# Warning:US Tick Population Exploding



## readytogo (Apr 6, 2013)

Disease-carrying US Tick Population Exploding After Mild Winter so if you frolic in the woods be careful.
https://www.voanews.com/a/disease-carrying-tick-population-exploding-after-mild-winter/3932113.html


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## terri9630 (Jun 2, 2016)

Need to turn out some Guinea hens out in the woods. They won't last to long but they LOVE ticks.


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## Tweto (Nov 26, 2011)

I haven't seen one tick this year and we did not have a mild winter here.


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## Pessimistic2 (Jan 26, 2017)

*We have them...bazillions of them!!*

The ticks are extremely bad here this year....and they're not just in the woods. I have to inspect Bo & Lilly daily and the only place they are is in the yard. I have a standing order for Hartz UltraGuard, and they get dusted every week!!


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## terri9630 (Jun 2, 2016)

Pessimistic2 said:


> The ticks are extremely bad here this year....and they're not just in the woods. I have to inspect Bo & Lilly daily and the only place they are is in the yard. I have a standing order for Hartz UltraGuard, and they get dusted every week!!


Revolution kills ticks, fleas, mange, heartworms and all that other stuff. It's only available at the vets office but it works. We used it in S.Tx when we had a problem with ticks and mange. For just ticks though I'd stick with the Guinea hens.


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## CrackbottomLouis (May 20, 2012)

My wifes mother got a tick gardening in her front yard this year. Since our family has had bad experience with lyme disease (my wife) she sent the tick off to be tested. It came back positive for lyme disease. We live in GA for all those that think lyme is a northeastern disease. Its been a particularly bad year for ticks here. I use premethrin on all my outdoor gear, outer layer hunting/camping/fishing colthes, and boots. Its good stuff, not expensive, and keeps you from getting all varieties of nasties.


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## Meerkat (May 31, 2011)

CrackbottomLouis said:


> My wifes mother got a tick gardening in her front yard this year. Since our family has had bad experience with lyme disease (my wife) she sent the tick off to be tested. It came back positive for lyme disease. We live in GA for all those that think lyme is a northeastern disease. Its been a particularly bad year for ticks here. I use premethrin on all my outdoor gear, outer layer hunting/camping/fishing colthes, and boots. Its good stuff, not expensive, and keeps you from getting all varieties of nasties.


 I had the lyme infected tick I pulled from my head, had a sore and lucky me I had a dr.s apt the next day and he looked at it [I started not to mention it ] and said it was a perfect bulls eye for Lyme. Put me on strongest antibiotics known to man he said. That was 15 yr.ago.

My first cousins only child died from Rocky Spotted Mt. Fever about 35 yr.s ago. She was 3. Lived in Atlanta Ga.

We use cedar shavings in dog house and that really helps in winter but summer they don't go in. We have pulled lots of ticks off this year too.

Hubby got it today from fire ants. You know ants, they all climb up your leg get in position then one says attack! All bit at once. he used Benadryl Spray that stuff helps a lot.


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## terri9630 (Jun 2, 2016)

Meerkat said:


> I had the lyme infected tick I pulled from my head, had a sore and lucky me I had a dr.s apt the next day and he looked at it [I started not to mention it ] and said it was a perfect bulls eye for Lyme. Put me on strongest antibiotics known to man he said. That was 15 yr.ago.
> 
> My first cousins only child died from Rocky Spotted Mt. Fever about 35 yr.s ago. She was 3. Lived in Atlanta Ga.
> 
> ...


Sorry to hear that. Fite ants suck! Benadryl also has a gel. It seems to work longer for my oldest daughter who's allergic to to those little buggers.


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## Pessimistic2 (Jan 26, 2017)

CrackbottomLouis said:


> My wifes mother got a tick gardening in her front yard this year. Since our family has had bad experience with lyme disease (my wife) she sent the tick off to be tested. It came back positive for lyme disease. We live in GA for all those that think lyme is a northeastern disease. Its been a particularly bad year for ticks here. I use premethrin on all my outdoor gear, outer layer hunting/camping/fishing colthes, and boots. Its good stuff, not expensive, and keeps you from getting all varieties of nasties.


Damn Lyme disease is all over the U. S. now!!


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## hashbrown (Sep 2, 2013)

Lot of days Ill get 15 or 20 with spray on. I can't wait until frost. I hate chiggers a hell of a lot more than ticks.


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## Pessimistic2 (Jan 26, 2017)

hashbrown said:


> Lot of days Ill get 15 or 20 with spray on. I can't wait until frost. I hate chiggers a hell of a lot more than ticks.


Oh, jeeez, don't even bring up chiggers!!! The only purpose I can see those damn things serve is to aggravate the hell out of you!! Alabama must be the frickin "chigger capitol" of the South.  :gaah:


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## HardCider (Dec 13, 2013)

I've had lymes a couple times, Rocky Mt Spotted Fever once and ehrlichiosis once. But I gotta agree with Hashbrown, chiggers are the worse.


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## hashbrown (Sep 2, 2013)

I have a northern import neighbor that came to see me last week he was wondering how to get rid of poison ivy. He said his wife had it horrible around her waist at the belt line and around her ankles at the top of her shoes, He showed me photos and I told him it was not poison ivy but chiggers. He argued with me and said it was poison ivy. I told him he was probably smarter than me when it came to such things.


