Best Solution for ticks for spur of the moment caching

[+Celerystalker]

Hey all. I'm new to caching and already have a problem with ticks!

I'm in the Nashville area out in the woods, and ticks are pretty bad. I ended up with several the other day just for a park and grab.

What's the best spur of the moment repellant?

I'm used to Off deep woods for long hikes, but I was looking for something a little less smelly for those quick after work grabs.

Yes, I'll be in business clothes!

Any ideas?

[+J10fly]

I keep a small spray bottle of Ben's Max Formula in my truck. 98.11% deet! It keeps almost any critter off you including ticks.

[+sbell111]

Hey all. I'm new to caching and already have a problem with ticks!

I'm in the Nashville area out in the woods, and ticks are pretty bad. I ended up with several the other day just for a park and grab.

What's the best spur of the moment repellant?

I'm used to Off deep woods for long hikes, but I was looking for something a little less smelly for those quick after work grabs.

Yes, I'll be in business clothes!

Any ideas?

I definitely agree that ticks (and chiggers) are a real problem around here. My solution is that I simply avoid caches that would require a repellant if I don't want to deal with the downsides of repellants (like the smell and greasiness). Unfortunately, with a pregnant wife at home this basically means no woodsy caches for me until wintertime.

[+StarBrand]

You really just have to face facts - a good quality repellant is going to have an odor. Some try to cover it up with perfumes but in my experience - the repellant smell wins out after some period of time.

 

So I suggest you either get used to the smell, avoid woodsy caches, shower and chage afterwards or get bit.

[+Celerystalker]

Darn! I was hoping there was some secret chaching anti tick treatment!

[+wkmccall]

Darn! I was hoping there was some secret chaching anti tick treatment!

 

Here's a trick I learned a long time ago when I was surveying...

Pick up a small bottle of sulfur from the drugstore (last time I bought it, it was over the counter).

Mix a spoon full with about 6 to 8 oz of water and drink it - several times a day a couple days before going out into the woods. This will keep the redbugs and ticks off.

 

Ok,,, now for the downside...

Once you start taking the sulfur; you REALLY don't want to be around anyone when you start sweating..

Ever smelled Artisan well water?????? You'll smell like that for a few days after you stop taking the sulfur..

 

You'll have to decide which is more important; putting up with the smell (of any remedy) or putting up with the ticks and chiggers..

 

Also, the last time I used Avon's "Skin So Soft" in the military; I probably would have done better by smearing sugar water all over me...

[+Frank Broughton]

Also, the last time I used Avon's "Skin So Soft" in the military; I probably would have done better by smearing sugar water all over me...

 

I have the same impression of that product

[+Team-Bee]

I'm in the Nashville area, too, and just wanted to say that I feel for ya:) Ticks are insane, and the mozzies are really bad since we've had nothing but rain for over a week. (not complaining, we still need to make up for our recent droughts!) I've lived here 10 years and people tell me about "chiggers" and thankfully (knock on wood) I've never encountered them.

[+cerberus1]

CJ and I went to visit her Grandfather in TN a few years back and BOY were we tick covered !

Peskiest were those little "seed" ticks (actually little lone star) that we thought was dirt ALL OVER our ankles and feet, until we could see the "dirt" move.

We got hooked on Cave Rat caches !

Jeez I pity you guys. Every evil critter seems to live there.

 

Anyway, back to the question...

When I want to go into the wild in better-than work clothes, I wear a permethrin-soaked pair of knee-high nylon gaitors. So I'm covered from my boot top to my knees.

No smell and the ticks DIE on contact.

When you're done cachin', just take 'em off, pitch 'em in the trunk - no mess.

 

Cache safe.

[+Renegade Knight]

Darn! I was hoping there was some secret chaching anti tick treatment!

Not really.

Deet doesn't smell nearly as much as the crud they put into it to make it smell nice.

[+jbhodj & Drake]

If you dont want to mess with repellents, I suggest wearing light (white, off white ect colored clothing) long sleeved shirts, tucked in, with belt, button up the neck, wear a wide brim hat, tuck your pant legs into your boots and cinch up tight. your pants should be twill, khaki light colored as well. If you get ticks on you, they are easy to see wearing this type of clothing

[+wrkn2mch]

I keep a small spray bottle of Ben's Max Formula in my truck. 98.11% deet! It keeps almost any critter off you including ticks.

