WEBlue

We're in southern New England where deer ticks & Lyme disease are a huge problem. Almost everyone we speak to here has a story about their own bout of LD or that of someone among their family or friends.

The older stories are scarier, so I'd guess that in recent years people are more aware of the dangers & more vigilant about pets, children, walks in the woods, etc. Folk say that nowdays if you find a tick on you you pull it off, save it in a jar, & if you feel poorly after a few days you rush to the GP to get antibiotics & have the tick tested. Is that right?

We see deer every once in a while here, so they are around. And some people say due to last winter's milder temps & lack of serious snow, this summer's crop of deer ticks could be worse than in recent years.

Any thoughts? Or experiences? This is all new to us. Last time we lived in the US (in TX) we were just beginning to hear about LD, & it was far away . . . . LOL the big worry in TX in the 90s was killer African bees IIRC.

robin1234

We are a few hundred miles NW of you, and deer ticks are ubiquitous here. Lyme Disease has moved into our area in the last few years. My own experience is that ticks are REALLY bad in early spring. This year we got them back in March/April, my wife & I had dozens during that period (we had mild weather as early as March, so were doing a lot of garden & yard cleanup.) Once the weather warms up, very rarely see them... I haven't had one on me for six or more weeks.

If we have one on us that has bitten, we just pull it off and watch the area for a while to see if we get the "bulls eye" appearance. I just feel that I can't be going to the doctor's every time I get a tick.

Nutmegger

Exactly! Just pull them off, swab with alcohol and keep an eye out for the bull's eye. You can also save the tick and if there are any worries the dr. can look at it under a microscope and see if it is a carrier.

Ticks did start appearing on the dogs early this year because of the mild winter, so vigilance is important. Always check yourself over after having walked in the woods or worked in the garden. I've had Lyme a couple of times in the past -- when you've got it, you know!

cindyabs

Be CAREFUL removing ticks-if you just yank 'em off, they can leave their head behind, buried in the bite area............

Jerseygirl

I hate bugs...especially ones that bury themselves in your skin and suck your blood for hours on end.

I try to never walk on grass...not just because of ticks but because my legs usually get covered in but bites. I don't allow my dog on the grass...I have a small dog and she is only allowed on hard ground.

Bob

We've heard the same about the mild winter going to cause a lot more bugs this summer.

Definitely don't want to get anywhere near a moose, you'll write your car off if you hit one anyway, but if the damage doesn't, the ticks will.

If you're going for walks in the morning in the woods, you want socks on and pulled up dorkily tight and avoid anything that can snag branches and the like.

A mate got lyme disease a couple years ago, really knocked him on his arse for a good few weeks. Nothing life threatening, but just taking the energy out of him and killed the summer off really. Amusingly enough, he got the tick from a mates dog, from the garden, despite having gone hunting in the woods for deer and a fishing weekend and being fine the day before

Bob

how short are you?

Jerseygirl

joto

You can get a tick removal device in pet stores. It looks like a little red spoon with a V-shaped notch it it. It worked on our dogs, so it should work on people, although we did put Frontline on the dogs as well. Ticks can be really tiny and hard to spot. Sorry, no experience with Lyme disease.

robin1234

For some reason I have the knack of pulling them out intact with no problem.. even after they've been on a while. I always pull it out, go to the bathroom (the only room in our house with good lighting) and set the little critter down on a plain surface. I look at it through a magnifying glass, let it walk around a bit, then I know it came out intact. Then I swish the poor bugger down the sink..

Lion in Winter

Now there's a useful skill for the c.v.

Nutmegger

I just use tweezers, on me and the dogs. Seems to get everything out whole.

dinosaur

Had it about 3 or 4 times too over the past couple years...or rather I should say have found attached ticks that had been on me for more than 24 hours, so highly likely to have transmitted it. Know to go see the doctor when that happens - then get a 10-day course of antibiotics and am then fine.

Am normally reasonably vigilant, but inevitably there are times when I forget to tick check, especially early season when the tick nymphs are around.

Where we are doctors don't bother testing removed ticks because Lyme is so prevalent.

One of my daughters has had Lyme a couple of times when we missed the ticks - first time she was lethargic, second time we saw a bullseye. But again, an antibotic course took care of it.

Nutmegger

I would never take antibiotics "just in case" -- it really isn't a given that if you get a bite you will have Lyme.

Yorkieabroad

I like the logic! Gonna save a bundle on groceries....

"come on kids - dinners ready - pedigree chum all round!"