TICKS in 2021
 

Having difficulties this year with ticks?

For me, ticks have never been as bad as this year. I did have one "dig in" so I had to go to Emergency Care to have it removed. Additionally they had to give me a heavy dose of medication to avoid catching Lyme disease.

The Doctor told me that they've had plenty of situations like mine this year and said the ticks have been very aggressive.

Any other Forum members out there noticing lots and lots of ticks?

ticks are worse this year for sure
 

We've seen it for ourselves, my husband had none for the past 10 years and this year, we already had to remove 3 from him and 1 from me.

Friends have noticed the upswing as well.

Yes, a lot this year. They are esp bad in tall grassy areas.

Yup. Last year never saw one. This year we have had several on us and in our house and on our front porch!

Amazing that in just ankle high sparse weeds my wife picked up 2. Dogs just poke their nose in a bush and I pull 3-4 off them..

Any ideas why ticks are worse in this part of the country and can anything be done to reduce their population.

This is well past annoyance, its a public health hazard.

I must say I use those bug killers that you attach to a hose twice a season and they work well on ticks. Little effect on mosquitos, but ticks are reduced


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I do consider the 2021 crop of ticks to be a Public Health Hazard (at least for me).

My Doctor told me I can have my property sprayed to prevent the ticks, but I worry about my dogs and cats. Anyone have any idea how household pets could be affected?

Also, I did call J.P. Pest Control out of Moultonboro to obtain a price to spray but they are so busy they won't provide any price quotes these days. So, are they super busy OR are they just short of employees to do the work? I just don't know for sure.

If they are not embedded for 36 hrs. or more, the theory is it is safe to remove them and have no treatment.

I had one embedded for about 12 hrs.. I removed it, called my physician. He gave me his conservative advice, You know, the one lawyers can defend. I told him what I wanted to do, and he said OK. I watched for a follow-up rash for one week and everything was fine.

I have had more tick experience than most. I have found three so far this year. One today. It is the worst I've seen in a lot of years.

May I ask our creator why these things exist? I await the response...Bring it to me. Don't make me come to you.

They were quaranteening because of covid. Now that restrictions have been lifted they are busting out in full force.

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NICE, just like the new crop of first-time boat owners who just bought 50 MPH boats, but dont know what a marker is,,, But they got their payments all set up and they are ready to hit the water. Makes me wonder if we can spray for new boaters. Oh sorry, I mean just as a repellent not to eradicate them ;-)

I couldn't go out without being covered with those monsters. I purchased some Bifen IT and a Lowes power sprayer and treated my lawns. I haven't see a mosquito or a tick since and it's been over a month! Give it a try...

https://store.doyourownpestcontrol.c...%20Insecticide

This kills the good stuff. Can’t

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The boost in tick population this year are Dog Ticks, not Deer ticks. These are the larger ticks and do not carry lyme. Deer ticks you can barely see, which is partly why they are so dangerous. Dog ticks do carry other diseases though.

https://www.nhpr.org/post/noticing-m...-know#stream/0

Get some chickens. They eat them.

Bonus part, fresh eggs!

Unfortunately people refuse to read directions... it clearly says do NOT spray flowers. Ticks aren't pollinators so spraying your lawn and surrounding edges won't hurt butterflies and bees.

What about animals? I have a dog and I'm afraid to spray anything that might make her sick.

Dogs are the reason I spray. If the kids are up we have four dogs here. Never had a issue, ticks are minimal. As I noted, I use the milder stuff


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What do you use?

Attachment 17058

from Lowe’s. Have used others they carry. I wait for a two day dry forecast and spray the whole yard. Never an issue with plants. Still have ants and bees and misquotes. But, ticks are reduced



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The ticks are asking the Creator why people exist [emoji6]


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Have had a few dog ticks. One that got me was the black legged deer tick that can carry Lyme, ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis, but hadn’t been on me long and not inflamed. For cats and dogs, Bravecto works well. More than a repellent, it kills the tick even before it bites. You need a prescription from a vet and it’s expensive, but I think worth it.


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Some things I don't understand about ticks.

First, how exactly do they get on you? Say you're walking in tall grass. Do they see you coming and jump on you at just the right moment? How do they latch onto you if you're moving? How far can they jump? Seems like a hard life, hanging out in the grass all day hoping an animal will come by.