 

I just did alot of investigating on the product you recommended and have to say it has really great reviews..... I'm definately gonna get the 100 % / 1.25 oz spray and give it a try.one of the reviewers says to just give it one short spray on each knee/elbow/ankles and back of neck

thanks as i have really been picking up alot of ticks lately in PA.....

Joe

[+rabid-chihuahua]

I only use one pair of shoes to go caching with. I regularly spray the outsides down with DOG flea and tick spray. Only on the shoes, let them dry before you put them on. Don't get any on your skin. Most ticks crawl up from the ground, so unless I sit down or crawl around, I don't really get any.

[+im2cuteferu]

Most ticks crawl up from the ground, so unless I sit down or crawl around, I don't really get any.

I get ticks from brushing up against leaves, vines and branches.

[+Chrysalides]

Does anyone have experience with picaridin as a tick repellent? It's really effective against mosquitoes, and it doesn't damage plastic like DEET.

[knowschad]

Does anyone have experience with picaridin as a tick repellent? It's really effective against mosquitoes, and it doesn't damage plastic like DEET.

 

Thanks for mentioning picaridin. I wasn't aware of it until you said something. I'm seeing mixed reviews online, but I will give it a try. I generally skip repellents because of the smell and the feel (and the sense that I'm putting some pretty powerful chemicals on my skin)

 

Picaridin is said to repel ticks. from what I've been reading.

[Clan Riffster]

I would suggest you invest in a second pair of shoes and a floppy hat. The shoes should be at least ankle height and be easy to get on/off. Spray these down once a week or so with permanone. You can spray your socks as well, since permanone has little residual odor. As mentioned earlier, the majority of your tick encounters come from the ground. Once you get ready to hit the shrubbery, tuck your pants into your socks and don your caching shoes. If you have the funds, check out your local uniform supply store for a jump suit designed to go over your existing clothes. This can be sprayed down with permanone. Unlike Deet, which is a repelant, permanone is an insecticide. It can remain embedded in clothing for several washes. You should not spray this stuff on your skin.

[knowschad]

As mentioned earlier, the majority of your tick encounters come from the ground.

 

Not according to my information, at any rate.

 

Wikipedia says:

Ticks are blood-feeding parasites that are often found in tall grass and shrubs where they will wait to attach to a passing host.

 

And Illinois Dept of Public Health has this to say:

Ticks wait for host animals from the tips of grasses and shrubs (not from trees). When brushed by a moving animal or person, they quickly let go of the vegetation and climb onto the host. Ticks can only crawl; they cannot fly or jump. Ticks found on the scalp have usually crawled there from lower parts of the body. Some species of ticks will crawl several feet toward a host. Ticks can be active on winter days when the ground temperatures are about 45o Fahrenheit.

 

But regardless of where/how they get on us, I think we all agree that they suck (pun intended).

[Clan Riffster]

they suck.

[+BrrrMo]

While at a Family reunion on our farm and the ticks were thick so my Brother-in-Law conjured up an experiment. He wrapped duct tape around his ankles with the sticky side out and went for a 5 minute walk in the knee high grass.

 

When he came back there were over fifty ticks on each ankle. Off the wall but interesting.

Edited May 7, 2009 by BrrrMo

[+wimseyguy]

So the solution is to follow the guy wearing the inverse duct tape when walking through the thick grasses on the theory that he's clearing the trail for you?

 

I usually keep one of those pocket sized spray bottles in the side pocket of the car door so it's handy for spur of the moment caching.

[+Maingray]

Picardin is OK, but doesn't seem to last very long..need to re-apply a lot.

 

DEET is best. Or clothes soaked with permethrin.

 

I don't give a crap about ticks that much*, I check regularly to make sure none of them have attached for long. The things that bug me is when you get a swarm of the tick nymphs or chiggers. Like 100s of them all over your clothes and skin. Rather than that making me go home, i carry a small lint roller. Gets them off easily and quickly.

