Just curious really, has anyone any experience? Or have the West Country riders managed to stop them leaving the Quantocks 😉

Presumably the New Forest has them, have they ventured towards North Hampshire yet?

By the way, I'm definitely not saying I want them at Swinley 🙂

Ticks are everywhere – well, they certainly are here in Surrey Hills. Long grass is the classic way to get one (if you stop to fix a puncture for example), so Swinley not too bad I'd have thought.

Ahah, presumably you mean the area around Holmbury etc? Just didn't know whether they were in the Thames Valley area.

We have lots of ferns at Swinley.

I hate ticks. I seem to get them every time I'm out at Mabie Forest. If I stop for a pee I always go in the middle of a fire road after I picked up a very embarrassing bite.

LOL at Sqwubbsy 😀

It's no laughing matter. I left the head in when I tried to remove it and had to go to the doctors to get it checked out. His first question was "how did you get a tick there, you catch them off sheep".

It would seem a tick remover is an essential trail tool in summer 🙂

Never had a tick at Swinley

My dog got one either from Swinley or the wood just to the west. At that time I didn't know that ticks existed!

nick – any in the Chilterns?

Just bought some Autan Protection Plus insect repellant for forthcoming french trip. It's also supposed to give 4 hrs protection from Ticks too.
Sadly haven't been able to test it yet as am on conveyerbelt of illness so not riding…. 🙁
Might be worth a try if people are worried.
cheers
Q

dont recall having a tick at swinley or from the gorrick races in that area, its not very ticky.. had loads of crashes/ landings in bushes

lordswood, new forest, farley mount and some south downs are TICKTASTIC, its a virtual guarantee that you will get one if you brush through long grass, bushes etc

at farley its so bad, i stop if i go through some of the stuff and brush them off as i can see the little critters running up my leg.. before they settle in, often on the backs of them…

HOW DO THEY KNOW?

dobo – I'm surprised the ticks are at Farley Mount, haven't been there for ages. Thought you rode too fast for them 😉 Is anything happening with building new trails there?

Christowkid – one of the Quantocks riders carries a tick remover gadget with him in his backpack.

I was surprised to pick up a tick at the first round of the Gorricks this year. Especially as it was January, thought the blighters might not like the cold…
Mind you if I will lurk in ditches what do I expect….

Aw poor Joolze 🙁 You are the first on this thread which probably won't help!

Just bought some Autan Protection Plus insect repellant

I use that, find it quite effective. Always get a tick or two if I forget, very seldom pick one up if I remember. Qs BTW.

Is anything happening with building new trails there?

not seen any building at farley so far, occasionally people will clear some trails, thats about all i've seen. not heard much about it really. shame as there is some potential there for some swoopy trails

Surely the problem is the chalk base though? I bumped into some guys in some woods a few months ago and they said it was all going ahead, one of them seemed to be "in the know" as it were.

Must have a nosey around there some time, am I likely to get caught?

Disagree about Lordswood, at least I have never had one. Mind you I have never had a tick bite in the New Forest either so perhaps I smell bad to them

nick – any in the Chilterns?

Nope, never seen any, they're probably there, there's loads of deer and sheep after all, just not on the trails I guess?

CG: Yep got a pack of tick removers ( large and small ) at home too.

Johnners: thanks – good to hear from someone who's used it

cheers
Q

Areas in the UK where people acquire Lyme borreliosis include many popular holiday and outdoor activity destinations such as the New Forest, Exmoor, other woodland or heathland areas of southern England, the Lake District, the Scottish Highlands and Islands, North York moors, Thetford Forest, the South Downs. Although these are high risk areas for Lyme borreliosis, any area where Ixodid ticks are present should be regarded as a potential risk area. At least 50% of infections acquired in the UK are known to have occurred in southern counties of England.

Corrrelation between Lymes Disease and Ticks from HPA website! Not to highlight the risk of getting Lymes Disease as its still pretty rare occurance!

Got up this morning to discover that I must have missed a tick on the dog – had eaten its fill and dropped off into the dog bed. If you think they look disgusting normally, you really don't want to see one full to bursting! Instead of the usual match-head sized body it was like a bright shiny berry – plump raisin size, but tight as a drum. Eugh.

I've never ever had a tick in my life, I feel a bit left out, and that's with 90% of my riding being around the Surrey Hills or Swinley Forest!

Sommink like that 😉 only probably a bit redder 😉