How to keep your paranoid wife.....

[+Damin69]

Ok how do you keep yourself free or close to free of wood ticks(ie deer ticks)? I am one that use to be a hunter so being the woods does not bother nor worry me in the least about such things. But she had lymes disease once now a simple walk .3 miles through an open field and she is all over me you were in a bad area I may have brought home a tick that is going to attack her. So basicly she wants me to stop Caching.

 

I just found this new great way of getting excersize and making it fun at the same time I am not going to give up doing it. I seriously need to loose weight and this is a great way.

 

Oh yeah I forgot to mention I really want to get my youngest who is really into pirates and such into some of these family friendly Caches but she refuses to let him anywhere near a woods.

 

So my question besides getting rid of the nag....... JK how do you keep free of normal woods hitch hikers??

 

Thanks,

Todd

Edited September 9, 2008 by Damin69

[+off-camber]

From the CDC

 

Protect Yourself from Tick Bites

 

* Know where to expect ticks. Ticks live in moist and humid environments, particularly in or near wooded or grassy areas. You may come into contact with ticks during outdoor activities around your home or when walking through vegetation such as leaf litter or shrubs. Always walk in the center of trails, in order to avoid ticks.

* Use a repellent with DEET (on skin or clothing) or permethrin (on clothing) and wear long sleeves, long pants and socks. Products containing permethrin can be used to treat boots, clothing and camping gear which can remain protective through several washings. Repellents containing 20% or more DEET (N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide) can be applied to the skin, and they can protect up to several hours. Always follow product instructions! Parents should apply this product to their children, avoiding the hands, eyes, and mouth.

* Wear light-colored clothing, which allows you to see ticks crawling on your clothing.

* Tuck your pant legs into your socks so that ticks cannot crawl up inside of your pant legs. Some ticks can crawl down into shoes and are small enough to crawl through most socks. When traveling in areas with lone star ticks (which are associated with Southern tick-associated rash illness, ehrlichiosis, and possibly Rocky Mountain spotted fever) you should examine your feet and ankles to ensure that ticks are not attached.

 

For detailed information about using DEET on children, see West Nile Virus: What You Need to Know about Mosquito Repellent. For detailed information about tick prevention and control, see Lyme Disease Prevention and Control. For detailed information geared to outdoor workers, see NIOSH Safety and Health Topic: Tick-borne Diseases.

Perform Daily Tick Checks

 

Check your body for ticks after being outdoors, even in your own yard. Conduct a body check upon return from potentially tick-infested areas by searching your entire body for ticks. Use a hand-held or full-length mirror to view all parts of your body and remove any tick you find. Check these parts of your body and your child's body for ticks:

 

* Under the arms

* In and around the ears

* Inside belly button

* Back of the knees

* Under the arms

* In and around the hair

* Between the legs

* Around the waist

 

Check your children for ticks, especially in the hair, when returning from potentially tick-infested areas. See the list above for the places on your child's body to check for ticks. Remove any tick you find on your child's body.

 

Check your clothing and pets for ticks. Ticks may be carried into the house on clothing and pets. Both should be examined carefully, and any ticks that are found should be removed. Placing clothes into a dryer on high heat effectively kills ticks. See the "Prevent ticks on animals" section of this page for more information.

What to Do If You Are Bitten by a Tick

 

Remove an attached tick as soon as you notice it. Watch for signs of illness such as rash or fever, and see a health care provider if these develop. For fully detailed information about tick removal, see the Rocky Mountain spotted fever Web site.

 

Your risk of acquiring a tick-borne illness depends on many factors, including where you live, what type of tick bit you, and how long the tick was attached. If you become ill after a tick bite, see a health care provider.

[+off-camber]

Honestly though you are probably in more danger while driving your car to a cache location than you are likley to get a serious disease from a tick. Does your wife drive?

 

Good Luck..

