Ticks, is it game over for shorts?

I keep reading stuff about ticks and the rather nasty Lyme disease and my local forest ranger says he pulls ’em off his dogs really often.

2023 article https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/apr/05/canada-ticks-uk-climate-change
“The recent outbreak of potentially deadly tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) in England and Scotland is a reminder that ticks are getting worse here, as well. The first suspected incidence of the disease in the UK was in 2019, and cases of Lyme disease also appear to be increasing over the past few years.

Studies have shown several tick species in Europe becoming more numerous, and moving further north. And in the UK, Public Health England’s Tick Surveillance Scheme has found ticks expanding their range across the UK. Rewilding by expanding tree and brush cover, and introducing more deer and other wild animals, can increase the tick population. But a huge driver of the recent exponential expansion of ticks into the northern hemisphere is climate change.”

2017 Guardian article:
“Reports abound of a deer-tick invasion, a blight moving across Europe and leaping across the Channel, leading to an explosion in human contractions. Meanwhile, victims on both side of the Atlantic have clashed with the health establishment – and, in the US, health insurers – over the disputed existence of symptoms that can last for decades.” https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/aug/22/ticks-lyme-disease-matt-dawson-harm

and another:
“Many patients feel neglected by the medical community due to the controversy that has long surrounded what is known as chronic Lyme disease. Despite numerous studies which have emerged showing that large numbers of patients suffer from chronic or Post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS), with symptoms persisting and worsening despite initial antibiotic treatment, sectors of the medical community both in both the US and the UK have refused to accept that the condition exists” https://www.theguardian.com/science/2019/jul/20/lyme-disease-is-solution-on-way

Of course, there are plenty of folk who have been in and out the woods for years and not been bitten, me included, but it seems there are more and more of the little blighters. Warming weather (on and off) perhaps. It’s changing anyway

I’m told the tick nymphs are more infective when it comes to Lyme (and maybe also tick-borne encephalitis) and those nymphs are only the size of a poppy seed.

US foresters recommend tucking pants into socks, wearing light clothing and after “exposure” going over the entire outfit with a lint roller before getting in a car, or going indoors.

No sitting on the ground and, ideally, avoid brushing against any foliage. Hah, that’s hardly compatible with our days out eh? Also one should get someone to check you all over, including intimate areas and the scalp, for the little buggers the size of poppy seeds. Not an easy task. I’m hoping they can’t get past the elastic of cycling underwear.

SO – Crikey

I met a lady in my local riding spot a while back who said she couldn’t believe I was in the woods wearing shorts, she’d been bitten a couple of years back and got quite ill – when fobbed off by her doc who I imagine had little tick experience, eventually had Lyme testing done in Germany, sure enough she was infected with Lyme disease. She was still feeling ill and weak 2 years after being bitten.

A pal in the US got infected with Lyme and was told it may have contributed to the Lyphoma that slowly ended his life. RIP Lenny, I miss you.

I carry a tick twister from Ray Mears site plus a Smidge tick card for times out walking.

Am using Smidge repellent on the bare bits and may treat trousers with Permethrin (it apparently wets the outfit but, supposedly, once dry has no detrimental effect on skin. (Hmm, many scientists still say Glyphosate is harmless)  Kills the bugs tho. Not sure I entirely trust the statement that it’s harmless to humans.

So maybe a shift from my normal all-black outfit to light trousers. Maybe I’ll treat those and the socks and maybe avoid overgrown trails.

hmm, food for thought

Smidge.

I’m a tick magnet. Pulled 18 off me after a 3 day bikepacking trip – because I didn’t Smidge up.

Twice diagnosed with Lyme. Twice had the antibiotics. Twice had no long term effects.

Smidge +1

Long trousers and similar just doesn’t work.

I’m a bit paranoid about them, even though I’ve not knowingly had them, I just really don’t need yet another health issue to deal with!

I have smidge and premethrin, but tend to avoid sitting down in iffy locations or camping in them and will wear trousers if I’m going somewhere woody and grassy anyway. Maybe un-necessarily OTT, but better safe than sorry.

I’ve found a few in the bathroom, but not on me.

I’ve always wondered why stuff like Frontline apparently works for cats but we can’t have it. A little spot in the back of your neck every month or two doesn’t seem too bad for people who spend a lot of time outdoors!

I got three ticks just sat on a wall by a pond in the lakes last summer.

We carry tick removers and smidge up.

If I kayak and camp on Scotish Isands I tend to leave my dry trousers on for wandering as they have attached socks.

Last one I found was under my watch strap.

Nasty little beasts.

but tend to avoid sitting down in iffy locations

Indeed, I sat down while fell running on the lomond hills. Found one on the end of my knob the next day.

