teaching kids?

[+Luvmy4boyz]

Hi Everyone,

My family and I have recently gotten into geocaching and really enjoy it, especially the boys! Obviously, since many caches are hidden in the woods, my husband and I are concerned about poison ivy and ticks. My question to all of you is, do any of you know of a good website where I can get photos of poison ivy and ticks so we can teach our boys what to look for?? Any info would be appreciated, thanks!

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

Google search, or just about any search engine should give decent results.

 

The problem then, is that most all photo are going to be "idealized". Not all poison ivy looks like ivy, etc. A picture of a tick, usually makes it look pretty darn big. Those ticks you can recognize easily aren't the problem. Those larger, more noticeable ticks are wood ticks (have noticed some call them dog ticks). The deer tick is the worrysome thing, as it is the Lyme Disease carrier. A deer tick is exceedingly SMALL! When noticed, if at all, it resembles a speck of dirt!

 

Being in the woods isn't a problem, really, as far as ticks go. The problem is your approach to the woods. Ticks reside in tall grass, weeds and bushes. That is how they transfer to a host. They cannot jump nor can they fly. They actually are quite slow moving. If they waited for a host bumping into a tree, they would starve.

 

Other information, I am sure is available at your local health dept.

[Motorcycle_Mama]

This is the best site I've seen for Poison Ivy, Poison Oak, etc.

http://www.poison-ivy.org/

 

Here's another good site.

http://poisonivy.aesir.com/view

 

Here are some good tick sites.

http://www.ent.iastate.edu/imagegal/ticks/

http://www.lymenet.org/pictures.shtml

http://www.tickencounter.org/

[+brslk]

This is the best site I've seen for Poison Ivy, Poison Oak, etc.

http://www.poison-ivy.org/

 

Here's another good site.

http://poisonivy.aesir.com/view

 

Here are some good tick sites.

http://www.ent.iastate.edu/imagegal/ticks/

http://www.lymenet.org/pictures.shtml

http://www.tickencounter.org/

 

Excellent. I learned more there than I even wanted to! Thanks for the links.

[ao318]

The most important thing to do and remember is that, one of you will get poison oak or ivy and one of you will find a tick on you. No matter how careful I am in trying to avoid these things, I always seem to get a reaction to poison oak here in California and I always seem to find a tick or two crawling on me.

 

I always try to check myself as soon as I get out of the bushes. I have a Blonde Golden Retriever that no matter how careful I am with her gets ticks on her almost every time I go out on the narrow deer trails, if we stay on the wider trails she is ok.

 

Just make sure you use deet on your clothing and skin, wear light colored clothes, and if possible long sleeves and pants. I don't do the last because I hate pants, but I always check myself once I get to a clearing just as I check my dog.

 

Good luck.

Edited April 26, 2010 by ao318

[+Proud Soccer Mom]

Also keep some jewelweed oil or soap made with jewelweed oil at home. It will reduce itching from bug bites and allergic plants without applying synthetic chemicals.

[+dfx]

ticks are easily recognized. a small black thing on your skin that's flopping back and forth when you move your finger over it and won't come off when you pull at it, that's a tick.

[+narcissa]

Also keep some jewelweed oil or soap made with jewelweed oil at home. It will reduce itching from bug bites and allergic plants without applying synthetic chemicals.

 

Jewelweed vendors like to cite an old 1958 study that found jewelweed effective in treating poison ivy. What they don't tell you is that this study has been discredited by later studies. Don't waste your money on commercial jewelweed preparations, and don't waste your time finding it and picking it.

[+Proud Soccer Mom]

Also keep some jewelweed oil or soap made with jewelweed oil at home. It will reduce itching from bug bites and allergic plants without applying synthetic chemicals.

 

Jewelweed vendors like to cite an old 1958 study that found jewelweed effective in treating poison ivy. What they don't tell you is that this study has been discredited by later studies. Don't waste your money on commercial jewelweed preparations, and don't waste your time finding it and picking it.

 

What 1958 study? "Jewelweed vendors"? I know it works from putting it on my skin, putting it on my kids' skin, my husband using it, my friends using it, my in-laws using it. My step-daughter has sensitive skin with eczema so the jewelweed oil is the only thing that gives her relief without causing side effects. I guess it's because we all bought into that 1958 study that I never knew about.

Thank goodness the internet was here once again to tell me why I was thinking things and what to think instead. I can't argue with "later studies"!

[+Luvmy4boyz]

Thank you all so much for your responses. The list of websites one of you posted were all very very helpful, thanks again!!

[+Vater_Araignee]

Also keep some jewelweed oil or soap made with jewelweed oil at home. It will reduce itching from bug bites and allergic plants without applying synthetic chemicals.

 

Jewelweed vendors like to cite an old 1958 study that found jewelweed effective in treating poison ivy. What they don't tell you is that this study has been discredited by later studies. Don't waste your money on commercial jewelweed preparations, and don't waste your time finding it and picking it.

For real? Why does it work on my boy? It doesn't work on me, but when you don't have an allergic reaction something that helps relieve symptoms is going to work either.

My siblings all suffered bad till I told them how to build up a tolerance. Eat small quantities. Only one tried and he can follow me now with only minor reactions.

I only recommend it for adults and in excruciatingly small portions (1/16" X 1/16") and as your reactions reduce up the portions and or frequency of ingestion.

As with any homeopathic remedy consult a physician first.

[+GeoGeeBee]

 

As with any homeopathic remedy consult a physician first.

 

And if the physician is worth his salt, he'll tell you that homeopathic remedies are just water.

[+Proud Soccer Mom]

 

And if the physician is worth his salt interested in keeping his medical license because providing information about natural/alternative medicine violates those guidelines, he'll tell you that homeopathic remedies are just water.

 

Fixed it for ya.

 

And, seriously, as an herbalist I can tell you that there are some things that do not need a physician or mass-produced synthetic chemical full spray/ointment/lotion/drops/whathaveyou. If you have cancer, go to the doctor and let 'em do whatever they can do to kill the disease but a fire ant bite doesn't require an $8 product from Walgreens to relieve itching/pain and prevent infection.

 

Not all homeopathic remedies are worthless, not all modern medicine is necessary.

[+GeoGeeBee]

Not all homeopathic remedies are worthless, not all modern medicine is necessary.

 

I agree with everything after the comma. And in fact, I am a big fan of herbal remedies.

 

But homeopathy is ridiculous. Homeopathic remedies are prepared by serial dilution, often until none of the original substance remains.

 

In other words, homeopathic remedies are just water. They don't do anything beyond the placebo effect.

[Andronicus]

Not all homeopathic remedies are worthless, not all modern medicine is necessary.

 

I agree with everything after the comma. And in fact, I am a big fan of herbal remedies.

 

But homeopathy is ridiculous. Homeopathic remedies are prepared by serial dilution, often until none of the original substance remains.

 

In other words, homeopathic remedies are just water. They don't do anything beyond the placebo effect.

Correct!!!

 

A lot of people confuse homeopathic with naturalpathic. Very different, although often petteled by the same people.

[Motorcycle_Mama]

Folks, please stay on topic. The topic is "teaching kids about poison ivy and ticks and what to look for."

 

The pros and cons on homeopathic remedies belongs somewhere else. Please take it there. Thanks.