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## hashbrown (Sep 2, 2013)

HardCider said:


> I've had lymes a couple times, Rocky Mt Spotted Fever once and ehrlichiosis once. But I gotta agree with Hashbrown, chiggers are the worse.


Wow! That's horrible!


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## hashbrown (Sep 2, 2013)

Back in the DDT days we didn't have these sort of problems.


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## CrackbottomLouis (May 20, 2012)

Pessimistic2 said:


> Damn Lyme disease is all over the U. S. now!!


Its all over the world actually. Been found in Europe, Russia Asia, Africa, and all over the Americas. There are different strains and the testing sucks. You are just as likely to get a false negative as a positive. Contrary to popular belief you dont always get a bullseye rash either. If not caught early and treated with at least 3 weeks of doxy lyme can become chronic. Not many lyme literate doctors either so misdiagnosis is more common than not. It can present in many different ways even nuerologic disorders (example anxiety which is common). Know anybody diagnosed with fibromyalgia (which is actually just a diagnosis of a symptom with an unidentifiable cause) or atypical ms? Very likely lyme related. Insurance hates lyme because it is very expensive to treat in its chronic form so doctors tend to fall in line. Lots of misinformation out there.

Simple fix though. Check yourself regularly for ticks (it takes about 6 hours for them to infect), remove tick properly with head intact (burning or pinching makes them throw up into you and make sure the head is removed they make someting called a tick spoon to help with this I keep several scattered throughout my gear), and put the tick in a ziplock in the freezer to send for testing if symptoms (any) or rash appears (more accurate to test tick than yourself). If symptoms or rash appear than immediately start at least 3 week course of doxycycline. This will keep lyme from developing into a chronic form.

Lyme is far nastier than common medical understanding would have you believe. And extremely difficult and expensive to treat if not caught early. Be careful out there. Becoming much more common and spreading faster than is reported.

Remember prevention is best. Use your bug spray and look into premethrin. A hat outside and when in the woods is also a good idea.


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## GaryS (Nov 15, 2011)

I moved to Texas twenty-one years ago and never had a chigger problem until this year, and the problem is unbelievable! I don't walk out the door without a shot of "OFF" on my shoes and pant legs, and if I work in the yard at all I take another soapy shower when I come in and my clothes go into the washer immediately.


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## Pessimistic2 (Jan 26, 2017)

hashbrown said:


> I have a northern import neighbor that came to see me last week he was wondering how to get rid of poison ivy. He said his wife had it horrible around her waist at the belt line and around her ankles at the top of her shoes, He showed me photos and I told him it was not poison ivy but chiggers. He argued with me and said it was poison ivy. I told him he was probably smarter than me when it came to such things.


He'll learn.....might be painful, but he'll learn!


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## Pessimistic2 (Jan 26, 2017)

GaryS said:


> I moved to Texas twenty-one years ago and never had a chigger problem until this year, and the problem is unbelievable! I don't walk out the door without a shot of "OFF" on my shoes and pant legs, and if I work in the yard at all I take another soapy shower when I come in and my clothes go into the washer immediately.


Little b$#@%$ds have me buying Deep Woods Off by the frickin' case this year. One of the staff down at the Senior Center is allergic to 'em and she is in pure misery this year. Don't know WHY they are so bad THIS year, but I've never seen them this bad, and I've been "here" for 8 years, and in the South for nearly 25 years....NEVER seen 'em this bad!! Ticks, too...it's like they just suddenly decided to take over....and they're doing a pretty good job of it,too!!!! Actually, you can throw in the sand fleas, too....never seen THEM this bad, either!!


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## CrackbottomLouis (May 20, 2012)

I hate chiggers. Premethrin works well on them as well. Be sure and follow the directions and dont put it directly on your skin or under clothes. Its certainly not good for you. But, instead of only repelling nasties it actually kills them when they land on treated areas which gives me a great sense of satisfaction. Its much like the little orange bottles of pure deet they used to give you in the military.


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)




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## terri9630 (Jun 2, 2016)

Sentry18 said:


>


That's an ugly map. Fortunately I'm in the light blue area.


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## CrackbottomLouis (May 20, 2012)

Sentry18 said:


>


Im in the dark blue area and the tick that tested positive for lyme disease was right down the street. It was tested at Igenexx not some fly by night lab. Id recommend taking precautions. Dont forget that lyme is often misdiagnosed because the testing for it is highly inaccurate and there is a lot of ignorance about it even in the medical field.


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## Meerkat (May 31, 2011)

terri9630 said:


> Sorry to hear that. Fite ants suck! Benadryl also has a gel. It seems to work longer for my oldest daughter who's allergic to to those little buggers.


 Terri it does help alot. We are out of teh gel and yes that works the best.:wave:


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## Meerkat (May 31, 2011)

hashbrown said:


> Back in the DDT days we didn't have these sort of problems.


 If you only get a few clear finger nail polish smothers the little monsters. About 25 years ago hubby had the really bad and in desperation we put Ben Gay on them BIG MISTAKE his legs were on fire! He went to dr and they gave him something,forgot what.


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