Ticks

[RobDooley]

Not sure if we're just more aware of the dangers from ticks,
or if they've become more dangerous,
but many people don't realize just how dangerous are ticks!

They really can kill you, or cripple you, or make you where you cannot eat ANY meat.
Imagine going the rest of your life unable to enjoy a big fat steak,
and you've imagined the least of the bad things a single tick bite can do to you.

that's me. tested positive for Alpha-Gal. It is the worst allergic reaction you will ever have...torture. Have not had any red meat in two years now.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

I worry about this every day that I am in the woods. I cannot imagine living the rest of my life without another prime rib or smoked brisket.

And it's not just meat. Many beans have some sort of pork or beef agent in them. No collard greens (bacon). Most hot dogs and brats that are labeled as turkey or chicken.......USE PORK CASINGS. In all of our gumbos, we have to leave out the kielbasa until the shrimp is done, to get a bowl for my dad.

I have to do a lot of research and food prep around for him on our guy weekends at our cabin. There are usually work arounds, but the extra thinking going into everything wears on the brain.

 

[CrossVolle]

I've learned with sawyers that you really have to soak your clothes... as in when you think you've saturated the garment, hit it liberally again.

 

[BSK]

I worry about this every day that I am in the woods. I cannot imagine living the rest of my life without another prime rib or smoked brisket.

After awhile, you don't miss it. In fact, even though my Alpha-Gal allergy is gone, my taste for beef has never returned. Don't miss it a bit.

 

[BSK]

I have to do a lot of research and food prep around for him on our guy weekends at our cabin. There are usually work arounds, but the extra thinking going into everything wears on the brain.

With three people in my family with Alpha-Gal, and each one with slightly different symptoms, big family dinners can become a nightmare.

 

[AlabamaSwamper]

I know cold weather don't bother them, as far as population.

it got up to 70 one day in north central Nebraska in November and Holy cow. Ticks everywhere. And we don't usually carry bug spray with us And it gets cold there every winter.

 

[AlabamaSwamper]

My BIL got the allergy. Lasted about 6 years but he seems to be over it now.
They slowly started him again after a few years.

 

[flyinpro]

I'm afraid the ticks are "evolving", and not in a good way.

First, there are more of them now, than in times past.
Same places, as a child, I could play in the weeds, rarely get a tick on me.
Today, without Permethrin, I would be covered in them.

Also, I'm seeing a lot when the temperature is below 50.

I go to great pains in pre-soaking all my clothing with Permethrin, frequently.
But ticks seem to be getting more resistant to it.

I'm not familiar with Sawyers but I make my own spray that seems to work pretty well. I mix 50% Permethrin and 50% liquid deep woods off with 40% DEET. Permethrin will kill them & Deet helps at repelling the ticks.

I read a few articles that said Permethrin is a direct-contact insecticide, and DEET being a repellent that temporarily blocks the neuron receptors that detect CO2/heat.

a tick can detect the carbon dioxide you exhale with each breath and the ammonia in your sweat. Ticks have a outstanding sense of smell and movement alerts them a blood-meal is near.

I avoid any use on my skin with my recipe but my outer layers of shirt, pants and high snake type boots are saturated for several days in zip locks & I spray again once dressed and head into the woods. I hate and am concerned about ticks.

 

[megalomaniac]

Permethrin soaked clothes...

Did 160 to 165 miles hiking from mid Mar till end of May turkey hunting in the woods and didn't get a single one attached to me this spring.

Walked through waist high grass for a week this summer and only got 1 chigger bite and no ticks.

 

[Still-n-Quiet]

Years ago, when our kids were young, my wife and I had purchased some land. It was Spring and we were walking about, as you do. The baby started fussing and we noticed she was absolutely covered in ticks! We quickly got them off and put her in the vehicle, then noticed that both of us had hundreds (yes, hundreds, and that might be low) of various sized ticks on us!

Now, I don't freak out very easily, but this did it. Before I knew it, both my wife and I were stripped down to our undies trying to brush off ticks! Finally got some duct tape from the car, rolled it up backwards and started getting them off. After we got them down to a reasonable number (maybe under 20 or so), we soon realized that we were standing almost naked in the middle of a pasture!

Sadly, this was NOT the only time in my life I realized I was about naked out in the plain open! Another story, I guess...

 

[Still-n-Quiet]

No doubt Permethrin works. Unfortunately, it gives my asthma fits! I have to apply it wearing a mask, then let the cloths dry. Still bothers my asthma a bit, then, but better than having a body covered in ticks! It is fun watching the little blood suckers walk up your pants and then just drop off.

 

[Bell3wv]

I've been in an infestation in Northeast TN this year. Everywhere in the yard. Can't go into woods without dunking myself in bug dope. Lil dog brought a deer tick in from the yard in December! We need to import more possums.

 

[tbadon]

Had an old farmer tell me that we didn't start getting ticks bad until the the deer populations grew. This coincided with the rise in small mammal populations after DDT did a number on the environment in the 50's and 60's. One of the very warm winters we had in the 90's had a late freeze(April 25th if I recall correctly). We had been above 80 degrees for weeks, including the day before the front came through. Went down to 25 that night. I saw 3 ticks total that summer. Seems that if they have no warning to take cover, the cold will kill them.

 

[Willysman]

Not noticed any difference in the amount of ticks this year in the areas I hunt. I go to Coop and buy a bottle of permethrin. Mix it 1/2 ounce to a gallon of water and spray my clothes, especially during turkey season. Lot cheaper than a can of spray and works really well. Usually only have to spray couple times a season.

 

[nock]

I started taking a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar for acid reflux a few years ago and I began to notice everybody in my family was getting ticks on them but me. I have not had a tick on me for several years. I might find one crawling on me but not biting me. I'm sure the apple cider vinegar has deterred them. Give it a try. take a teaspoon every night and you will see the difference.

 

[Stumpsitter]

Had a veterinarian tell me ticks are active at 40 degrees. Yes there are a lot of ticks this year. It was really brought to my attention during turkey season this year when my 9 year old was with me on a hunt at a local WMA. We were taking a break about 2:00 o'clock and he got all excited and said look at all these ticks. There were ticks everywhere on the ground where we were setting, I've never seen anything like it. I wasn't to worried are clothes were treated with Sawyers and I supplement it with off tick spray.

 

[bkidd1187]

I've been using treated clothes from Gamehide called "Elimitick" for spring turkey, summer mineral site refreshes/trail cam pulls, and fall archery. Haven't had a single tick on me since I bought them a couple years ago. Supposedly lasts through 70 washes, pretty affordable price too.

 

[Monk74]

I always thought it was interesting how ticks are terrible in cedar thickets and yet cedar shavings are a natural tick repellant.

I thought that too. But, built a hen house this spring out of cedar and it was almost like it attracted them. I could look at the sides and count them by the dozens. But the chickens have seemed to knock them down.

 

[TheLBLman]

I normally "think" of encountering the most ticks in tall weeds.
But have been surprised at what starts crawling up every time I've sat down in some mature pines, with nothing on the ground but pine needles, full of ticks.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

Pines and also cedars always seem to be loaded with them. It seems to be that's where I get a lot of seed ticks - it's like a breeding ground for them.