 

 

* Now I said that, this will be the year I get Lyme again =}

Edited May 7, 2009 by Maingray

[+Celerystalker]

I have a plan! Get some new sneakers, cover them with permanone. Buy some ben's max formula to keep in the car and carry duct tape so I can wrap my dog in it and send him ahead of me!

Just kidding about the duct tape dog part.

Seriously, though - my dog doesn't chew my shoes or anything, but is permanone and ben's max safe to use around him?

[knowschad]

I have a plan! Get some new sneakers, cover them with permanone. Buy some ben's max formula to keep in the car and carry duct tape so I can wrap my dog in it and send him ahead of me!

Just kidding about the duct tape dog part.

Seriously, though - my dog doesn't chew my shoes or anything, but is permanone and ben's max safe to use around him?

 

Permanone is Repel' trade-name for the chemical permethrin. The only reason I point that out is that you can learn a lot more about it by looking up the chemical name. To toxic humans or dogs, but very toxic to fish and cats.

 

Ben's Max is simply DEET, which has been around for many years. I don't know why theirs should be any better than any other DEET formula of the same strength.

[+wimseyguy]

very toxic to fish and cats.

 

Thanks for that-one of our cats loves to fish smelly stuff out of the laundry and roll around in it.

If I ever use the stuff I'll be sure to keep those clothes away from her.

She also insists on dragging my house shoes out into the living room. I've even put small 2# weights in them to try and slow her down, but it doesn't work.

[+wrkn2mch]

I am very interested in this subject as my wife has Lymes Disease and trying to make sure she doesn't get bit again or myself for that matter but i got an emai today that said this "Remedy for Tick Removel" Works ...... Has anyone tried this yet?_____

 

Email i received:

 

How To Remove a Tick

> Bet it would work on dogs too.

>

> Spring is here and the ticks will soon be showing in heads. Here is a

> good way to get them off you, your children, or your pets. Give it a

> try. Please forward to anyone with children... or hunters or dogs, or

> anyone who even steps outside in summer!! A School Nurse has written

> the info below -- good enough to share -- And it really works!!I had

> a pediatrician tell me what she believes is the best way to remove a

> tick. This is great, because it works in those places where it's some

> times difficult to get to with tweezers: between toes, in the middle

> of a head full of dark hair, etc. Apply a glob of liquid soap to a

> cotton ball. Cover the tick with the soap-soaked cotton ball and swab

> it for a few seconds (15-20), the tick will come out on its own and

> be stuck to the cotton ball when you lift it away. This technique has

> worked every time I've used it (and that was frequently), and it's

> much less traumatic for the patient and easier for me. Unless someone

> is allergic to soap, I can't see that this would be damaging in any

> way. I even had my doctor's wife call me for advice because she had

> one stuck to her back and she couldn't reach it with tweezers. She

> used this method and immediately called me back to say, "It worked!"

[+Dread_Pirate_Bruce]

I am very interested in this subject as my wife has Lymes Disease and trying to make sure she doesn't get bit again or myself for that matter but i got an emai today that said this "Remedy for Tick Removel" Works ...... Has anyone tried this yet?_____

 

Email i received:

 

How To Remove a Tick

> Bet it would work on dogs too.

>

> Spring is here and the ticks will soon be showing in heads. Here is a

> good way to get them off you, your children, or your pets. Give it a

> try. Please forward to anyone with children... or hunters or dogs, or

> anyone who even steps outside in summer!! A School Nurse has written

> the info below -- good enough to share -- And it really works!!I had

> a pediatrician tell me what she believes is the best way to remove a

> tick. This is great, because it works in those places where it's some

> times difficult to get to with tweezers: between toes, in the middle

> of a head full of dark hair, etc. Apply a glob of liquid soap to a

> cotton ball. Cover the tick with the soap-soaked cotton ball and swab

> it for a few seconds (15-20), the tick will come out on its own and

> be stuck to the cotton ball when you lift it away. This technique has

> worked every time I've used it (and that was frequently), and it's

> much less traumatic for the patient and easier for me. Unless someone

> is allergic to soap, I can't see that this would be damaging in any

> way. I even had my doctor's wife call me for advice because she had

> one stuck to her back and she couldn't reach it with tweezers. She

> used this method and immediately called me back to say, "It worked!"

