Ticks and the countryside! :(

Narj · 1 Jul 2015 at 10:55

There doesn't seem to be enough awareness of this and I had no idea about it until I got ill, so thought I'd post a warning to those who may be considering heading to the countryside this summer.

Beware of long grass, especially where livestock are known to roam. There seems to have been an explosion in the tick population this year, with a lot of people I know having been bitten on the South Downs. While a picnic with the family might be nice, it'd be great if you can take precautions.

Excellent resources here if you find that you have been bitten and/or have a tick attached:

http://www.lymediseaseaction.org.uk/
http://www.bada-uk.org/

You can also get permethrin spray (read the label - lethal to cats!) to treat clothes/picnic blankets as well as using DEET spray to repel them.

Bit random I know but if this can save at least one person from becoming ill and feeling like I have been lately then it'll be worthwhile! Not a lot of Doctors are familiar with it either.

Avril Lavigne has suffered too it seems.

EDIT: Thanks, mods!

DBT85 · 1 Jul 2015 at 10:57

How do they handle Crysis?

RJC · 1 Jul 2015 at 10:58

I will put a note in to get this moved

doofer · 1 Jul 2015 at 11:01

Narj said:
with a lot of people I know having been bitten on the South Downs.

A particularly painful area to get bitten on.

Narj · 1 Jul 2015 at 11:02

doofer said:
A particularly painful area to get bitten on.

LOL!

If I wanted a parasite on the end of my knob I'd sign up for a sugar daddy site.

jsmoke · 1 Jul 2015 at 11:05

That would really bug me.

Mobius 1 · 1 Jul 2015 at 11:15

I'll be quite ticked off if I get bitten this year. Damn pests.

Captain Fizz · 1 Jul 2015 at 11:52

Obtain one of these:
http://www.tickcard.co.uk/

Get someone to check you down once you return from walk/camping.
Tie your trousers around your boots to prevent ingress.

Just a side effect from being outside.

Narj · 1 Jul 2015 at 11:59

Captain Fizz said:
Obtain one of these:
http://www.tickcard.co.uk/

Get someone to check you down once you return from walk/camping.
Tie your trousers around your boots to prevent ingress.

Just a side effect from being outside.

The O'Tom removers are good.

Funny thing is I'd never been bitten before and I spend a fair bit of time in the countryside due to my hobbies. They seem to be much more prolific this year, probably due to the mild winter and wet/warm conditions we had.

I've treated my gear with permethrin which will deter/kill the things. I was crawling about under my sail which is probably how they got on to my scalp.

Dis86 · 1 Jul 2015 at 12:08

I've been bitten three times. Removed them nice and easily with no ill effects.

Kosmiche · 1 Jul 2015 at 12:16

Johno please? · 1 Jul 2015 at 12:19

10yrs ago I was an ignorant twonk, went camping in savernake... got drunk, crawled through bushes etc.

11 ticks.... whoops.

Luckily picked them all off with no problems, but yea, lesson learnt.

neil_g · 1 Jul 2015 at 12:25

Narj said:
You can also get permethrin spray to treat clothes/picnic blankets as well as using DEET spray to repel them.

if you have cats DO NOT use permethrin on anything that they could come in to contact with. it is extremely lethal to them (same reason you should not use dog flea/tick treatment on cats).

Narj · 1 Jul 2015 at 12:28

neil_g said:
if you have cats DO NOT use permethrin on anything that they could come in to contact with. it is extremely lethal to them (same reason you should not use dog flea/tick treatment on cats).

No pets here (did read the label) but good point!

IIRC there were reviews on Amazon saying people had managed to kill their cat. Oops.

wozzizname · 1 Jul 2015 at 12:29

My GF is a keen naturalist (NOT naturist..), so is always getting them - she had 15 yesterday ! Luckily she knows how to deal with them, but it does worry me that one day she's getting to get ill.

DXP55 · 1 Jul 2015 at 12:38

When we were kids we burnt them off with a match or rich kids used a lighter - also ciggy does it as well - Mind we were hard in those days.

Dave

Mobius 1 · 1 Jul 2015 at 12:40

Doesn't the heat of a lit cigarette end make them drop off in fear of being burnt alive? Or is this an urban myth?

Narj · 1 Jul 2015 at 12:42

Tauren said:
Doesn't the heat of a lit cigarette end make them drop off in fear of being burnt alive? Or is this an urban myth?

It can agitate them and make them regurgitate the contents of their stomach into your bloodstream. Just like sticking vaseline on them can. Don't do it!

Mobius 1 · 1 Jul 2015 at 12:45

Grim...

What purpose do these creatures actually serve? Can we not just wipe them all out with a man made virus?

beamer · 1 Jul 2015 at 12:48

What does a tick bite feel like ... would you definitely know you have been biten ?

I suspect I may have been bitten judging by the bite mark left behind but I definitely didn't feel anything bite me. Kind of worried I have now got Lyme's ... what the infection rate from a bite from a tick - we talking 100% you've got Lyme's now or you would need to be bitten by 1000s of different ticks before you realistically might have it ?