Bravecto keeps my dog tick free all season, need a human version

I met a lady in my local riding spot a while back who said she couldn’t believe I was in the woods wearing shorts, she’d been bitten a couple of years back and got quite ill – when fobbed off by her doc who I imagine had little tick experience, eventually had Lyme testing done in Germany, sure enough she was infected with Lyme disease. She was still feeling ill and weak 2 years after being bitten.

New Forest by any chance? Sounds like you met my sister in law who tries to put the fear of God into everyone about them. She was diagnosed slightly nuts and ending up spending fortune to get a diagnosis from Germany, we think so she had an excuse to be on benefits long term. She wasn’t fobbed off by her doctors, they just saw through her

Bravecto keeps my dog tick free all season, need s human version

It must be seriously toxic though. I asked the vet why there was no human version and was it safe for the dog. ‘They don’t live that long anyway, give us your cash’

franksinatra, actually Friston Forest – so there’s more than one lady of the woods whose been infected it seems. This lady was lucid and not crackers at all IMO. Very seriously advised against shorts in the forest.

Surrely Hills is bad too apparently. Oh dear

this stuff might help ttps://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/sawyer-permethrin-premium-insect-repellent-review/ (as long as it is safe and who knows =about that, its probably tivial to find someone online who says it turns humans into monkeys

oh dear, the perils of the outdoors

After 20 years of being at high risk for ticks as a mountain biking forester, it’s not been until this year that I have encountered them with a course of antibiotics a couple of months ago for the symptoms after working in deer populated woods and just a couple of days ago pulled one away after a site visit.

I had one crawling on me last night after an MTB ride (Bristol area) it hadn’t started feeding though luckily.

I’ve always wondered why stuff like Frontline apparently works for cats but we can’t have it. A little spot in the back of your neck every month or two doesn’t seem too bad for people who spend a lot of time outdoors!

Is it not because cats lick it off themself them spread it across their body when they clean themself?

Don’t know about your cat but my cats can’t lick the back of their own necks 😉

Have a few on me every local MTB ride and walk now….just brush them all off at the end of the day. They’re definately more prevalent here (S. Wilts) than I’ve ever noticed elsewhere previously.

I’ve had a deer and it’s fawn at the top of my garden for the past week or so; I guess that doesn’t help!!

I wonder how many people actually haven’t had them. Is this a bit like all the crappy reviews for, say, Planet X? I have lived/played/ridden  around the woods for 60 years and have never met anyone who has had one “fitted”. My dogs used to pick them up, well two of the em did, the other two , never. Wierd. Shot many a deer and never noticed one of the little beasties either.

I’ve had a fair few. Both my boys got them last year.

I found one crawling over my thumb nail in a hotel room post hill walk.

As much as I dislike their dietary requirements, I do find them Fascinating creatures.

Another +1 for smidge being the answer. I get a good number of them a year, but mostly it’s been when I’ve been doing stuff like mowing the lawn in trousers but without smidge on. When I do smidge up, not so much.

Smidge +another vote

Fascinating creatures.  A bit like ladyboys.

When I lived in Sweden I cycled in shorts and after every ride I would have a good check. A full length mirror and a hand held mirror would enable me to check ever where.

I would often remove 5 or 6. It was norm out there to always check.  Even though they are small they are easy to spot.

therefore shorts are fine but have a good inspection.

Our dog occasionally gets them, but we’ve never had any – yet. Your risk of getting them does vary slightly across the country though:
Tick map UK

I’m currently on a 3 week course of antibiotics as I picked up 3 in Scotland a couple of weeks ago and one has flared up into a big red circle. Hopefully that sorts it out.

Doc said it had made her day as it was the most interesting thing she’d seen for a while.

That tick map,  Caithness has em, working o. Railway, I got non my colleague got 3.

Indeed, I sat down while fell running on the lomond hills. Found one on the end of my knob the next day.

Think how the  tick felt…. quite happily minding it’s own business and someone sticks a knob in his face.

Never had a problem with them.

Long sleeve, shorts, knee pads, and socks all the way up for summer cycling. Barely any skin exposed.

T-shirt and trousers for hiking, as my legs don’t like sun. Lakes, Snowdonia, and highlands. I use Smidge on my exposed face and neck, hat, upper body clothing, and arms. Are people here putting it on their trousers too?

I’ve always worn long sleeves for cycling, as I absolutely hate any insect (flies, clegs, keds, etc.) landing on me, they trigger some reflex I have to swat them without thinking about more important things my hands are occupied with (e.g. holding handlebar). Trying the same for hiking this year too.

I’ve always wondered why stuff like Frontline apparently works for cats but we can’t have it. A little spot in the back of your neck every month or two doesn’t seem too bad for people who spend a lot of time outdoors!

