get near a nest of ticks. I think over the next days or so we picked off about a total of 150 ticks. Generally in the tick season we generally picked up 5-10 ticks each time we were out. We did a tick check every time we got back from geocaching. Ticks in Manitoba are basically Wood Ticks (or Dog Ticks as some people call them) Ticks in the late spring and early summer are a way of life in Manitoba, so they just live with it.

Edited by jleecollins
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I can agree with Jlee, We cache quite a bit in Minnesota, and the ticks in the spring, dive for your throat, nasty things. They do sell Permathane spray at Gander Mountain outdoor stores and there is also a soak version to soak your clothes then dry them, which will give you a few weeks of protection, depending on how often you wash your caching clothes. Pemathane and regular deep woods off are a good way to keep these crab like creatures off you. Deep woods off or other regular sprays alone are not sufficient. Permathane, Military grade is the only real defense.

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I live in North-Central Saskatchewan. Up until a few years ago I had never seen a tick but knew they were in the area. Due to their lifecycle, I generally avoid doing some of the things that I would normally do (like pick rocks for my garden, geocache, lie on the ground doing close-up photography) until late in July. Late May, June, and early July are when they are most prolific. I have to date only ever had them near, not on me. Hanging out in the grass and in low bushes is like stepping into their house, so checks after venturing back out should become part of your routine. I do believe (but have no hard evidence) that ticks, along with other creepies and crawlies (such as black widows, recluse spiders, and rattlesnakes to name some), are slowly but surely moving further north. We have had some major outbreaks of bedbugs recently as well.

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For those of you taking ticks to a doctor to get them identified, I'd suggest you instead have them examined by a trained arachnologist or entomologist (such as yours truly). Send me a PM and I'll give you my mailing address where I work and tell you how to prepare them for mailing (please don't tape them to a piece of paper). Either I or one of my colleagues will do our best to identify the specimen(s) for you free of charge.

 

The reason I'm suggesting this is to ensure accurate identification of the specimen. There is nothing worse than for us to hear someone tell us that their doctor told them they were bitten by a brown recluse spider - for which there has never been a verified occurrence here in Ontario (the black widow yes, the brown recluse no). BTW, even the black widow is very rare here in Ontario.

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Has anyone had any problems with ticks in Southern Ontario?

 

I didn't even know that they were much of an issue in this area until I was bit by one on Saturday.

 

I'm hoping to set this forum up to share information about them. I know very little, but I'm learning fast.

 

The Ontario Government is currently doing a study on ticks in this area. If you are bit, after removing the tick (please find instructions on how to properly remove a tick) put it in a container (old pill bottle for example) and take it to the public health office. I dropped my "friend" off this morning and should hear back in a couple of weeks.

 

I know that my girlfriend (keep_on_shinin') is very concerned about ticks now. I can't imagine it is a big issue, but I would like to know what others know. My guess is, if we take all the proper precautions the chances of contracting anything (like Lyme Disease) is slimmer than being in a car accident on the way to the cache...but I just don't know.

 

Please let me know what you know, or any recommended sites about ticks.

 

Thanks and cache on....I hope!!!

 

Tri_Again

I don't know how old this post is but, I can assure you - there are blacklegged ticks across Canada - not just in Southern Ontario. Cases of Lyme disease have been reported as far north as Thunderbay - subject did not travel outside area. The problem is that people do not realize the ticks carrying the disease are dispersed throughout Canada on migrating birds and songbirds. Visit www.lymeontario.org and read John Scott's research articles. Also visit www.canlyme.ca and educate yourself PLEASE! Other ticks, can transmit bacteria - so just because you don't think it's a "blacklegged tick" don't calm yourself that you didn't "catch anything"...watch yourself for symptoms and educate yourself on what other diseases can be transmitted. ALSO there are other scientific data on other vectors of Lyme disease (and co-infections) across the world - cases of biting flies transmitting, fleas....and it can be transmitted from an infected Mom to fetus...here's a link to my horror...http://lymetickingtimebomb.blogspot.com/2010/04/my-story.html - and demand from your Library a copy of the film "Under Our Skin" for community awareness http://www.underourskin.com/watch.html

and visit this site as well...here's what the US CDC is not telling you - http://www.ilads.org/...http://www.ilads.org/lyme_disease/treatment_guidelines_summary.html ....and Canada is following the US CDC guidelines for testing / reporting the disease. http://sites.google.com/site/lymediseasemapproject/home When your physician sends in a requisition for bloodwork - the Public Health Lab in Toronto is where it will go & they will do an ELISA first - always...MANY false negatives with this test. Your physician will get a pc of paper stating "non-reactive' and tell you, you don't have Lyme - when in fact you could! We need the Provincial Gov't to step in and change the regulations regarding the tests and have them use the Western blot with a clinical diagnosis. (The Wb is not perfect either - but, it is the better of the two tests)

Dr. Low - the Director of the P H Lab in TO ,Ontario said anyone can get a Wb their physician just has to CALL the Lab when filling out the requisition - make sure they do & have them do it in front of you.

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