 

Bad information. (See http://www.snopes.com/oldwives/tick.asp)

 

However, if you would like to help a relative of a deposed African dictator smuggle vast sums of money out of the country ...

[+wrkn2mch]

I already got the money for the deposed guy from Bum Truck Egypt and Bill Gates sent me $1200 for every person i forwarded the email to (LOL) so even with all this money and knowledge it buys i can't figure out what the link is you sent? (Server error with some story LOL)

Edited May 8, 2009 by wrkn2mch

[+Colonial Cats]

Ticks can be hard to kill. Be sure to do so. Below is one technique:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[+sduck]

Also in Nashville. Way too many ticks. I live in the woods, and you kind of get used to them eventually. I'm going to have to get some of that Ben's max. I've used Off and Cutters and various other things, most of them do some good but not enough. Got a case of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever last summer despite using sprays constantly.

 

Geowoodstock attendees take note - there are enough ticks to go around for all of you! Be prepared!

[+Wild Thing 73]

"7 Dust" in a sock with knot....then dust over your shoes, socks, and pants. I would not dust on skin. "7 dust" will sure kill those ticks, etc....Stay safe

[knowschad]

I am very interested in this subject as my wife has Lymes Disease and trying to make sure she doesn't get bit again or myself for that matter but i got an emai today that said this "Remedy for Tick Removel" Works ...... Has anyone tried this yet?_____

 

Email i received:

 

How To Remove a Tick

> Bet it would work on dogs too.

>

> Spring is here and the ticks will soon be showing in heads. Here is a

> good way to get them off you, your children, or your pets. Give it a

> try. Please forward to anyone with children... or hunters or dogs, or

> anyone who even steps outside in summer!! A School Nurse has written

> the info below -- good enough to share -- And it really works!!I had

> a pediatrician tell me what she believes is the best way to remove a

> tick. This is great, because it works in those places where it's some

> times difficult to get to with tweezers: between toes, in the middle

> of a head full of dark hair, etc. Apply a glob of liquid soap to a

> cotton ball. Cover the tick with the soap-soaked cotton ball and swab

> it for a few seconds (15-20), the tick will come out on its own and

> be stuck to the cotton ball when you lift it away. This technique has

> worked every time I've used it (and that was frequently), and it's

> much less traumatic for the patient and easier for me. Unless someone

> is allergic to soap, I can't see that this would be damaging in any

> way. I even had my doctor's wife call me for advice because she had

> one stuck to her back and she couldn't reach it with tweezers. She

> used this method and immediately called me back to say, "It worked!"

 

I don't even need to check Snopes for that one. It simply REEKS of Urban Legend!!

 

Please forward to anyone with children

And it really works!!

I had a pediatrician tell me

 

Those are some of the many "warning signs" that you should probably NOT forward it to anyone.

[knowschad]

 

Bad information. ( See http://www.snopes.com/oldwives/tick.asp )

 

 

Fixed link by moving the ")" out of the URL

[knowschad]

"7 Dust" in a sock with knot....then dust over your shoes, socks, and pants. I would not dust on skin. "7 dust" will sure kill those ticks, etc....Stay safe

 

I assume you mean "Sevin Dust", in which case, you had better take a look at this:

http://www.pesticideinfo.org/Detail_Produc...;DIST_NR=007401 Scroll down to the Toxicity section.

[+Virginia State Parks]

Wow. So much advice about ticks!

I throw in with the user who recommended Permanone...has worked well for me. But I will also give some advice that worked well for me when I worked a summer camp in a heavy tick area. Instead of following the conventional wisdom about long pants and shirts, wear shorts and carry a roll of masking tape. You can usually feel the ticks when wearing shorts and can easily "blot" them using a small piece of masking tape (fold it up and put it in your pocket for later disposal). This really works well when you find you have picked up a glob of seed ticks.

[+Celerystalker]

Ticks can be hard to kill. Be sure to do so. Below is one technique:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That looks like what I had to do in Lowe's the other day - picked up a "hitchhiker" on a cache, found him when I was in Lowe's - stuck him on the ground and stabbed him repeatedly with a screwdriver - no tape handy.

 

My mom wants to go to geowoodstock with me - just because it's in bell buckle. we'll see!

