Ticks!

[Vulgivagus hagiographus]

I hate ticks! I went out in the woods today and was covered in the little demons! Unfortuantely, I plan to spend alot of time out there in those woods this summer, and I was wondering if anyone here has solutions for making them not like you. I don't care how stinky it is! I just want them to stay off of me!

Thank you for all the helpful tips I'm sure you'll give me.

 

[JimmyT]

Sorry, don't know how to stop them going after you. I had one bury itself in my chest a few years ago. Trying to get it out was a funfilled experience!
You have to twist them a certain way or they leave part of their head under your skin.

James

 

[mathias1979]

I've heard if they burrow in, your supposed to soak the affected area in ice water (or an ice pack) to get them out. Anyone know if there is any truth to that?

-Matt

 

[JimmyT]

I've never heard it before. It might work. We tried many methods to get mine out...holding a flame over it (and thus very close to my skin! :o), covering it in scream to cut off its air, putting aftershave on it to sting it...but they didn't work!

James

 

[Vulgivagus hagiographus]

Oh, I've had much experience with ticks. They're just particularly bad this year because we had a mild winter.

I've heard that you can light a match then blow it out and put the hot end on the embedded tick which causes it to let go. The problem with this is sometimes it causes the tick to be sick with when it's still attached, which can cause obvious problems. (Sorry for being so gross, but they're gross little suckers ) I think the best thing you can do is just get tweezers and try your best to get it out. Eh, I hate ticks!

I've decided not to spend the summer with ticks, by the way. Just far too many of the nasty beasts for my taste.

 

[Evee]

I use skin so soft for mosquitos fleas and deer ticks put some behind you ears and around your hairline.
It really works for me.
Call your avon lady or find one in your area.

 

[Buttermilk]

You have to twist them a certain way or they leave part of their head under your skin.

James

What ever you do, DON'T TWIST IT you will break the body off and leave the head attached (implanted).

With tweezers grap the tick as near to your skin as you can and rock it backwards and forwards to try and loosen its grip, and then pull out.

 

[HiredGoon]

100% Deet

 

[Ave Maria]

Oooh, I hate ticks! I am highly allergic to them. I remember once when I was a kid I got by one tick and this one single tick caused my lymph nodes to swell up. Luckily, I was ok.

 

[born2run]

O.k...I got bit yesterday. I felt something on my side biting me, and reflexes kicked in I guess. I just pulled the little sucker off. Now this morning the bite site is inflamed, surrounded by a raised red ring. I'm assuming his head is still in there? What do I do now, short of going to the doctor?

 

[HiredGoon]

You should wash the bite with soap and water and apply an antiseptic cream. If you've already done that, the only thing left to do is go to a doctor. They'll probably have to do a blood test to check for disease. Ticks can transmit many diseases, not just Lyme Disease. One of the symptoms of disease is a bull's-eye rash, also fatigue, fever headache, joint and muscle pain. If it gets worse over the next few days, you should definitely go to a doctor.

 

[~WildRoseCowgirl~]

Me is lucky, no ticks up here!

 

[mibashful]

i can remember 3-4 yrs ago we had a bad summer with ticks my 2 dogs were coverd in them and they bought them in the house and i called my exterminator 3-4 x and finally i called the boss and he fixed our house and our yard and alley and i got the dogs in for flea and tick baths and the groomer had said the water was a tick grave like about 3x and i called my vet and he got my animals on tick meds immeadately and with in 2 weeks i could really see a diff in the house and they wee in bed with us to and my dogs slept in the shower so every morning i would have to sweep and pick up ticks and flush them down the toilet i must say i surely dont miss having them in the house or on my dogs any more. sincerly shelly

 

[grace-2]

ticks are really an aggravation. they are really bad on active older people because the skin is so much thinner than it used to be. my husband never had trouble with ticks. he works out in the weather and his skin was tough. now he can't walk 10 feet and he has to come in a strip and pull ticks off. they are really a pain. so, he has to be careful.

 

[hailstreak]

If I'm not mistaken, it takes 24-48 hours for a tick to transmit lyme disease (not all other diseases). As long as you check your body for ticks every day, you should be fine. Ticks have attached to me numerous times, and I have always removed them promptly with tweezers. My experience when hiking in tick-infested areas is that no type of bug spray is effective in keeping ticks off of you, but they might prevent them from attaching to you. The problem is that ticks can crawl around on you for a while, long after any tick spray lasts. The best spray is probably 100% Deet like another poster mentioned, but that stuff is too toxic for me to use regularly. One more thing, I don't think that wearing long pants helps that much. Ticks can easily find their way inside clothing. I'd rather just pull ticks off my legs when I see them.

God Bless,
Bud

 

[HunterJon]

The best solution I have found for ticks is to wear pants, not shorts, and to wear long sleeves if you can. I do a bit of groundhog hunting in the summer and my buddies and I have had few tick problems even when walking through tall grass, by just wearing long pants and sleeves.

 

[CPman2004]

I like to feed ticks to my carnivorous plants. Sweet justice

 

[JoshuaDaryl]

Oh, I've had much experience with ticks. They're just particularly bad this year because we had a mild winter.

I've heard that you can light a match then blow it out and put the hot end on the embedded tick which causes it to let go. The problem with this is sometimes it causes the tick to be sick with when it's still attached, which can cause obvious problems. (Sorry for being so gross, but they're gross little suckers ) I think the best thing you can do is just get tweezers and try your best to get it out. Eh, I hate ticks!

I've decided not to spend the summer with ticks, by the way. Just far too many of the nasty beasts for my taste.

totally correct, just pull em out with tweezers, steady even slow pull, they will let go

 

[JoshuaDaryl]

O.k...I got bit yesterday. I felt something on my side biting me, and reflexes kicked in I guess. I just pulled the little sucker off. Now this morning the bite site is inflamed, surrounded by a raised red ring. I'm assuming his head is still in there? What do I do now, short of going to the doctor?

tick bites will swell, this is normal

 

[JoshuaDaryl]

If I'm not mistaken, it takes 24-48 hours for a tick to transmit lyme disease (not all other diseases). As long as you check your body for ticks every day, you should be fine. Ticks have attached to me numerous times, and I have always removed them promptly with tweezers. My experience when hiking in tick-infested areas is that no type of bug spray is effective in keeping ticks off of you, but they might prevent them from attaching to you. The problem is that ticks can crawl around on you for a while, long after any tick spray lasts. The best spray is probably 100% Deet like another poster mentioned, but that stuff is too toxic for me to use regularly. One more thing, I don't think that wearing long pants helps that much. Ticks can easily find their way inside clothing. I'd rather just pull ticks off my legs when I see them.

God Bless,
Bud

100% Deet, dust socks and pants leg with sulfur powder.

wear long pants, with long socks, pull socks over pants, or wrap duct tape around pants to keep ticks from crawling up.

everyday after day is over, make it a routine to check for ticks....

just a Indiana farm boy who is used to living with the pesky rascals.....