[+SimbaJamey]

I never used to care either...But one of my caching friends got Lyme this year and I found a tick on one of my cats after I got home from a caching adventure (they are indoor cats, the tick was spotted crawling on the cat while the cat was sitting on my lap)

So I started spraying my clothes with the premetherin stuff.

That way, even if I bring them home...they are dead or about to die.

It's worked well, I haven't found a single tick on me (or a cat) since I started using it (And I had several earlier this summer, including one that was dug in for a day or two before I found it and I ended up with a funky rash at the point of attack).

[+Damin69]

Yes she drives, I really was hopeing she would take a likeing to this also and start joining me in the advetures. but so far just my 14 year old is hooked as I am.

[+BlueDeuce]

Read these articles.

 

http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2001/010905.htm

 

http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/article/6270

[Skippermark]

We are not fans of DEET or any products with DEET in it because I always wonder how safe something can be that is known to dissolve synthetic fabrics like the covers of sleeping bags.

 

We use REPEL Lemon Eucalyptus bug spray, which is DEET free, but it also has certain precautions regarding age of children when being used, so you should read the directions if you want to try it.

 

We used to wear long pants tucked into our socks, shirts tucked into our pants and so on, but now we just go out and have a good time. Periodically, we'll stop and have tick inspection where we check each other for any critters.

 

Ticks need to be embedded for a certain amount of time before any disease can be transmitted, so even if one gets embedded, it doesn't mean you've been infected. A quick internet search can tell you the amount of time. I believe it's 24 hours, but I can't be sure.

 

When we get home for the day, we have another tick inspection, checking out our son all over, under his arms and in areas mentioned in the previous post.

 

In 8 years of being outside, he's only had 2 embedded, and they were caught the day we went outside. After removing them, we just watch carefully to see if any rash or symptoms develop.

 

One thing to be aware of is that ticks can be around year round. Not sure how your winters are in WI, but here in CT, we've had ticks get on our clothes when the temps are low, like around 15 degrees, so you should conduct tick inspections whenever you go out.

Edited September 9, 2008 by Skippermark

[+infiniteMPG]

Yes she drives, I really was hopeing she would take a likeing to this also and start joining me in the advetures. but so far just my 14 year old is hooked as I am.

My GF is totally freaked out the second lightning strikes anywhere within hearing distance. The first rumble of thunder and we're gone. I like to be safe but not too extreme about it. But I compromise and understand so I give in to keep it fun all the way around. I got my nephew in NC addicted and he was out of the house every second he had free. His wife and his young daughter didn't latch on like he did and it started causing family issues as he felt they were keeping him from his fun. It took some serious talks and compromises to get it in his head that family is first and geocaching isn't even close behind. Have some friends in the area who had newborns and have been out of the game for years but their kids are only young once and geocaching isn't going anywhere.

 

Best bet would be to maybe compromise by picking caching locations less tick-friendly, maybe a little more urban, and then slowly work your way into more rural caching. And protect yourself from ticks with all the preventative things you can do. Someone fearful of something, especially when they've experienced it first hand, can't be expected to just let it go. They're probably not "nagging", they're truly fearful of it. Time and understanding will get them past it quicker then getting upset at them.

[+Damin69]

Yes she drives, I really was hopeing she would take a likeing to this also and start joining me in the advetures. but so far just my 14 year old is hooked as I am.

My GF is totally freaked out the second lightning strikes anywhere within hearing distance. The first rumble of thunder and we're gone. I like to be safe but not too extreme about it. But I compromise and understand so I give in to keep it fun all the way around. I got my nephew in NC addicted and he was out of the house every second he had free. His wife and his young daughter didn't latch on like he did and it started causing family issues as he felt they were keeping him from his fun. It took some serious talks and compromises to get it in his head that family is first and geocaching isn't even close behind. Have some friends in the area who had newborns and have been out of the game for years but their kids are only young once and geocaching isn't going anywhere.

