Tick Protocol

[HikingMano]

Looks like something that should possibly join the ranks of the P-38 CO, Photon, BSA Hot Spark and sharpened Ti Dog Tag as must have items.

Haha, it really should! Though the Silver Grippers are hard to beat for versatility...

 

[Don Rearic]

You know, I just sent CountyComm a money order and totally forgot about getting some of those things. I've been wanting them for a long time and, yeah, they are usually on my list of things to gang together.

Also, really, thanks for digging that info up and posting it and thanks to the rest of you guys for doing really good work on this.

Brian, I have your E-mail too, I have not forgotten about you either.

 

[ADD]

I still find pinching the thumb and forefinger, near the nail, at the base of the tick embedment more effective than any of these shown gizmos.

There is something about the tactile feel of your own hand vs. a tool that interferes with that sensation, which seems to me, increases the likelihood of tearing off (and leaving) the head at the site.

Mostly on dogs, but I have easily pulled off over a thousand ticks over the years...

 

[HikingMano]

:thumbup: Don

I used to remove ticks on dogs with my fingers too, ADD -- but I gotta say, it really grosses me out, man :barf:

 

[Don Rearic]

I just chuckle the more I think about it. Like I said much earlier in the thread, they used to tell parents in the 70s not to tweeze them because then you risked smashing them and pumping their guts into the wound or tearing a part of them off, etc. They told you to matchstick them or Vaseline them. Now, everything is twisted around again.

I do think that the tickspork and tick-key are great ideas though. Beats sticking your own head up your ass with a pair of tweezers.

 

[ejes]

In your experience, what are the top three repellants? (I like top three lists, that way I am sure to find at least one. )



1. First line of defense for me is the lowly garlic pill available from GNC and other places like GNC. They are crushable, relatively heat-stable little gel caps. They must stink, they must make your breath stink, they must make you belch garlic, I am NOT recommending "Garlique" pills like Larry King peddled for years as those are specifically designed so that your breath won't stink from them, so they are "friendly" to the consumer. You want the extremely unfriendly garlic pills.

Besides the stink, any other side effects of that much garlic. Gastro intestinal maybe ?

Also I ddnt notice anybody mentioning Permethrin which is sprayed on clothing and lasts a couple of weeks. Deet is effective for a few hours.

I have always been told to shower with lots of soap. . Dont know if thats BS and somebody was politely telling me i stink. But so far so good.

I actually have a slightly involved process that was or is a military method for impregnating clothing with permethrin from a bulk supply. I'm not sure if it would be appropriate to post it here or not, so, for now anyway, if anyone is interested, I can send it to you via a PM or email.

I have used this method for the last 10 years and it has worked wonderfully. There are 3 options of impregnation; 2 week formula, 6 week formula, or one that lasts for the life of the garment, 50 detergent launderings, or 1 year, whichever comes first. I use the later and buy bulk permethrin from the farm supply store. It is a pain to do, but it is effective and immensely cheaper than buying the commercially available sprays like Duranon, Permanone, etc.

Downsides of this are these: 1. You only have a finite set of clothing to wear in the outdoors during tick season. 2. You have to mix it yourself, which means you must protect yourself from the health hazards. I've not ever had a tick attached to me while wearing the clothing. I have also witnessed a tick die a couple of times after crawling on the treated clothing. It is important to remember that DEET is a repellent; However, not only is Permethrin a repellent, it is also an insecticide/pesticide and acaricide.

I'm sure some are wondering if it is safe to do this. The military uses BDU's impregnated with permethrin and garments are commercially available with permethrin treatment for the general public. As such, studies and tests have been done by various agencies, as well by the military, with there being obvious risk factors found. After all, you are exposing yourself to a chemical. I suppose that it is a matter of choice and as to whether or not you feel the risk of disease from the tick is greater than that from the chemical exposure. After all, DEET, too, has documented health risks. The most dangerous part about permethrin, from what I gather with all the research I've read, is during the mixing and when it is wet. Therefore a respirator/ventilated area and gloves are required. Once dry, the insecticide is safer. Little, however, is really known about long term exposure if the garment gets wet from rain, sweat, etc. There is also speculation that DEET in combination with permethrin impregnated clothing could possibly help facilitate some amount of skin absorption of permethrin. Again, not completely founded, but possible. Some have even stated that this combination could possibly be linked to Gulf War Syndrome, again a claim that is not substantiated. Therefore I don't use DEET with it.

 

[HikingMano]

I just chuckle the more I think about it. Like I said much earlier in the thread, they used to tell parents in the 70s not to tweeze them because then you risked smashing them and pumping their guts into the wound or tearing a part of them off, etc. They told you to matchstick them or Vaseline them. Now, everything is twisted around again.

Very true :thumbup: Funny how things always turn out like that

Good info on the Permethrin Ejes.