Second, how come we can't feel it when they bite us?

Third, are some people naturally immune to ticks? I spend a lot of time outdoors and in the woods and have only ever had one bite me. It was on my head so I think it fell from a tree I was standing under.

It says that you need to keep your pets from the area until it dries. After it dries it's fine.

We are their hosts. We feed them. They do nothing for us...Except create an industry for eradicating them.

Ticks are in the arachnid family of spiders. They are mostly found in pine trees.
They can jump, but usually just wait for a host for them to fall on. A dog in a yard is a perfect host, as is any wooded area, because they may already be on the ground. Depending on the tick, a squirrel or a bird can have them in
addition to a deer, so just about any repellent is necessary. My advice...get outside and enjoy! We've survived Covid... Ticks can't overtake us!!

I did a Google search;

"Ticks can't fly or jump, but many species wait in a position known as "questing".
While questing, ticks hold on to leaves and grass by their third and fourth pair of legs. They hold the first pair of legs outstretched, waiting to climb on to the host".

And now we know!



.

Regarding 2nd question. The answer is pretty gross.

Tick bites are painless, so it’s likely you won’t immediately know that you’ve been bitten. The tick injects an anesthetic into the skin at its point of entry, which helps it avoid detection so it can continue feeding. Many patients with the tick-borne Lyme disease don’t recall having a bug bite of any kind.

Taken from here which has tons of other gross info on them.

https://igenex.com/tick-talk/identifying-tick-bites/

My property is loaded with pines. So your comment warranted some research.

Ticks do not live in pine trees.

Numerous sites say tall grass.

https://www.gardentech.com/blog/pest...-against-ticks

Pine trees don't harbor ticks
 

Yes, glad you corrected the record. I had never heard that pine trees are where ticks hang out. Rather tall grasses, brush and even ground litter can host ticks. It is a bad year but hopefully we are through the worst of it now.

One thing I do that seems to work is take a 2-3 inch diameter pls pipe, cut into six inch lengths, paint brown to make them less noticeable (to us), and stuff them with permethrin treated cotton balls. Mice then pull the cotton out to line their nests and poof, it kills the ticks (but not the mice - too bad that would have been a bonus). When I am getting wood from my wood pile in the fall, I come open field mice nests and there is the cotton in the middle of the nests. Key is to not soak the cotton too heavily as it tends to turn off the mice from using.

Every spring and fall I collect the tubes, reload with new cotton and off we go.

I never said that pine trees harbor ticks, but I stand corrected if your info
is accurate. Tall grass seems like a logical place for ticks to frequent, but
what about groomed lawns where folks still have ticks present? I think one of the earlier posts makes sense about ticks waiting for a host, then making
their move. Either way, I still stand by my idea of getting outside! Bugs
be danged!!:laugh:

Pretty clever idea. I have read that rodents are a common carrier.

You are probably helping the rodent population though :)

Absolutely. Just remember to get naked and check each other for the little buggers. Keeps the marriage young


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Hmmm... looks like safer stuff


Hazards to Humans and Domestic Animals
CAUTION. Harmful if swallowed. Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water after handling and before eating, drinking, chewing gum, using tobacco or using the toilet.

FIRST AID
If Swallowed: Call a Poison Control Center or doctor immediately for treatment advice. Have person sip a glass of water if able to swallow. Do not induce vomiting unless told to do so by a Poison Control Center or doctor. Do not give anything by mouth to an unconscious person.
Have the product container or label with you when calling a Poison Control Center or doctor for treatment advice.

Environmental Hazards
This product is extremely toxic to fish. To protect the environment, do not allow pesticide to enter or run off into storm drains, drainage ditches, gutters or surface waters. Applying this product in calm weather when rain is not predicted for the next 24 hours will help to ensure that wind or rain does not blow or wash pesticide off the treatment area. Rinsing application equipment over the treated area will help avoid runoff to water bodies or drainage systems. Drift and runoff from treated areas may be hazardous to aquatic organisms in neighboring areas.
This product is highly toxic to bees exposed to direct treatment or residues on blooming crops or weeds. Do not apply this product or allow it to drift to blooming crops or weeds if bees are visiting the treatment area.