[+edscott]

Best Solution? I use rubbing alcohol. After a day of caching I sit done in front of the TV and pick the little guys off and drop them into a jar of alcohol. They swim for a few seconds then slowly sink to the bottom. When the sludge gets to be an inch or so thick I decant it and start over.

[+VirginiaGator]

I am very interested in this subject as my wife has Lymes Disease and trying to make sure she doesn't get bit again or myself for that matter but i got an emai today that said this "Remedy for Tick Removel" Works ...... Has anyone tried this yet?_____

 

Email i received:

 

How To Remove a Tick

> Bet it would work on dogs too.

>

> Spring is here and the ticks will soon be showing in heads. Here is a

> good way to get them off you, your children, or your pets. Give it a

> try. Please forward to anyone with children... or hunters or dogs, or

> anyone who even steps outside in summer!! A School Nurse has written

> the info below -- good enough to share -- And it really works!!I had

> a pediatrician tell me what she believes is the best way to remove a

> tick. This is great, because it works in those places where it's some

> times difficult to get to with tweezers: between toes, in the middle

> of a head full of dark hair, etc. Apply a glob of liquid soap to a

> cotton ball. Cover the tick with the soap-soaked cotton ball and swab

> it for a few seconds (15-20), the tick will come out on its own and

> be stuck to the cotton ball when you lift it away. This technique has

> worked every time I've used it (and that was frequently), and it's

> much less traumatic for the patient and easier for me. Unless someone

> is allergic to soap, I can't see that this would be damaging in any

> way. I even had my doctor's wife call me for advice because she had

> one stuck to her back and she couldn't reach it with tweezers. She

> used this method and immediately called me back to say, "It worked!"

 

I don't even need to check Snopes for that one. It simply REEKS of Urban Legend!!

 

Please forward to anyone with children

And it really works!!

I had a pediatrician tell me

 

Those are some of the many "warning signs" that you should probably NOT forward it to anyone.

When I once had a tick in a tough place and called the doctor's office, they said to put vaseline on it. It would back out on its own, but it would take quite a bit longer. I opted for going to an urgent care center since I couldn't get in the doc's office that day. Not only did they remove the tick, but they also gave me a booster tetanus shot! Now I know I'm still up to date on that one.

Edited May 10, 2009 by VirginiaGator

[Clan Riffster]

I just heard a tick removal method from a friend and Florida native, that I had not heard before.

He said to hold an ice cube to the tick and it will vacate the premises ASAP.

I'm planning a major bushwhack next Sunday, which I'm sure will include major tick encounters.

I'll let y'all know how well it works.

[+IBcrashen]

When I once had a tick in a tough place and called the doctor's office, they said to put vaseline on it.

See old wives tale link above.

 

I just heard a tick removal method from a friend and Florida native, that I had not heard before.

He said to hold an ice cube to the tick and it will vacate the premises ASAP.

I'm planning a major bushwhack next Sunday, which I'm sure will include major tick encounters.

I'll let y'all know how well it works.

Thats so you numb the area and you can then cut it out ASAP with little pain.

[+dlgps]

The wood ticks are out and about in Minnesota too. Last Saturday at Mille Lacs Kathio State Park we picked up two deer ticks and two wood ticks. Then, on Wednesday there is another wood tick crawling across my kitchen counter!

 

We have been lucky enough so far to find them before they have drilled into us. I have often wondered if you did have one stuck on you if you took a small vial of alcohol and held it against the skin with the tick in the alcohol if it would kill the tick and it would release its hold and not stay stuck in the skin. Would the alcohol also kill it fast enough that it wouldn't stress it too much so it didn't inject any additional fluids or spit into the blood stream? Any thoughts? Any guinea pigs?

[mojavedesertangel]

Getting a tick in the Mojave Desert has been a fairly rare experience for me. On the odd occasion that I do, I use tea tree oil in a small bottle. I invert the bottle over the tick and it backs itself out. The tea tree oil soothes the bite location as an added benefit. Now ants on the other hand are a real pain out here. A little "Off" seems to keep most of them at bay.

