Tick problem getting' more serious!

Quadman2

Lunatic Member
Man, the ticks are out this year. Because of the wet/cool weather we've been having?

Reading more and more bout people/animals running into this lyme disease carrying insect that isn't much bigger than a head of a pin, until they bloat up with blood.

Have already pick three off the dog, and we don't go into heavy bush/long grass areas. Even felt on and my head, but was able to get it our before it dug in! I believe they weren't of the dangerous type, but wifey was so freaked out with the one on my head, she flushed it before I could ID the little sucker.

Anyone else encounter this little lethal critter this year?

Q
 
Yup, about two weeks ago while getting ready for bed I found one embedded in my leg (left calf) so I got out the tweezers and dug it out. That was not pleasant. ;). Never had one or seen one before that day. I'm very careful now
 
so I got out the tweezers and dug it out. That was not pleasant.
Next time, put a little vicks vapo-rub on it. It'll let go and back out all on it's own pretty quickly. Here in the Northeast they are a way of life we're still adjusting to. Where we used to encounter individual ticks occasionally, it's not unusual to encounter them by the dozens now.

It's the Black Legged Tick that carries Lyme, usually picking it up from infected Deer Mice hence the slang name "Deer Tick".

They thrive in cooler, fairly miserable weather which enhances the contrast of their mostly IR vision. IOW, when it's easy for them to see you against the background surfaces and conditions. Here in my neck of the woods it's not unusual to find them on the surface of the melting snow in the spring.

Watch your bite areas for any signs of infection or rash, particularly a "bullseye" looking rash. When you know you've been bitten, learn and watch for any early onset Lyme symptoms. Lyme is new to the medical world in many areas and many cases still go un-detected, and this can have serious long term health implications.

If you've been bit and are the least bit suspicious of Lyme, get to your Dr and get tested.

FWIW, Lyme isn't the only disease the little parasites carry. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever doesn't sound like it'd be any more fun than Lyme.
 
I didn't really think or know much about ticks until I was bitten by one about 12 years ago while up along a deer trail in the foothills of sunny Southern California.
There's wasn't much info about tick bites back then except that if the ticks were removed within 36 hours and you didn't develop flu-like symptoms you were in the clear so I thought I was in the clear even with the erythema migrans on my inner thigh. Wrong!
A bullseye rash could develop however back then the rash was not considered the only non clinical diagnosis of Lyme Disease, as it is today.
 
tick_size_Western_Eastern_color-REV.jpg
 
Cat came in the other day (he has a collar).
Hung on my lap for a few minutes. Left a dog tick crawling on me.
Quickly removed and burned.
Jersey is notorious tick country. Monmouth county at least was, the Lyme capital of the NE
So many deer by me , no surprise so many ticks. You do need to be vigilant but it wouldn't keep me inside
 
Tick-Spoon.jpg


Very slight chance up here in Michigan. Looks like the northeast gets to have all the fun ...
 
The last time I went out looking for morel shrooms. I brought back more ticks than mushrooms.:biggrin:
 
Next time, put a little vicks vapo-rub on it. It'll let go and back out all on it's own pretty quickly. Here in the Northeast they are a way of life we're still adjusting to. Where we used to encounter individual ticks occasionally, it's not unusual to encounter them by the dozens now.

It's the Black Legged Tick that carries Lyme, usually picking it up from infected Deer Mice hence the slang name "Deer Tick".

They thrive in cooler, fairly miserable weather which enhances the contrast of their mostly IR vision. IOW, when it's easy for them to see you against the background surfaces and conditions. Here in my neck of the woods it's not unusual to find them on the surface of the melting snow in the spring.

Watch your bite areas for any signs of infection or rash, particularly a "bullseye" looking rash. When you know you've been bitten, learn and watch for any early onset Lyme symptoms. Lyme is new to the medical world in many areas and many cases still go un-detected, and this can have serious long term health implications.

If you've been bit and are the least bit suspicious of Lyme, get to your Dr and get tested.

FWIW, Lyme isn't the only disease the little parasites carry. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever doesn't sound like it'd be any more fun than Lyme.

I just read somewhere that it's really bad to put anything on them that irritates them. It caused them to basically regurgitate, making it much more likely to spread any disease they might be carrying. It's best to just grab them with tweezers and quickly pull them out.

I've found two on our cat so far. We used a fine toothed metal flea comb, which worked quite well.
 
Wifey picked up a little green plastic tick remover at the local pet shop. Thing kinda levers them out pronto. But ya still gotta check to see that you don't leave the head in the skin.

Got a spray now as well now that I hit the dog with that she made up.

Q
 
Lyme disease is some serious, crippling shit. Probably is under-reported. I've heard from different people there is no test for it. If the doc thinks you have it they give you some drugs and if it goes away you must of had it. Some cases get diagnosed as forms of arthritis.
https://www.lymediseaseassociation....rces/CDC_Reported_Cases/2015_case_numbers.pdf
The CDC numbers are horseshit and most doctors are uneducated.
I told my doctors about the EM rash I had and still won't test even though all my symptoms are indicative of Lyme.
**** em.
 
Lyme disease is no joke and it will ruin your life if you get sick, Mosquitos can also carry Lyme. I have been battling it for 5 years and had to walk away from a great 85K a year job 3 years ago. Do Not screw around with it. If you get bitten by a tick there are places where you can send it to and have it tested for free.
If you can catch it in the first 30 days or so is best, you might beat it with NO less than 30 days antibiotics. 3 months or more undiagnosed and you are in for some serious issues and you can kiss your life as you know it good by and enter the horrific daily nightmare of Lyme disease. If you are pregnant your child will be born with it and you can pass it on to your spouse. Lyme has utterly destroyed my mind, my life and everything I have worked for since I was 12 is slipping away right in front of my eyes.
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! Protect yourself and your families or you might just end up wishing you did.
 
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