 

Best bet would be to maybe compromise by picking caching locations less tick-friendly, maybe a little more urban, and then slowly work your way into more rural caching. And protect yourself from ticks with all the preventative things you can do. Someone fearful of something, especially when they've experienced it first hand, can't be expected to just let it go. They're probably not "nagging", they're truly fearful of it. Time and understanding will get them past it quicker then getting upset at them.

I have been looking to find such caches. Unfortunally I do not live in a real urban area I am so Urban caches are hard to find unless I want to drive an hour or 2 away. I figured this last one I did would keep here from being so parinoid since it was basicly just crossing an open field but she even freeked on that one.

[+Proud Soccer Mom]

Okay, well, first of all, your wife has personal experience that has made her very cautious and it's understandable. It'll take more than a few facts to reconcile her concerns.

 

My recommendation is to keep talking to her about it, show her products that repel ticks in a casual no-pressure way (eg. "Hey, hon, look what I found at K-mart. It says it repels mosquitos, ticks...", etc), and keep caching the LPCs and other ones that don't require going off-path. If you've got the baby, do the LPCs.

 

The important thing is not to push the issue or she'll be even more resistent. You've got to make her feel comfortable, and this could take time.

 

- Elle

Edited September 9, 2008 by HauntHunters

[+Damin69]

Read these articles.

 

http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2001/010905.htm

 

http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/article/6270

 

Very cool thanks for the info. Will let her read. Not that I think it will do much good but worth a try. :-)

[+Damin69]

Okay, well, first of all, your wife has personal experience that has made her very cautious and it's understandable. It'll take more than a few facts to reconcile her concerns.

 

My recommendation is to keep talking to her about it, show her products that repel ticks in a casual no-pressure way (eg. "Hey, hon, look what I found at K-mart. It says it repels mosquitos, ticks...", etc), and keep caching the LPCs and other ones that don't require going off-path. If you've got the baby, do the LPCs.

 

The important thing is not to push the issue or she'll be even more resistent. You've got to make her feel comfortable, and this could take time.

 

- Elle

 

Thanks,

 

Oh I should have mentioned my youngest is 9 years old... :-)

 

Yes I want to get here comfortable with it. But I also dont what here freeking out every time I go caching either.

[+Proud Soccer Mom]

 

Thanks,

 

Oh I should have mentioned my youngest is 9 years old... :-)

 

Yes I want to get here comfortable with it. But I also dont what here freeking out every time I go caching either.

 

Oh, I understand that, but this is what you've got to deal with whether you like it or not. She's freaked out about ticks. So, you've got to take it a little bit slower than you would normally. Maybe involve her on figuring out some really creative urban-type hides (even if your area isn't really very urban... you can do something safe like that.)

 

Your other alternative is to act like an unfaithful husband: lying to her about where you are and what you're doing, and doing your best to remove all evidence before returning home. I'm pretty sure you don't want to live that way.

 

Good luck!

 

- Elle

[+Damin69]

 

Thanks,

 

Oh I should have mentioned my youngest is 9 years old... :-)

 

Yes I want to get here comfortable with it. But I also dont what here freeking out every time I go caching either.

 

Oh, I understand that, but this is what you've got to deal with whether you like it or not. She's freaked out about ticks. So, you've got to take it a little bit slower than you would normally. Maybe involve her on figuring out some really creative urban-type hides (even if your area isn't really very urban... you can do something safe like that.)

 

Your other alternative is to act like an unfaithful husband: lying to her about where you are and what you're doing, and doing your best to remove all evidence before returning home. I'm pretty sure you don't want to live that way.

 

Good luck!

 

- Elle

Oh no I wont lie to here about it. I will keep going little by little. I have not done that many so far. I do want to find sme more urban hunts to go on so as to maybe ease her into the idea and maybe help get her involved a bit.

 

Thanks alot, you all are great and thanks for the advise. I will see what I can do with it.

