Ticks!

[Mithrea]

I live in the woods and have never even seen a tick up here before that I can remember. For some reason though, since it warmed up, I have now found three--and what is worse is they were not full grown I don't think. Two of them, I have actually found crawling on my shirt and the third was under a rug in the living room. I'm so freaked! I keep checking my head and my cat and so far (fingers crossed), I can't find anything.

I can't do a bug bomb for several reasons. I need to know where they are coming from. My house is small and really cluttered because it's small and I have so much stuff. Little by little I have been trying to clean up to see if I can find where they are coming from. But so far, nothing.

Does anyone know about them or have experience with them? I don't know how they breed. Should I be looking for some sort of nest? I should probalby just look it up on the web but I am so freaked right now, I am afraid I will type tick into google and get lots of pictures of them. My nerves can't take it!

I'm feeling really queasy right now too because I got stung by the strangest looking wasp-thingy tonight. It got me twice in my right breast! The doc says one actually looks like a bite and the other a sting but they can't figure out what the insect is that bit me. I'm so glad I managed to get the little bugger into a jar!

Then I come home from the doc and am brushing my teeth to go to bed and there is a tick on my sleeve of my shirt. I can't hardly stand this and am really afraid for my health and the health of my cat.

What should I do?

[Lavender]

I know there's been some discussions on ticks in the Green room but it's mainly related to pets & tick. I'm not sure if any of it would be useful for you. I'll see what I can find out for you.

[flar7]

go to a vet and see what you need for the cat. A feed store will
have all sorts of stuff and ideas for tick control. From seven dust,
to tick crystals.(thats stuff is for the outside) and safe stuff that
you can use indoors. Find your nearest Feed store and ask!
Feed store~ place where you would by feed for cattle, horses and supplies for them critters.;) If you get bit, keep track of the
site for a few days. If you get bit on the scalp, you may want to
see a doctor about it if you are REALLY nervous...

[Lavender]

Here's a site that has good info & no gruesome bug pictures. Just a couple of drawings of the ticks.

http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2073.html

If you do get bitten by one, here's what it says in one of my aromatherapy first aid books. "Do not pull it out. A cigarette placed on its body will make the tick drop off, or 1 drop of thyme essentail will also do the trick. Then apply 1 drop of neat lavender essential oil every five minutes to a total of ten, to avoid infection and reduce pain and swelling." - taken from Fragrant Pharmacy by Valerie Ann Wormwood.

[flar7]

um, just in case... you know it doesnt have to be a cigerette. anything
that hot will do. dont burn yourself!

[Faery-Wings]

My area is having a really bad problem with ticks too. My son and daughter have each had them embedded so far this year. The link Yvonne posted is good. Just a few other things- it takes 24-48 for a tick to be embedded before Lyme's can be passed on. So if you do a daily tick check, like we do, you should catch any before they are on to long. Look most closely in the groin area, back of neck, armpits and ears.You can bring a tick to some health dept's or local hospitals to check if it carries Lyme's.

Also does your cat go outside? They do make frontline for cats. The thing with that stuff, is that it keeps the tick from biting the pet. Your cat can still bring them in from outside.

Avon sells a tick repellent that is safe for kids and adults. DEET free too. I use it on my guys. In fact the day that my daughter had one, it was inside her ear (ick) but it was th eonly place I didn't put the stuff on her!

Good luck, they gross me out too.

Chris

[Myst]

Originally posted by chryssi1
The link Yvonne posted is good.

You mean wildchild right? or am I missing a link.

[Faery-Wings]

Yup, you're right, Wildchild. I am still getting used to her new avatar. :D

[Myst]

I just realized, I'm going to have to be concerned with ticks when we move.

Oy!

[Mithrea]

Oh Wow that is a really really great link! My house is about 20 feet from a "weedy roadside." I think, from reading that, that it is possible that they are not actually in my house. I am bringing them in on me.

And I was right about them being youngins. They only have six legs.

My cat doesn't go outside. But just in case I am going to go give her a bath with Skin So Soft and that goes for me too. I think I might even wash my sheets in it. Then I will go and get some sevindust today to put around my house. At least I will feel like I am doing something.

Thanks everyone! :D

[Lavender]

Originally posted by chryssi1
Yup, you're right, Wildchild. I am still getting used to her new avatar. :D

Heh! My new avatar confused me too a couple of times. I thought I was Yvonne too! 8O

[Psyche Ague]

I have a link that might be helpful for tick repellants that are more natural.

Tick Repellant (http://www.care2.com/channels/solutions/self/23)

[Yvonne Belisle]

I don't mind having Wildchild mistaken for me. She is good people:)

[Old Witch]

Ken works in the woods and gets bitten by ticks and spiders and assorted insects all the time......gets sick from it too......... Had Lyme disease 2yrs. ago....... thats what you got to watch out for, carried by deer ticks. He still has bouts of illness caused by that to this day.....Mostly around here where we live tho are wood ticks........Mostly no problem if they bite you and you find them quick enough.......but, and I stress this mightily, always check with your Dr. if you get bit..........

[Mithrea]

Oh Thanks again Everyone. Psyche, there were some good tips there. Thanks!

[Lavender]

Originally posted by Psyche Ague
I have a link that might be helpful for tick repellants that are more natural.

Tick Repellant (http://www.care2.com/channels/solutions/self/23)

Those are good blends. They will work for fleas too.