 

[gnius]

Brian,

I don't think you understand what I am saying. Only taking a single dose of an antibiotic could cause problems later on and be unrelated to the Lyme Disease infection which the single dose could have very well eradicated. The improper use of antibiotics, prescribing them to shut patients up because they "want something" for a cold or flu with no bacterial infection present and patients improperly using antibiotics by not finishing courses/runs of antibiotics are both apparently causing these "superbugs" like MRSA. Coupled with beancounting hospital administrators who seem hell bent on employing people to clean hospitals who have no firm grasp of cleanliness.

Doxycyclin is not widely used for treating people. Actually, Lyme disease is the only thing I can think of, that it is commonly prescribed to treat. Thus, establishing resistance against it is much less of a concern.

Secondly, a single large "bolus" dose of an antibiotic is a perfectly valid therapeutic method for specific pathogens, and carries a comparable risk of establishing resistance. Syphilis, for instance, is generally treated this way at stage 1.

 

[HikingMano]

Doxycyclin is not widely used for treating people. Actually, Lyme disease is the only thing I can think of, that it is commonly prescribed to treat. Thus, establishing resistance against it is much less of a concern.

Yeah, the other bacterial infections it's used for (anthrax, plague, some stds like Syphilis) aren't that common.

ETA: Apparently it's used to treat pneumonia and maybe prophylactically for Malaria as well.

ETA2: CDC identifies Doxycycline as one of 3 first-line treatments: http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/anthrax/treatment/doxypatient.asp So as long as we don't have any Anthrax attacks....

 

[Don Rearic]

Actually...in these times of real terrorist threats and given that laundry list of uses, a filled Rx for that would probably be a very, very good idea along with that one 200MG capsule/pill in your FAK for hiking and camping, etc.

 

[Don Rearic]

ETA: Apparently it's used to treat pneumonia and maybe prophylactically for Malaria as well.

When I had pneumonia and a severe sinus infection from allergies that fueled it about six years ago, the Doc Rx'd Ceftin. Ceftin was and probably still is, very expensive but she had enough free samples to give me and it really knocked the snot right out of the infection - literally!

 

[HikingMano]

Don, you caught the Bioterrorism thing too

And btw, it sounds like you have the worst luck with the spider bites and pneumonia and whatever else kinda crap you've gone through!

Not to detract from the others here who've had the misfortune of dealing with Lyme disease. Sorry for the drift, back to the topic of Ticks.

 

[kgd]

Some great information in this thread. I don't have much to add and really don't encounter the tiny deer ticks much. The larger wood ticks seem more prevalent.

My main preventative measure is that I pretty much always wear pants and long sleeve shirts when I'm outdoors. Admittedly a lot of this has to do with my aversion to too much sun and susceptibility to sunburn. Having pants and long sleeve shirts also makes me less adverse to pouring on the Deet solution to the back of my hands, neck and brim of my hat. At least it is a limited surface that is subject to deet applications and but still provides effectiveness. Again - the DEET is usually applied to ward off other things rather than ticks.

Having completed reading this thread, I'm starting to get itchy. Can somebody post RescueRiley's address? I may need a checkup from his tickologist?

For levity...

And that's exactly what I did a few weeks ago when I found one on the end of my... yep, annoying bugger attached right underneath the tip

Just how is it that you walk through the woods? I'm wondering......Have you ever considered using a digging stick instead? It is often said in W&SS that a digging stick can prevent against breakage of your equipment...

Get somebody to check you over for ticks - yeah right, first of all, a lot of us aren't friends of Brad Paisley, and some of us live alone. Also, my wife, ...., is my age and has the same problem with seeing something that small, providing she would go along with it in the first place , so no solution.

Doc - you are talking about the tick right????

 

[Don Rearic]

Don, you caught the Bioterrorism thing too

Uh huh, never read up too much on Doxy, Ciprofloxin was touted as the main Rx for potential anthrax exposure.

And btw, it sounds like you have the worst luck with the spider bites and pneumonia and whatever else kinda crap you've gone through!

I don't fall down in crap and come up smelling like Old Spice, if that's what you mean. I marvel at other people who consistently do that!

However, just to clarify, I was lucky all of my life and never had ANY allergies. I remember being a kid in the 70s and watching the Contac commericals where they opened the capsule and all of the little beads bounced all over the screen and they spoke of "Hay Fever," and I didn't know what the hell it was! I was 33 or the spring before I turned 33, I had a bad sinus infection that migrated south and turned into a nasty case of pneumonia and pleurisy (on one side). That was over a half a decade ago now!

Spider problems have been since we moved into this apartment, they sure are proud of this place, they charge enough for it! It's lousy with spiders and I have sticky traps out now to get the little Reclusive bastards now.

So, the bad luck is spread out over some time, couldn't take it if it all hit in one year!

Not to detract from the others here who've had the misfortune of dealing with Lyme disease. Sorry for the drift, back to the topic of Ticks.

Drift is always a great thing, in my opinion. I'm not in 5th grade and don't need no stinkin' redirection.