[+infiniteMPG]

I have been looking to find such caches. Unfortunally I do not live in a real urban area I am so Urban caches are hard to find unless I want to drive an hour or 2 away. I figured this last one I did would keep here from being so parinoid since it was basicly just crossing an open field but she even freeked on that one.

My nephew in NC also contracted Ehrlichiosis from a tick bite while geocaching and his wife was paranoid about him caching but handling it with care and understanding they got past it.

 

Another prevention is to wear hiking pants that are comfortable and have closures around the leg bottoms to tighten around your ankles to keep critters from invading. And having good socks and comfortable hiking shoes. Here's a suggestion, take your wife shopping for tick preventive gear to wear for her and the kids. Might get her excited to get into the wild and try it out and make her feel more safe. It's also a good bonding moment after hiking and before getting into the car, that ritual of checking each other from head to foot for ticks and spiders... probably more fun without the kids around

[+ncfinn]

Next time you go caching, tell your wife you are going to a fancy hotel to see your mistress.

 

NO - do not lie to your spouse.

 

After caching, strip naked in your yard and have your wife inspect every inch of your body.

[+9Key]

 

So my question besides getting rid of the nag.......

Thanks,

Todd

match.com

 

(kidding!)

[+fox-and-the-hound]

The worst part of Ticks is just not knowing if they're on you. So put her in control. Let her pick out a good repellent for you and your child that she can research the effectiveness on and feel better about. Ask her to help spray you before you go so she has a little peace of mind and don't forget to spray your hat and swag bag. (Of our tick encounters, the most problems I ever have are from dropping my bag in the grass/bushes when I go to sign in.) Give her a little control over the situation and she won't feel helpless about ticks invading her home or her loved ones

 

edit: 4 poor grammar

Edited September 9, 2008 by fox-and-the-hound

[+Proud Soccer Mom]

 

So my question besides getting rid of the nag.......

Thanks,

Todd

match.com

 

(kidding!)

 

Dr. Phil said it's okay to look!

 

 

- Elle

[+Damin69]

The worst part of Ticks is just not knowing if they're on you. So put her in control. Let her pick out a good repellent for you and your child that she can research the effectiveness on and feel better about. Ask her to help spray you before you go so she has a little peace of mind and don't forget to spray your hat and swag bag. (Of our tick encounters, the most problems I ever have are from dropping my bag in the grass/bushes when I go to sign in.) Give her a little control over the situation and she won't feel helpless about ticks invading her home or her loved ones

 

edit: 4 poor grammar

Thanks, I think this is a great Idea. This might actually help. :-)

 

IF not there is the above mentioned Match.com..... LOL ok ok JK...

Edited September 9, 2008 by Damin69

[+emmett]

Tuck your pant legs into your socks so that ticks cannot crawl up inside of your pant legs.

 

Sorry, have to disagree with this common suggestion.

 

Yes, if you wear shorts or loose pant legs, ticks will find your skin and there is a danger, but you will be checking your full body real carefully when you get home after any hike right? And so you should find that tick before it can do damage. This strategy gives you decent odds, but still carries risk.

 

By contrast, will you be stripping all your clothes and checking them completely after you leave the woods BEFORE you get into your car? Not likely. So then what happens to those ticks that crawled up your socks onto your tucked pants?

 

A tick that does not find your skin down low, will find your head eventually and it will be harder to notice then; or it will end up in your house or car, and eventually find someone at a later time when no one is even thinking about it; or maybe you will see it while you are hiking and take it off. I say this strategy gives you or a family member worse odds and more risk.

 

I have discovered several ticks on my body, embedded for some time, usually at least overnight. In each case, I had not been hiking in the woods the day before. So I assume these are most likely ticks I carried home on my clothes and never noticed or ticks that got in my car after a hike and later found me again.

 

.

[+infiniteMPG]

By contrast, will you be stripping all your clothes and checking them completely after you leave the woods BEFORE you get into your car? Not likely.