[Eeluna]

Thank you Psyche Ague! I've been plagued by the suckers this week. Found one stuck on my hand this morning when I woke up. Ugggh!!! I've been checking myself every night before I go to bed, so I blamed it on my husband. This area seems thick with them in the spring. I always check the pets after we walk them, but it must be impossible to find them all. Anyway I've got some Palmerosa oil and I'm definitely going to use it on me and the dogs. I much perfer more natural solutions to the toxic repellents. Thanks again.

[Psyche Ague]

I'm glad the tips were helpful. I've had a slight tick phobia since I found one on my leg a couple years ago. *shudders* I don't mind creepy, crawly things unless they surprise me. And I know someone with Lyme disease and it's not fun. (to say the least!)

[CatDancing]

Hi All!
When I saw in the community e-mail that I received that there was a discussion ongoing about ticks I had to take a look. Here in the east KY mountains where we're located the nasty little buggers are the bane of spring & summer existence! We go over our three dogs and one of the cats which is an inside/outside fellow on a daily basis and almost always find some. Also keep a close check on ourselves - especially my husband who is a land surveyor and spends a lot of time in the field working. Around here if you step into an area of high grass, weeds or brush you can come out with literally dozens of them crawling all over in only minutes - YUCK!!!
Almost every summer the newspapers & media carry reports warning folks of the dangers of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever - a potentially fatal disease spread by the bacteria Rickettsia rickettsii, and of course there's Lyme Disease, another very nasty one which can have very long-lasting effects. The latter is only carried by Deer Ticks which are very tiny - about the size of a pinhead. The Common American Dog Tick (Dermacentor variabilis), which many of us are most familiar with, can carry Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and other diseases - the good news is that a relatively low percentage of ticks carry disease. If bitten a person shouldn't panic, but definitely should take the necessary precautions to avoid infection. I'm sure there are many great websites with valuable information - here are a couple of links that may be of interest.
http://dermatology.about.com/library/weekly/aa042602a.htm?terms=Wood+Tick and
http://landscaping.about.com/cs/ticks/index.htm?terms=ticks
These have pictures, information on Rocky Mt.Spotted Fever, Lyme Disease & others, as well as an on-line pamphlet and ones that you can order. Their Nursing Guide gives the following information about safe removal.
Remove the tick promptly, the sooner you remove it, the less chance of infection. Use either a t ick-removing device, fine pointed tweezers, or forceps - if these are not available use latex gloves or a tissue to make a barrier. Disease organisms are located in the tick's belly and can be transmitted if the tick is accidentally crushed. Grasp the tick as near the skin as possible (where it's mouthparts enter the skin) and pull upward with slow, steady pressure. Do not twist or jerk as this can break the head off the body. If the mouthparts remain they can be removed with tweezers. Put the tick in the freezer in a dated plastic bag or in a jar of alcohol - record the location of the bite on the body and the area you think you may have picked up the tick. This way you'll have the information available if there is any suspicion of infection. Wipe the bite area with antiseptic, or wash with soap and water. Call your local or state board of health if you want to have the tick identified.
Thanks to all who have posted info on this subject -it's something we all need to be cautious about. I read that although Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever occurs most often in Oklahoma and the Southern Atlantic states, it has been found in most states and that Lyme Disease has been found in 47 states. I hate using chemical remedies to any sort of insect problem and was glad to read some of the alternative suggestions posted - thanks much! Hope we all have an enjoyable and tick bite free summer season!
Brightest Blessings!
CatDancing

[Mithrea]

Good information CatDancing but I am afraid now I have moved from being aware and cautious to being completely obsessed. Of course, I don't like bugs at all and the idea of one burrowing their head into my skin makes me want to scream :scream:.

My kitty is getting really ticked too because I check her in the morning and in the evening. She hates to be messed with. ;)

I'm actually even getting rid of my dark grey carpet next weekend so I can see the floor good!

I'm going to need therapy before this summer is over. The thing I can't figure out is why this is the first year I've seen them! (?) My sister, who lives two doors down, says, "I've found at least two on me every summer for the last ten years." Why are they coming to my house now when they haven't before?

[materra]

Lived in various "tick" prone states over the years...and have a few more pointers...

Leave your bouquets out side, don't pick wild flowers during the main tick season. You will be bringing them in, especially in blooming branches etc. And clean your harvests out side when gathering food in the spring from your garden.

Tie your pants shut at the bottom or tuck into boot tops when going into woods and fields. Learn to wear long sleeves during the worst of the season. Wear hats, and take them off and shake them off fairly often. Try to remove and shake outer clothing out side before carrying it into the house.

Vacumn daily.

I used to log in Northern Wisconsin and was exposed to the rotten things daily. Typically we feel them before they bite, they try to get as high on the body as they can, and tend to find them in places they get stuck like waist bands if they cannot get to extra warm spots on your body
.
As awful as they are, they have a relatively short "season". Unlike some places where the bug deal is 24/7.

[Old Witch]

It's always tick season this far south.............I check my dogs 3 times a day religiously......they think I'm massaging them..........

[Mithrea]

Does anyone know if deer ticks fly??

[Yvonne Belisle]

They can fall off of birds and trees.

[Mithrea]

After CatDancing's description I got worried about these little things I keep finding that have committed suicide in my toilet (under the flourescent light). They have started flying so I guess I'm okay.

I'm SO paranoid!!:T

I've dug up my Mom's scarf selection!

[Old Witch]

Deer ticks.......no ticks can fly......... They fall out of trees, live in grass.......but deer ticks have a tendency to bite and run........then you don't know why you are sick....I think this was said earlier in the post......deer ticks are tiny little things......pinhead size.........