TICKS - Yuck!

[Charlie B53]

YUCK!!!!   I felt something on my arm a few minutes ago.  Sure enough, I found my first Tick of the year walking across it heading for my neck.   Ugh!

I absolutely HATE Ticks!   I fail to understand their purpose in life.   Sucking our blood.   It is not like they are helping us in some way.   And they can, and do, transport some terrible illness.   And mosquito's, that's another one of the useless creatures.  Blood suckers.

Leaches are blood suckers, but at least you can use them for fish bait!

So now that the weather is warming, we have to start looking out for these useless blood suckers again.    I need to hurry up and treat the dog and cat with repellent.  Hopefully the little critters will bail off them before they get carried here into the house.


Oh,  A Lady I know posted this picture on Facebook.  I thought I would re-post it here.   A Tick Warning.

[Michael Murphy]

This time of year if I am entering the woods or high grass I wear long sleeve shirt long pants and pull my socks over my pant bottoms, and sleeves over my gloves.  The only thing I worry about is the little bugger can jump.

[kristina]

This time of year if I am entering the woods or high grass I wear long sleeve shirt long pants and pull my socks over my pant bottoms, and sleeves over my gloves.  The only thing I worry about is the little bugger can jump.

... and ... not to forget the wide-brimmed hat ...

[kickingandscreaming]

The only thing I worry about is the little bugger can jump.

Ticks can't jump.  They can fall when brushed against.  But usually they are low to the ground. You might look into permethrin-soaked clothing.  Apparently they work quite well. You can make your own, or buy it pre-treated (http://www.insectshield.com).  They have them for pets too.

http://www.tickencounter.org/prevention/soak_method
http://www.tickencounter.org/prevention/treat_clothing

[Charlie B53]

Wow, great site of information.     I really like the effect of the soaked clothes once I overcame my initial suspicions of having that much chemical next to my skin.

I usually buy the Deep Woods Off.  It has a higher % of active chemical than the regular Off product.   I seldom use it, I get it for Wife and grown Son, the no-see-ums eat both of them alive.  I rarely get a bite.

The ticks usually come in on the dog from his fenced yard.   Right after this I will check out that section of Containment.  I am a bit miffed the Bayer site doesn't like my computer.  I was looking into the serent??  (forgot the rest of the name), it seems to be one of the better collars for dogs and cats.   I need to find those but the site won't respond to my zip code.  I tried using Firefox and Internet Explorer.  I should go back and try Chrome to see if that works.   I think my Laptop just has an attitude today, most days actually.

[kickingandscreaming]

You mean Seresto collar.  I use K9 Advantix on my dog and she never (knock on wood) gets ticks and I live in New England where ticks are endemic and abundant.  The collar is good, but if you sleep with your dog(s) you will also be sleeping with the collar.  The manufacturer of the clothing claims that it doesn't come off on your skin.

Deep Woods Off, if I'm not mistaken, contains DEET which is a neurotoxin.  I won't use that on my skin. There is something called Repel Lemon Eucalyptus that contains no DEET but is effective against ticks. http://www.repel.com/Products-and-Solutions/Natural-Insect-Repellent/Lemon-Eucalyptus.aspx

[Charlie B53]

I'm going to have to look up Eucalyptus to see if there are different strains.   I thought the lemon was lemon GRASS oil.   Tiki lamp oil uses a small percentage of that and a very small % of eucalyptus oil with a juge % of kerosene.   Just enough of the L and E to give an odor.

Many years ago I bought a pint of E oil to use in a vaporizer, it real helps to keep my sinuses open during the whole allergy season.   When really bad I ad anywhere from one to three drops to the water tank of my CPAP.   It works great.

I have thougoht about getting a gallon of L oil and making my own Tiki Lamp oil but quickly realized it wouldn't be worth it as the scent from the lamps is too far above us while sitting in the chairs on the porch.   The bucket candles are far cheaper to burn and have a much greater effect at table top, even better if sitting on the ground.   So for the Tiki lamps I use straight kerozene and if i wanted the wifty smoky rising all I need to do is add used vegetable oil to the kerosene to make it smoke.   I've trimmed the wicks down a LOT so the flame is much smaller and uses far less fuel.   With 6 lamps around and at least that many candles the area is well enough lit.   And that doesn't include the light from the small fire pit thing.

Too bad I have to come inside and hook up to my Cycler, I can't stay out there half the night.