Well..... that depends on just how remote the location is where we've been hiking....

[+BuxCamper]

I had Lyme's Disease about 5 or 6 years ago before I took up caching. As best as I can figure I got it around my own house.

 

So I am concerned about it but I have to decide if I want to hide from all my fears and concerns or take proper precautions.

 

Last year I put up a short ham radio tower. I have never been comfortable with unenclosed heights (basically situations where there is nothing between me and falling). Planes & talls buildings don't bother me. I've pressed my nose up against a floor to ceiling window on the 23rd floor of a hotel and didn't feel an ounce of anxiety. Take that window away and I'd be as far as possible from the hole.

 

But climbing my tower and a friends has put me in the suck it up and get it done category. I've got a full safety harness on, fall arrest lanyard and another around the tower. At least one is connected at all times. The first few climbs were knee knockers esspecially when leaning back from the tower and letting go with only the lanyards holding you in place.

 

I've found I've built confidence in doing it and when I get down, want to do it again.

 

There are a million perils around you at any momment so you may have to convince her to suck it up and 'git 'er done then shower and scrub after the trek.

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

So my question besides getting rid of the nag...

Show her the stats on traffic fatalities on our nations roads, she'll see that ticks are the least of her worries!

 

If you have to worry, worry about what's real and likely! Your son is far safer in the woods than riding to school.

Edited September 10, 2008 by TheAlabamaRambler

[+Snoogans]

Ok how do you keep yourself free or close to free of wood ticks(ie deer ticks)? I am one that use to be a hunter so being the woods does not bother nor worry me in the least about such things. But she had lymes disease once now a simple walk .3 miles through an open field and she is all over me you were in a bad area I may have brought home a tick that is going to attack her. So basicly she wants me to stop Caching.

 

I just found this new great way of getting excersize and making it fun at the same time I am not going to give up doing it. I seriously need to loose weight and this is a great way.

 

Oh yeah I forgot to mention I really want to get my youngest who is really into pirates and such into some of these family friendly Caches but she refuses to let him anywhere near a woods.

 

So my question besides getting rid of the nag....... JK how do you keep free of normal woods hitch hikers??

 

Thanks,

Todd

 

Okay, if your wife reads the forums the first thing you need to do is put ME and my infamous sig line on your ignore list so my posts are blocked from her eyes.

 

[+kf4oox]

Their has been a few good replies to your question here. You are going to have to take it slow with her. Why not your having to go to an urban area cache their as part of your other plans. (with her) let her see the urban ones that you do not have to go to the woods. Get her involved in helping to keep you safe. With buying cloths and DEET (or other type product you want to use). Have her check you over. As the song says do a tick check. Talk easy with her do not push. You should know her and how to gently talk to her about this subject with out getting her upset.

 

Talk about the good stuff of caching. Family friendly, getting out of the house and loosing weight.

 

It is going to take her time (if ever) to get comfortable with you going out caching in the woods.

 

I hope this helps

 

kf4oox - Paul

[+Damin69]

Ok how do you keep yourself free or close to free of wood ticks(ie deer ticks)? I am one that use to be a hunter so being the woods does not bother nor worry me in the least about such things. But she had lymes disease once now a simple walk .3 miles through an open field and she is all over me you were in a bad area I may have brought home a tick that is going to attack her. So basicly she wants me to stop Caching.

 

I just found this new great way of getting excersize and making it fun at the same time I am not going to give up doing it. I seriously need to loose weight and this is a great way.

 

Oh yeah I forgot to mention I really want to get my youngest who is really into pirates and such into some of these family friendly Caches but she refuses to let him anywhere near a woods.

 

So my question besides getting rid of the nag....... JK how do you keep free of normal woods hitch hikers??

 

Thanks,

Todd

 

Okay, if your wife reads the forums the first thing you need to do is put ME and my infamous sig line on your ignore list so my posts are blocked from her eyes.

