Ticks 2014

The problem with that is you end up squeezing the tick which puts the bacteria into your system. The tick keys work but you have to be patient. and apply light pressure until the tick lets loose. If you try to just pop them out fast then the head gets left behind.

Exactly, if you squeeze with your fingers or tweezers, it pushes the tick's guts into your open wound which maximizes the chance of infection or getting lyme disease. The tick twister has no possible chance of detaching the head either. I've taken out two tiny deer ticks and one big dog tick, and it takes about 3 seconds to do, no digging necessary.
 
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Last week on of my customers was diagnosed with Rock Mountain Spotted Fever from a tick bite. He lives in Bridgewater. Broke out in blisters from head to toe, had a fever and was rel sick. It took his doctor 4 days just to figure out what it was. Nasty
 
Save your money. Nothing works better than your fingers. Tools leave the head embedded far too many times.

I've always used my fingers but last year a friend of my wife's took a tick off my son and left the head so i had to dig it out with a needle. He was 6 at the time. If she has the tool readily available she can take care of it instead of relying on some 'expert.'
 
Save your money. Nothing works better than your fingers. Tools leave the head embedded far too many times.

Funny you say this because once I obtained the proper tools and used the prescribed extraction methods I have yet to leave a head behind.

And I do not possess the kind of fingers necessary to remove a tick the size of a sesame seed.

I have others but this is my go-to tool: http://trixticklasso.com/

 
+1 for the tick twisters. I have one in each car, one at home and one in the hiking backpack. They always get the whole tick out and off without squeezing its guts into the wound.
 
I pulled one out of my side after the work party at HSC a couple of weeks ago. I had always heard to use the match trick to get them out - come to find out that is a bad way to do it. Oops. Looks like I"ll get one of the tick twisters to see how well it works.

Also, reading this thread is making me itchy...
 
The problem with the tools is that they arent great for nymphs or ticks that havent fed much. A good pair of tweezers with light consistent pressure is the best Ive used so far.

I dug a tick out of my armpit with an ESEE 3 yesterday. My dog's had a couple already. Without backtracking through the thread, what are you using to spray your yards?

I've used http://www.amazon.com/Spectracide-95830-Triazicide-Insect-32-Ounce/dp/B002ITJH82

Spray every month or two depending on how much rain you get - connects to your hose - does a good job.
 
OK guys permethrin works! Sprayed mine and my boys hunting clothes with it two nights ago.....spent the day hunting turkeys today and not a tic on us got home and took the dogs for a walk and im up to 20 that I just found on the seat of the car.......the front line shit works too! Unfortunately the tics wait to bail off till we get in the car!
 
Pulled one off of my knee two days ago. I have no idea where I could have picked it up. Wasn't in the woods and didn't do any yardwork.
 
Without backtracking through the thread, what are you using to spray your yards?
Anything based on a pyrethroid (synthetic pyrethrin, like permethrin) should work well, the easiest to obtain is the "Yard Guard" hose end sprayer. The most cost-effective way to treat a large area is to buy a concentrate like Equil Lambda 9.7 CS. If you have fruit, vegetables, livestock, or dogs, a safer alternative is Esfenvalerate.
 
Pulled another one off my dog this AM. I'm using Activyl (permethrin / indoxacarb) on him. I'm gonna try some Natural Defense spray on him as well. I got it from a neighbor. It's got a mixture of peppermint oil, cinnamon oil, lemon grass oil, clove oil, thyme oil in an alcohol base.

This one appears to be a male dog tick. The one on me, as well as the others pulled of the dog, were deer ticks.
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Borrelia miyamotoi: finally MA has dibs on a tick-borne illness

Great, something new to look forward to - Tick fever. I just nuked my curtilage with Cutter.
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EagleTribune said:
Researchers at Yale University have identified a bacteria in black-legged ticks responsible for causing an infection similar to Lyme disease.

It’s been found in southern New England, including Massachusetts. It hasn’t been detected in New Hampshire, but no testing has been done there.

The bacteria — Borrelia miyamotoi — can cause a serious illness characterized by flu-like symptoms. They include severe headaches, body aches and a body temperature of up to 104 degrees.