[+Mick-n-Nick]

This isn't a proven fact, but I bank on using perfume. Sounds stupid, I know...but the last 2 times my family has gone geocaching in Minnesota, all 3 guys have had to pick off a few of those boogers...I haven't had even one on me! I'm thinking they must not love the smell of Celine Dion's Sensational! But my dh does...so a double benefit

[+Mick-n-Nick]

This isn't a proven fact, but I bank on using perfume. Sounds stupid, I know...but the last 2 times my family has gone geocaching in Minnesota, all 3 guys have had to pick off a few of those boogers...I haven't had even one on me! I'm thinking they must not love the smell of Celine Dion's Sensational! But my dh does...so a double benefit

[+WRITE SHOP ROBERT]

Ticks can be hard to kill. Be sure to do so. Below is one technique:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That looks like what I had to do in Lowe's the other day - picked up a "hitchhiker" on a cache, found him when I was in Lowe's - stuck him on the ground and stabbed him repeatedly with a screwdriver - no tape handy.

 

My mom wants to go to geowoodstock with me - just because it's in bell buckle. we'll see!

There's no better satisfaction then to hear them crack when rolled between your thumbnails!!

[+briansnat]

This isn't a proven fact, but I bank on using perfume. Sounds stupid, I know...but the last 2 times my family has gone geocaching in Minnesota, all 3 guys have had to pick off a few of those boogers...I haven't had even one on me! I'm thinking they must not love the smell of Celine Dion's Sensational! But my dh does...so a double benefit

 

It could be you, not the perfume. Ticks generally avoid me. My wife and I can walk down the same trail and she'll be covered with ticks and I'll have none on me or one or two at the most. Even with all our precautions we'll have to pick embedded ticks of my wife several times a year. I've had three that I recall in my life.

Our daughter, forget it, she's a major tick magnet. I was hiking alongside her once and watched the ticks accumulate on her socks in a matter of minutes. I had none.

 

Picardin is OK, but doesn't seem to last very long..need to re-apply a lot.

 

That's been my experience. That and if you think DEET repellents smell bad, forget Picardin. That stuff is foul.

 

I think the best answers to the OP's question regarding spur of the moment measures came from Jbhodj & Drake and Edd Scott. Wear light colored clothing if you think there is a chance you may be caching, and tuck your pant legs into your socks when you are in the field. This also has the added benefit of keeping mud off your pant legs if you are heading back to work or on your way to a meeting. Add a full body tick check when you get home.

 

Overall though the best combination is light colored clothing sprayed with a permethrin based repellent and DEET on your skin.

 

Also, don't forget to coat your gear with permethrin. Last year I was doing trail work in a tick invested area.

I took all the above precautions, DEET on the skin and light colored clothing sprayed with permethrin. When I arrived home all the clothes went into the wash and I took a shower and checked for ticks. Nothing.

 

Later that evening I feel asleep while reading on the living room couch and woke up the next morning with a tick embedded in my chest. My guess is that he was hitchhiking on my day pack. When I arrived home I had thrown my pack on the couch. It appears that it got off the pack and made itself comfortable on the couch until a meal came along.

[John E Cache]

I'm used to Off deep woods for long hikes, but I was looking for something a little less smelly for those quick after work grabs.

Yes, I'll be in business clothes!

Any ideas?

In Boy Scout camp we wore leg gators to keep them from crawling up under our pants leg. I suppose for a quick cache find, you could just stuff your pants legs into your socks or slightly less geeky use rubber bands or the straps used to keep pants out of a bicycle chain.

[John E Cache]

Most ticks crawl up from the ground, so unless I sit down or crawl around, I don't really get any.

I get ticks from brushing up against leaves, vines and branches.

The ticks must be smarter where you live(or they can fly). Do they look up from the ground and say. "I think I will climb that tree to that branch that is sticking out."

[+Trucker Lee]

If the spray repellents not available, keep a plastic bottle of wettable dusting sulfur handy under the seat. Shake it on around clothing openings, cuffs etc.

[+edscott]

Most ticks crawl up from the ground, so unless I sit down or crawl around, I don't really get any.

I get ticks from brushing up against leaves, vines and branches.

The ticks must be smarter where you live(or they can fly). Do they look up from the ground and say. "I think I will climb that tree to that branch that is sticking out."

 

I doubt if they say anything but they do climb, most often tall grass or shrubs it seems, and then cling to whatever passes by.