I’ll guess: pets and farm animals (it’s available for them too) are hairier than us, don’t bathe regularly, don’t wear clothes, don’t live as long, lower safety standards, and it’s a much bigger welfare problem for them. Not sure how the stuff works, perhaps it gets absorbed somehow so the glands all over their skin secrete a bit of it, or it’s just strong enough that a stripe down the spine is enough of a deterrent.

Yep, few years ago whipped the old chap out for a bit of fun and frolics only to find a massive engorged tick on the end of it. The missus was unsurprisingly quite unimpressed and I can’t remember the last time I was that freaked out. I did totally the wrong thing and ripped it out leaving the mandibles buried in my member and then had to wait till they fell out….luckily no infection but I’m now a bit more careful after being in the great outdoors.

One of my girls has had about 5 ticks, the other none – though she has been stung 15 times including one time where the bee literally flew past, changed direction came back and stung her, so go figure

Long sleeve, shorts, knee pads, and socks all the way up for summer cycling. Barely any skin exposed

Only one I’ve ever had, I found behind my knee after a ride in shorts and knee pads.

Over the past 12 years or so I’ve probably been bitten 18 or so times. Luckily never had the bullseye or fatigue so no concern to ever get tested for lymes.

Some places tend to be worse than others I’ve found, obviously likely has something to do with how many deer are in the area, not found any on me or the dog from the local woods but is neighboured by farms all part of the same syndicate and have seen them early doors pop off roe deer.

Other places I’ve rode still in the localish area with high deer count I’ve had the most ticks from, surprisingly though I’ve gotten a few from up on the Moors where obviously deer tend not to roam over too much as far as I’m aware so everything I’m saying could just be jumping to conclusions.

For proper riding now I always wear trousers when I know I’m gonna be on trails and hitting the brush, touch wood haven’t been bitten, despise them though horrendous awful ugly little parasitic minging little bugs, always burn them with joy after pulling them off.

http://www.ticksolve.ceh.ac.uk

Thankfully plenty of research going on. This is just one project I’m involved with looking at direct correlation between host movements, land barriers and people movement.

I’ve spent at least an hour every day walking the dogs/riding in the new forest for the last 20 years – taken no precaution, and only ever had one tick actually attach – found loads on me though, including 2 today. The dogs record was 13 attached after 1 walk about 10 years ago.

I think the risk is actually very low (obviously high impact).

It’s really interesting how people’s reports of tick ‘bites’ varies from “never been bitten” to “I pick up ticks all the time”.  Is this because some people attract and pick up ticks more easily or is it that some people don’t notice them?

I get them all time… sea kayaking camps, hill walking, bike packing, field visits at work.  I picked up about 15 this week in Yr Eryri… I think they have got worse in N Wales; but years ago I probably wouldn’t have noticed because I wasn’t looking and didn’t realise how small they were.

Had loads in North Wales. Few in Dorset. Once near the south downs. Think they like me.

I had one on my chest once. Was moving house in North Wales and driving down a tiny lane in the van with the windows open. Must have come in through the window from ferns etc brushing past the van.

I think they have got worse in N Wales

Definitely. Don’t live there anymore, but it got to a point where if I went in the garden barefoot. I’d come back in with one or more crawling around on me. Horrible things.

I get a few. A couple this year so far. Usually when I forget to apply smidge. A few years ago I had one bite develop into Lyme symptoms and had a course of antibiotics. When I saw the drs they said they see Lyme symptomatic patients every day in the warm months and accordingly prescribe antibiotics to folk every day.

Kind of think in this era of antibiotic resistance concern that a vaccine would be a better option.

Kind of think in this era of antibiotic resistance concern that a vaccine would be a better option.

Under development by Pfizer and Valneva it says here:
https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/prev/vaccine.html

A mate of mine has ongoing health issues which he puts down to an untreated Lyme infection years ago.

Always go hill running in shorts (NB: they’re hills in Scotland, we don’t have fells up here @robola)

Routinely pull many off me during and after runs. Never had an issue as either get them before they’ve had chance to lock on, or get them out asap.

There’s deer in my garden and in the farmers field and forest next to the house, so plenty about.

I wonder how many people actually haven’t had them

Never. In 35 years of outdoor activities, I’ve never been bitten and only once been asked by a women walking nearby if I had some tweezers. (I wasn’t carrying tick a remover that day, but got the thing out with a credit card)

I’m amidst tick country with deer in the field next to us and they’re always in the garden – only knowingly been bitten twice and we’re always pulling them off the dog. I’ll be heading out shortly for an hour’s run wearing shorts through long grass, bracken etc – I’ll check myself when I get back as they’ll still be mobile and you can feel them on your leg hairs.

Luckily never had the bullseye or fatigue so no concern to ever get tested for lymes.

Point of order: the bullseye only occurs in about 2/3rds of Lymes cases (IIRC) so don’t treat the lack of it as a negative diagnosis.

Never been bitten, and none of my mates have ever mentioned it either