 

You a hoot!! that is to funny. No she doesnt read any of this yet. I have not been able to get her to even think about trying it she is to busy to do such things.

[+Damin69]

Their has been a few good replies to your question here. You are going to have to take it slow with her. Why not your having to go to an urban area cache their as part of your other plans. (with her) let her see the urban ones that you do not have to go to the woods. Get her involved in helping to keep you safe. With buying cloths and DEET (or other type product you want to use). Have her check you over. As the song says do a tick check. Talk easy with her do not push. You should know her and how to gently talk to her about this subject with out getting her upset.

 

Talk about the good stuff of caching. Family friendly, getting out of the house and loosing weight.

 

It is going to take her time (if ever) to get comfortable with you going out caching in the woods.

 

I hope this helps

 

kf4oox - Paul

Yes I will take it very slow with her. I am trying to find some urban caches that are not super far away from where we live. We are in an area that have very few big town/cities around. We are in SW Wisconsin along the Wisconsin River so it is a lot of wooded areas not much else. Lots of swampy areas also.

[+flask]

i've had infected tick bites.

i've been struck by lightning.

i have been run over.

 

i wasn't impressed.

 

i am in-de-freakin'-structible until the day my time comes and there's no point in worrying.

 

i do not wear insect repellent and i think nothing of applying lip balm while riding a bicycle at speeds in excess of 30 MPH. while turning left. in traffic.

 

i've only had lyme once, giardia once.

 

not impressed.

[+TotemLake]

I kind of sort of followed this thread. I've been caching for over 5 years now and my wife has been on a handful of those attempts. This past month, she has finally decided she wants to hike with me after observing my planning and preparation, seeing the pictures I take, and coming back home alive and ready to go for another.

 

Do what you enjoy. Encourage her to do the things she enjoys. Take her at her speed when, and only when she is ready. Sometimes, time, perseverance and the fact you really are interested in this sport will draw her in.

[+flask]

I kind of sort of followed this thread. I've been caching for over 5 years now and my wife has been on a handful of those attempts. This past month, she has finally decided she wants to hike with me after observing my planning and preparation, seeing the pictures I take, and coming back home alive and ready to go for another.

 

Do what you enjoy. Encourage her to do the things she enjoys. Take her at her speed when, and only when she is ready. Sometimes, time, perseverance and the fact you really are interested in this sport will draw her in.

 

that right there is probably just the thing.

[+Renegade Knight]

......... JK how do you keep free of normal woods hitch hikers??

 

Thanks,

Todd

Shower and tick check. Especially when I've been where there are ticks. My son balked once when I told him to go check and do a good job. 3 min later he was done. Next day we found a tick buried in his scalp. He became a believer.

 

Our dogs are harder to check. We have checked, pulled off a dozen loose ticks, then found 4 we missed a week later. It makes me feel guilty to miss them like that.

[Skippermark]

We have black lab. Very hard to find ticks on him because of his color and the wirey hair labs have, even when we feel him all over carefully. We now use Advantix which is great. Haven't seen a tick on him at all since starting to use it.

[+paleolith]

Lots of good suggestions here. Important to note that she is reacting to any outdoor activity, not just geoaching. This is seriously unhealthy. For a great many (perhaps the majority) of us, it's difficult or impossible to stay healthy with no outdoor activity.

 

I hope that some of the suggestions will work, that her anxiety will be diminished by greater knowledge and by the opportunity to take part in addressing the issue. However, if none of this works, then her state of mind has reached the point of phobia, and this usually requires the help of a professional counselor to resolve. Luckily phobias are some of the easier problems to resolve, but it's hard to do by oneself.

 

Lyme disease is bad news, but there are a multitude of ways to deal with it, most of them much healthier than avoiding the outdoors.

 

Edward

[+CatnipCats]

Permethrin on all outer clothing, shoes, socks (spray while not wearing, this stuff really stinks wet) and swag bag. DEET on skin. Advantix on dog. Works for me.