daniel craig
Member
- Joined
- Dec 23, 2009
- Messages
- 2,815
You, like I, may have grown up never worrying about ticks because up until about 5 years ago there wasn’t much of a tick population in the state. You could go outside in the brush in shorts and not have to worry.
Now
That’s not the case.
As the winters have gotten shorter and warmer and the summers get hotter and longer the tick population has gotten larger.
1.) Buy yourself a tick key/tool/tornado(brand).
2.) No matter how hot it is, wear long sleeves and long pants (keep in mind long garments can actually keep you ‘cooler’ and your skin healthier by keeping the direct sun off you)
2a.) Tuck your pants into your socks and your shirt (or undershirt) into your pants.
2.b) Whichever clothes tend to be the ones you wear most on your activities, treat with Permethrin (comes in a spray and I think now a wash too).
3.) At the end of EVERY outing as soon as you can, strip down and check yourself. It’s easier with a buddy but not critical.
3.a) Check your whole body but start with the ‘folds’. That means the groin, between the cheeks, the armpits, the back of your knees, your waistline. Then check the rest.
3.b.) In the areas you can’t see, run your hands slowly across feeling for any unusual bumps or hard masses.
4.) If you find a tick and it hasn’t bitten you, crush it. If you have alcohol on you drown it in that, if not, crush it.
5.) If you find a tick embedded in you, use the aforementioned tick tool and follow the instructions. After you remove the tick and kill (if you can keep it alive that’s better) it KEEP THE TICK. Put it in a little portion size zip lock (think dime bag). Ticks can be tested for Lyme.
5.a) It never hurts to go get tested for Lyme disease after your trip is over.
5.a.1) Lyme disease is absolutely treatable through antibiotics (strong ones) if caught early enough.
6.) DO NOT try removing the tick with the old wives tales you’ve heard.
6.a) Coating the area in oil/liquid, using a lighter, using tweezers etc. all cause the tick to essentially regurgitate so it can back out, this INCREASES your chances of catching tick borne illnesses.
6. Relax. Just because a tick bites you doesn’t mean it automatically has Lyme.
6.a) Following step 2 for prevention goes a long LONG way and you drastically reduce your chances of being bitten.
P.s. Permethrin is safe for use on dogs and last about 6 months per application but is extremely harmful to cats.
Now
That’s not the case.
As the winters have gotten shorter and warmer and the summers get hotter and longer the tick population has gotten larger.
1.) Buy yourself a tick key/tool/tornado(brand).
2.) No matter how hot it is, wear long sleeves and long pants (keep in mind long garments can actually keep you ‘cooler’ and your skin healthier by keeping the direct sun off you)
2a.) Tuck your pants into your socks and your shirt (or undershirt) into your pants.
2.b) Whichever clothes tend to be the ones you wear most on your activities, treat with Permethrin (comes in a spray and I think now a wash too).
3.) At the end of EVERY outing as soon as you can, strip down and check yourself. It’s easier with a buddy but not critical.
3.a) Check your whole body but start with the ‘folds’. That means the groin, between the cheeks, the armpits, the back of your knees, your waistline. Then check the rest.
3.b.) In the areas you can’t see, run your hands slowly across feeling for any unusual bumps or hard masses.
4.) If you find a tick and it hasn’t bitten you, crush it. If you have alcohol on you drown it in that, if not, crush it.
5.) If you find a tick embedded in you, use the aforementioned tick tool and follow the instructions. After you remove the tick and kill (if you can keep it alive that’s better) it KEEP THE TICK. Put it in a little portion size zip lock (think dime bag). Ticks can be tested for Lyme.
5.a) It never hurts to go get tested for Lyme disease after your trip is over.
5.a.1) Lyme disease is absolutely treatable through antibiotics (strong ones) if caught early enough.
6.) DO NOT try removing the tick with the old wives tales you’ve heard.
6.a) Coating the area in oil/liquid, using a lighter, using tweezers etc. all cause the tick to essentially regurgitate so it can back out, this INCREASES your chances of catching tick borne illnesses.
6. Relax. Just because a tick bites you doesn’t mean it automatically has Lyme.
6.a) Following step 2 for prevention goes a long LONG way and you drastically reduce your chances of being bitten.
P.s. Permethrin is safe for use on dogs and last about 6 months per application but is extremely harmful to cats.
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