Borrelia miyamotoi was first identified in Japan in 1995, ticks have tested positive in all New England states which test for it.
 
Pulled another one off my dog this AM. I'm using Activyl (permethrin / indoxacarb) on him. I'm gonna try some Natural Defense spray on him as well. I got it from a neighbor. It's got a mixture of peppermint oil, cinnamon oil, lemon grass oil, clove oil, thyme oil in an alcohol base

Before I sprayed the yard with triazicide this year, I would spray the dog's legs with a mix of vinegar and peppermint oil before letting her out; seemed to work well.
 
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Looked my dog over after a woods walk Saturday and pulled 7 off of him, all still crawling no bites at least. He's using Frontline Plus, might try some of the natural options you guys suggested for the legs next time we go out in the woods... dunno how well it will hold up though, he can't stay out of streams and such.
 
Have any of you guys who use "Bug Free Backyard" (BFBY) noticed that your flowering plants and shrubs don't flower, after using the product?

My forsythia, azaleas, etc. didn't flower this year. It's happened in years past, too. All my neighbors' shrubs flowered just fine, so it's not "environmental" (too cold, etc.). I'm thinking that the BFBY somehow had an effect.

Thoughts?
 
Still swear by vitamin B1. Woke up Sunday morning to a tick crawling on my foot. The dogs too small to get on the bed so it musta hopped on as I went to bed. Didn't bite, just crawled. Second time it's happened.
 
Shot 3d yesterday morning, couldnt wait to get home and take a dump. I found two crawling up my thighs, and two were already latched on to my side. If it wasn't for that morning coffee...
 
Great, something new to look forward to - Tick fever. I just nuked my curtilage with Cutter.
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Borrelia miyamotoi was first identified in Japan in 1995, ticks have tested positive in all New England states which test for it.

I'm afraid to use this stuff because I have a well. Anyone else feel this way? Am I being paranoid? Both my dogs are always covered with ticks. The Advantix seems to work as the ticks don't dig in, but the dogs bring them in the house.
 
I'm afraid to use this stuff because I have a well. Anyone else feel this way? Am I being paranoid? Both my dogs are always covered with ticks. The Advantix seems to work as the ticks don't dig in, but the dogs bring them in the house.
I use as few chemicals on my yard as possible. So IMO, no you're not.
I just used this stuff last night. Picked it up at agway. I'll find out how it works.
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Just fyi instead of tweezers I use the Tick Twister and I love it, it works like a charm.

Yep, the Tick Twister. Saw them at the vet last fall, bought one. When I got home one of the dogs had a tick on him. It's like " ok, are you going to let go, or am I going to twist your head off".
 
I noticed this red spot with a black center (now believe dried blood) on the back of my wife's leg this morning. We pulled a small black deer tick (completely) off; no part of the tick appeared to be embedded. Anyone have any thoughts on the coloration as to whether there's cause for concern? My wife's not a fan of antibiotics so she's not (for now) interested in a dose of doxycycline.

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I noticed this red spot with a black center (now believe dried blood) on the back of my wife's leg this morning. We pulled a small black deer tick (completely) off; no part of the tick appeared to be embedded. Anyone have any thoughts on the coloration as to whether there's cause for concern? My wife's not a fan of antibiotics so she's not (for now) interested in a dose of doxycycline.

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I would get it checked out. Lime disease is much easier to treat when caught early. When let go, it takes a lot longer to remedy and can have permanent effects.

It is probably nothing, but you only have one wife and the replacement costs are astronomical! [grin]
 
On 28 days of dox now for a bite I got at the end of April. First symptoms started showing mildly after 2 weeks, at 4 weeks it was time to visit the doctor. Blood tests often don't test positive for 6 to 9 weeks, and I tested negative but enough symptoms were present to warrant treatment. Still have much of the joint pain, but things are improving. Most bites will be nothing, but Keep an eye on things!
 
Anyone been finding any ticks lately?

I was finding some crawling up my pants in the spring, but haven't seen one all summer while going around the archery course at my club. I'm actually kind of perplexed, unless the permethrin and deet have really been working that well. Hope that continues through hunting season...
 
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