do you have ticks in your woods

[smojo]

Often hear mention of the risk of picking up ticks from woodlands. Just wondered if it's a common problem. Anyone here suffer from them in their woods?

[oldclaypaws]

Ticks are spread by deer, and there are very few woods without deer passing through, particularly as deer numbers are out of control. Its the sheep tick, Ixodes Ricinus which deer carry and which spreads Lymes disease. This is a distribution chart of where its been detected in the UK, which is basically everywhere.

http://www.hpa.org.uk/Topics/InfectiousDiseases/InfectionsAZ/Ticks/TickSurveillance/tic04SurveillancemapforIxodesricinus/

I put tick collars on my dogs as without them I've known them to pick up as many as 10 in a week, they can drop off them onto the sofa or carpets, and then on to us. I'd say in a couple of years we've found about 6 ticks on us, but there have probably been more we've not spotted as you can't feel them, you only see them by chance, typically on your legs or abdomen. They are best removed by spreading vaseline on them (it suffocates them), leave a few minutes, then pinch them off between the fingernails as close to the skin as possible. While they come off they make a 'tick' or click noise, perhaps where the name comes from (?). Its usually not a big deal, no worse than a midge bite.

The important thing is to know what the symptoms of Lymes disease are and if suspect, get tested and treated, in which case its not too serious. None diagnosis can be very dangerous, and while there are thousands of cases a year, general recognition of the symptoms among the public are poor- its a growing problem.

I've met / known three people who've had Lyme's, in 2 of those it was quite serious, one nearly died because it was wrongly thought to be cancer and their immune system collapsed. She told the hospital she thought she might have been bitten by 'a spider', but they dismissed it. After a few months she was tested for it by chance, but only after considerable ill health. Once diagnosed she recovered after the right antibiotics. At least one forum member -Splodger- said he's had it.

People who own woods are probably some of the best informed, its casual visitors to woods or the countryside who are most at danger as they aren't aware of the health warning signs to look for, they'd probably think they had flu or a virus and it could develop into a nasty case. I had a nasty Kidney infection last year, but the first thought that passed my mind and request to the doc was 'could it be Lymes? It wasn't.

Know the facts, then you're equipped to deal with it.

[SitkaSpruce]

Oh yes.
Hate the things. If there are deer there probably will be ticks.
We camped the first year we owned our wood, my other half ended up with one attached to the face. Pretty unpleasant.
I've picked up a couple since including one when it was just above freezing.
I have a secret weapon though. I take medication for arthritis and they die when they attach to me!
Not picked up any for a year now, been very careful using deet, trousers tucked into socks and close fitting sleeves.
I always change clothes on return home and check over when bathing.

By the way you shouldn't be smothering them or burning them or any of these other things you hear- it causes them to regurgitate their contents into you with an increased risk of Lyme.
There are a number of tick removing tweezers etc around or use v fine tweezers to get under head area and ease out, don't squash them, clean wound and keep an eye on it for a rash.

[oldclaypaws]

Don't use Deet if you have pets, its very very toxic to them. Many non-deet repellants use Lemon eucalyptus oil, it pongs but is cheap and safe. Ordered about 1/2 a litre off fleabay for £12 and mixed it with handcream as a base. It'll last us 20 years.

Another good way to get ticks off is souse them in neat spirits such as vodka or whisky. They die happy and singing, drop off in a minute or two after asking you if you want a fight and then telling you they love you.

[davetb]

Yes, loads.

[SimonFisher]

Yes, but it's our dogs that tend to pick them up. I don't think we've picked one up ourselves in the seven or eight years since we got our woods.

We were in Nova Scotia a few years back doing some volunteering on a small mammals conservation project, spent lots of time in woodland and got into the habit of checking ourselves thoroughly at the end of each day. We were also briefed not to use anything on the tick to remove them other than proper tick removal tweezers. As someone else has suggested you don't want to induce the tick to spew anything back inside you! Tick tweezers are simple and effective.

[Dexter's Shed]

never seen or picked any up in our woods, and we stay there a bit, time will tell

[oldclaypaws]

I can see the advice is generally not to smother them or incapacitate them, but if they are still alive and they detect any attempt to dislodge them mechanically, the first thing they do is burrow their heads deep inside the skin, making complete removal difficult, and often leaving the head inside the skin which risks infection. Each to his own, but the vaseline advice was the suggestion of my vet, who has removed thousands. I think in the summer they make a fortune from little old ladies bringing in dachshunds with a tick, they queue up in a panic at the vets to have them removed by the vet at £25 a time. After applying noxious gunk to them they often just free themselves and drop off, whether or not they puke first I couldn't say, but using vaseline or whisky we've had no follow up issues, other than a hangover when finishing the bottle.

Perhaps the best prevention is try to control the deer by inviting in a good shot to cull them. The venison burgers are a good bonus too. Ironically, the person volunteering to shoot ours is the vet, who lives nearby, not sure if thats in his own best interests as the ticks bring him so many customers.

[oldclaypaws]

I think ethically I don't have a problem with ticks trying to feed on us and our dogs and don't hate them, they are just after all just trying to survive in the way they have evolved, they haven't a choice to go vegetarian. We as a species also drain the vital fluids of other animals, using A.I. on cows, then taking away the calf and stealing the milk, or in the case of African tribesmen, frequently parasitically drinking the blood of their cows as a staple 'food'. I guess it's karma ticks have a go at us.

Surely the most despicable blood sucking parasite is that modern phenomenon, the pay day loan company.

[smojo]

Thanks for the heads up folks. They sound like nasty little things I should watch out for in future. I often go to our local woods and have seen deer in there.