Ticks... Overreaction?

[208backcountry]

Permethrin and a healthy fear go a long way to make sure they don’t attach in the first place. Just do a thorough check, get them off with tweezers and you should be good.

 

[Jethro]

Got a new bottle of permethrin and sprayed pants, socks, and gators. Have done 3 hikes and didn’t have one tick crawling on me. Without the spray I was averaging about a dozen crawling on my pants every hike.

 

[Agross]

Never really had to deal with ticks. I have been back in the woods working on building and elevated deer blind the last few days. The kids were back there most of the day yesterday with me. I was outside today and hear the kids yelling and come into the house and my wife is in a panic. My 8 year old daughter had a tick embedded in her side. I got the tweezers and tried to pull it out without breaking it off. But it was really in there and ended up breaking. My wife freaking out made my daughter freak out. What a mess. She took her into ready care where they removed the rest of it and sent it in to get tested. Said they would have the results in 5 or 6 days. They then prescribe the appropriate antibiotic or do nothing if the test came back negative. I just don't like it cuz if it tests positive , then thats a week before starting antibiotics. I don't know shit about it but kind of has me worried.

 

[Mosby]

Ok. I haven't found anything that eliminates ticks and chigger bites in the Ozarks. I get bit no matter what I do but I have found ways to significantly reduce the number of bites and ticks I get at a time.

On top on spraying my myself and clothing I wash all my clothes, socks etc., in scent free detergent. Sweet smelling clothes seems to attract more bugs than women. I also use Dr. Bronner's peppermint soap during the tick season. Peppermint soap is supposed to repel insects. Fruity soap and shampoo seems to attract them

I also take vitamins with a healthy dose of vitamin B. Some say it is extremely effective to reduce insect bites.

All of the above is unscientific. It seems to work and I'll try just about anything. I don't really know how, why or to what extent but I just roll with it. YMMV.

When I do get bit, I have found Sarna Lotion from Walmart to be the most effective short term treatment for insect bites. I have tried just about everything on the Walmart shelf in the past and Sarna helps. Scalding hot showers are also extremely effective at providing relief if you have multiple bites. A shower with a wand is nirvana when you walked into a chigger nest. My system tends to over react to bug bites so occasionally I resort to an antihistamine, when all else fails.

 

[Bnc04]

I discovered permethrin after a turkey hunting trip to Nebraska several years ago. We were covered in ticks after each hunt and ended up bringing them into the camper on our clothes and packs. We could see them crawling on the walls of the blind as we hunted.
Now each season, I spray the blind, chairs, backpacks and any clothing I plan on using liberally with the stuff and have had zero ticks in the last 3 years of hunting. It really does work and it lasts a good while. Just follow the instructions. I've bought on Amazon and walmart often has it in stock as well . The aerosol version is great to take on the trip with you in case you forgot a piece of gear or change boots, hats etc while hunting.
Brett

 

[LostArra]

Tick prevention brings out some unusual methods. About 20 years ago, probably pre-permethrin, a surveyor was marking some property lines adjacent to our land. It was early summer and he and his partner were hiking in some really thick brush. They wore flea and tick dog collars around their ankles on the outside of their pants. They swore it worked great. I'm pretty sure that is off-label use.

 

[positivepete!]

I hate ticks. There is nothing that gives me the creeps more. I always buy the concentrate permethrin dilute it correctly and spray everything.

 

[MuleDeerMike]

if you have lone star ticks, they are super bad news too. they don't transmit lyme but tuleremia and and give you an allergy to red meat. FAaaack if I get that...

A lady that I work with, her husband got bit by a lone star tick and now he can only eat chicken burgers

 

[Where's Bruce?]

Permethrin on outwear, boots, tent, pack...ticks can mess you up. I enjoy watching insects land on my tent then roll off dead.

 

[Kilboars]

Again with Permethrin everything I take to the woods after each wash and wear the Ryno Skin pants and top whenever I'm in the woods.

Rynoskin Total Insect Protection Clothing | Ultra-lightweight Body-forming, Cool

Rynoskin Total was specifically designed to be worn underneath the clothing. Rynoskin Total is ultra-lightweight body-forming, cool, and comfortable.

www.rynoskin.com

 

[SwampBone]

I live in one of the worst zones for deer ticks in MN. Some years there’re a ton of them and some years not so many. Like others have said. If you have flu like symptoms in the summer go get a blood test and find out if you need the doxy. I had Lyme disease in 2013. Had a fever, sore throat, crazy amounts of snot (which really tipped me off that something was wrong). Went to the doctor and she told me to come back in a week if I wasn’t feeling better! Pisses me off because I later developed Bell’s palsy and heart palpitations and went back and they took a simple blood test and found out I had it. Demand the blood test if you at all expect Lyme. You can’t depend on medical staff for the best advice.

 

[SwampBone]

Just found the first one of the year crawling on my dogs head

 

[fish impaler]

Demand the blood test if you at all expect Lyme. You can’t depend on medical staff for the best advice.

Absolutely the most important advice on the thread

 

[KoolBreeze]

I'm sorry, guess I'm soft, but if I see a bunch of ticks crawling up the walls of my turkey blind, I'm done. Damn a turkey. Haha!

 

[cooshunter]

I live on the Oregon Coast. I’m also a forester, so I’m in the thick brush very often. This time of year, it’s almost impossible to spend a day in the woods without pulling at least one tick off of you. I can usually feel them when the bit me, and pull them off right away. If they’re not on me for a while, I just pull them off and don’t worry about them.

There are some labs where you can send ticks to have them tested for Lyme. That might be worth looking into if you want some added security.

 

[xziang]

Disclaimer didn't read all comments.. I have had ticks on me before and just pull them off with no issues. Only occasionally had ine make it to `imbed' and was able to get it all. IF you can after being in woods strip down and lut those clothes in a bag and in tne trunk. Then when ho e out them outside for the night and then turn them inside out to examin them. We will also occasionally throw them in the bathtub (without water). I have found ticks a week later in my car after I was in the woods so they can hang a round a long time.

 

[Fatcamp]

Kid and I have been using 40% DEET preapplied on our clothes. No problems at all after 4 or 5 trips to the turkey woods full of deer.

 

[nodakian]

Another vote for permethrin. Discovered it while pig hunting in CA in 1996. My buddy and I would find 10-20 ticks every time we hunted. After applying permethrin, if we found any at all, they were dead or trying to escape.

 

[KINGSNAKE]

Reading all this makes my skin crawl

 

[OXN939]

Absolutely the most important advice on the thread

Agreed, although the blood titer test for Lyme disease is only partially accurate, due to how long it takes your body to develop antibodies at a detectable level and the tendency of these antibodies to go away when the disease is latent. Really, the biggest thing is to keep them from ever biting in the first place. Wear tick PPE, and check yourself religiously if you're out and about in an environment where they might be. I've started wearing hip waders coated with repellent the past few years in the summer.