In our never ending quest to find "the perfect property" on which to build a new house, we have been traipsing in... through... up... and over... tall, thick brush filled with ticks!
Here's what I've learned about the dangers of ticks (like not all ticks carry the dreaded lyme disease), and the best tip of all: The easiest way to remove ticks!
There are a number of experts who have compiled lists of what to look for, how to remove, and how to prevent tick bites. My favorite ones are here:
Tick Identification: Which Type Bit You?
How To Remove A Tick From Your Body
How To Identify Different Ticks
Which Ticks Carry Lyme Disease?
According to a Newsweek article (June 19, 2006), "ticks feed on humans for at least 72 to 96 hours" and their favorite areas on the body are the armpits and groin area.
On us, the ticks seem to prefer our calves... knees (front and back)... waist... calves... ankles... and did I mention calves? FYI, we were always wearing long pants and DEET!
Our Experience With Tick Bites
Judging from the above information, we have been bitten by mostly Lone Star Ticks, and plenty of Tick Larva!Before this summer, I had never seen ticks as small as the ones pulled off our legs, arms and other parts.
Apparently these are Tick Larva or Nymphs, and I'm here to tell you... they leave the itchiest bite of all!
These tiny ticks are fairly easy to pull off your skin, but the itch lingers on for DAYS... even weeks.
There for awhile, my skin kept bruising from all the scratching I was doing.These little buggers pack a mighty bite! Then I started using Benadryl, and applying a Cortaid-type product to the bite, and the itching went away much faster.
For the record, most of the ticks we pulled off our dogs this summer were Dog Ticks and Lone Star Ticks:
Neither Lone Star Ticks nor Dog Ticks are carriers of Lyme Disease. I can only guess that since the tiniest ticks Jim & I pulled of ourselves were more brown than black in color, that they were probably not the Deer Ticks that are responsible for Lyme Disease. Whew! (Nor have we ever spotted larger Deer Ticks either on ourselves or our dogs.
See what the Lyme Disease rash looks like...
The #1 BEST tip I've learned is...
To remove a tick from your skin, the proper way is as follows:First, using tweezers, grasp the tick as close to its head as possible. Gently lift the tick away from your skin until your skin puckers.Hold the tick in this position until the tick lets go. This may take a few seconds to one minute. Source
Other Popular Tick Removers:
Check out the many tick removers and tools useful for removing ticks.
UPDATE 6/14/07: We've since learned about another (better) way to prevent tick bites: Permethrin!
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I pulled a tick off my back this morning (it may have been there anywhere from 3-6 days, I am not sure) - I freaked out and did know anything about them. I flushed it down the toilet & now I regret that! However, when I freaked out and ripped it off my back, the tick also took with it a good chunk of my skin - the skin was all white and dead looking. Now, I have a small red mark (no bleeding) on my back. I am going to see my doctor in a couple of days to see what, if anything can be done. I live in Sask., Canada.
Apparently, incidences of Lyme disease are rare in this province, so I really hope that i am safe from Lyme disease.
My back still feels a bit sensitive, most likely because I ripped off skin...
also unscrewing the tick counter-clockwise with a tweezer works also
Hiker -
Ahhh, great idea!
I'll have to try that next time. It sounds easy enough...
vaseline.
entirely coat the tick in vaseline sealing it off from air. it eventually backs itself out.