I hope everyone is being vigilant!

Grrr little sods! That one doesn’t look too small either. Not had one since I got some twisters – thankfully.

I hope you tortured it 🙂

Been fairly low on the ticks this year…so far its a draw between me and the dog at one all

err now my skin is crawling.

not had to use my twisters yet.

First of the year for me. We’d been walking through knee-deep heather though so I was sort of expecting it.

Removed 6 after I finished the Highland Trail. 4 of them were just around the top of my socks, one on my back and one on my thigh.

never had to remove one that size, get tiny ones (so small I’m guessing they’re ticks rather than certain). Well done sir. feed it a bit more, tease it for a while?

We generally have to pull at least one per walk out of the dog at this time of year, but so far I’ve managed to avoid them. Mind you, I’m not (quite) as hairy as the dog and don’t tend to bound through ferns looking for sticks.

Loads up at Gisburn at the moment. Got two bites on my chest a couple of months back. Two weeks of antibiotics from the doc for suspected Lymes Disease.

If you get a reaction to the bite (big bullseye type rash) get it checked. The bacteria can be fatal in later life!

That is, indeed, a wee one – compared to the one I removed from my dog’s ear, last week

where did you get those bad boy tweezers from?

Home

You’ll find them on eBay, Amazon etc. plus many pet stores, vets and outdoors/walking stores.

^^^^ Just type Tick Hook into Google. Loads of places online sell them, usually cost no more than £4. A VERY useful thing to carry in the Camelbak.

EDIT : Gah, beaten to it.

Think I got mine from local pet shops, vets will sell them too; chemists quite probably. As above, should be c. £4 They come as a pair, TBH it’s usually the smaller that is useful, not the biggie!

Out of curiosity, does anyone ever think of getting a blood test done after a tick has been feasting on you? Is it what you ‘should’ do, as I’ve heard they can spread certain things?

Out of curiosity, does anyone ever think of getting a blood test done after a tick has been feasting on you? Is it what you ‘should’ do, as I’ve heard they can spread certain things?

If the bullseye comes up, the doc will usually prescribe antibiotics. You need at least a 2 week course of them.
IIRC the blood test isn’t that accurate.

We had a really mild winter so expect them to be out in force this summer.

If the bullseye comes up, the doc will usually prescribe antibiotics. You need at least a 2 week course of them.
IIRC the blood test isn’t that accurate.

Cheers – will remember that!

my GP reckoned the blood test is only 50% accurate

I don’t carry the tick pullers because I doubt I’d ever spot one on a ride. Definitely worth it for the home first aid kit or if you are away for any length of time.

Pulled out loads over the years. I used to pick one up on nearly every ride on the quantocks. I know Lyme’s is bad but I wouldn’t be too paranoid about catching it. Check yourself in the shower, and if you find one, just keep an eye out for the bullseye rash. Certainly wouldn’t be going to the docs after a bite, I’d have been there all the time!

I’ve never had a tick despite spending many hours in all of the right environments for them. Should I be hurt that they don’t find me attractive?

Useful info on ticks and lyme disease

I’m bloody itchy now.

NHS site suggests the bullseye rash is 2cm and up, anyone seen it smaller? I ask as a couple of weeks ago I noticed a small (~5mm) bullseye rash on my arm. I don’t recall being bitten and would think I’d notice it there, at the time I just ignored it. I’ve been pulling ticks off the dog recently, despite using Prac-tic on her.

A few days later I got a headache that lasted for about 3 days, during which time I also felt very very tired. I just put that down to the usual exhaustion that comes with having two young children. Should I go and see my doctor or am I being silly?!

I also felt very very tired. I just put that down to the usual exhaustion that comes with having two young children. Should I go and see my doctor or am I being silly?

Long waiting list for a vasectomy… Go asap

A few days later I got a headache that lasted for about 3 days, during which time I also felt very very tired. I just put that down to the usual exhaustion that comes with having two young children. Should I go and see my doctor or am I being silly?!

If there’s no visible rash its unlikely the GP will do anything. The bullseye doesn’t always show either.

The last tick that bit me died. My blood killed it! Score one for me.

Am I the only one that hasn’t had one of these mythical creatures cling to me? Never even really came across them. Just heard lots of stories.

The stories themselves are frightening enough to tempt me into buying a tick remover though.

I was clearing my forest trails of overgrown ferns, fallen trees and general scrub last Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, i had the pleasure of removing a few ticks from myself every night as i sat in the garden enjoying a beer whilst throwing ticks in the fire pit – Rather annoyingly the dog never got one tick, can you get Frontline treatment for humans? or could i just smear a frontline capsule on the back of my neck. 😉

Am I the only one that hasn’t had one of these mythical creatures cling to me? Never even really came across them. Just heard lots of stories.
The stories themselves are frightening enough to tempt me into buying a tick remover though.

+1.

I feel bloody itchy now!

Somafunk, better weigh yourself 1st, biggest size is 40-60kg then you add the next size to get to your weight. Don’t lick it off afterwards though!

Some areas are worse than others, rarely see them round here in Delamere. Other areas are rife however. We have started stocking a new product that you give your dog as a tablet and it works for 3 months against ticks and fleas. Pretty good feedback so far. Not sure I would fancy eating the tablet though.

Don’t use Frontline on humans, it contains toxins that are carcinogenic for humans

I’ve had them in the past and probably been a bit blase about the need to remove them properly or about consequences but my sister’s partner is suffering with Lyme’s disease having picked up one of these little buggers a few weeks ago.
I should remember and learn from the time I had to answer he call of nature and squat in the long grass. I was lying in bed that night and felt a sharp nip that I thought was a hair getting caught but then many days later discovered the truth. They get much, much bigger and it’s a bit traumatic to see that horrible grey berry that their gorged body becomes when it’s living on your danglies.

I work on a site in moray once a month if I lea e anything on the ground when I pick it up it has atleast one tick on it Imean EVERY time i put something on the ground. Trousers tucked in socks riggers and waterproof trousers. Are arms che ked every ten minutes in two yeRs I have had one actually mKe it through the skin.

But my parents garden in fife… 12 in one day!

Ha!, don’t worry…It wasn’t a serious comment as to using Frontline on myself. As kids in Argyll running about the forests and building dens in ferns, crawling about heather hillsides etc we used to end up with ticks on a daily basis, it became part n’ parcel of growing up to spend an evening sitting in a dettol bath as my mum picked the ticks off my skin.

We were that isolated and hicks from the sticks so to speak that we used to cultivate ticks on our arms to see who could grow the biggest before taking great delight in splatting them.

Eeeeeeeeeeew!