Ticks, is it game over for shorts?

Slight drift anyone seen any horse flies yet?

Posted 1 month ago

One found me in Montgomery 3 weeks ago – hand swelled like an inflated rubber gloves, Welshpool MIU saw me within an hour of me phoning them and gave me some antibiotics and a lecture about needing an alcohol free holiday.

Slight drift anyone seen any horse flies yet?

I’ve had a surprisingly bug-lsss summer so far – been working in the Western Isles for a couple of weeks, often in dead-calm conditions, out pretty much dawn til dusk – no midges, no clegs, no nothing.

Just back from a week in Argyll  – Argyll of the Argyll Midge Festival. Calm, warm, damp conditions, around the lochs amongst the woods and ferns – no midges. My GF who attracts them like a magnet – not one bite.

I was pondering this on a ride yesterday, post rain, warm and muggy and midgeless in ayrshire- and deep in though-  drifted off the sustrans path and crashed spreadeagled into a bank of nettles. So finally got that histamine ‘buzz’ that I must have been subconsciously craving

I am a proper magnet.

We went camping on one of the islands on Loch Lomond a few years ago, from what I remember it was quite neatly groomed unless you went off the main path or area, which I don’t think I really did. Me and my wife pulled 31 of them off me over a few days where she had 3 or something. I’ve had similar incidents over the last year or so and I don’t even wear shorts that much. Statistically Lyme disease is probably in the post for me but I have been lucky so far.

How do we remove/kill any that may be lingering on clothing, shoes, rucksacks, etc. ? I’d rather not set it all on fire.

I’ve read about 54 degree hot wash (bit much for some kit), tumble drying (don’t have one).

Also read they’ll die in a day or two. I have two tiny ones (1mm) removed same day (after attaching but not engorged), they are now dead after 18 hours in a small plastic sample bag.

I swear if I come to power I’ll shoot all the deer in Scotland from the door of a helicopter.