Ticks

[Bio-T]

In Arkansas we are blessed with many forms of nature and its animals and bugs. Our State is having a problem with which is to be the Official State bug, the tick or the chigger. We are in the midst of an active infestation of these two pests.
Does anyone have a good remedy after you recieve a bite from these little dudes? If I get 4 or more bites it really affects my knee joints, having a partial allergy to them. Plus the itch becomes very miserable.

 

[labman]

I thought everybody in Arkansaw knew about Chigarid. It is glue like stuff you paint over the bite. It reduces the itch and kills off the little bug still living in your skin.

For ticks, from Labman's dog FAQ's:

I have never had much luck with any of the old remedies, the match, kerosene,
Vaseline, etc. on dogs or people. Nobody else here claims they work either.
On dogs, simply pull it off with tweezers or your fingers. Pulling slowly
reduces the chances of the head being left behind.

A freshly attached tick on a person will quickly drop off if given a shot of
insect repellent, the DEET containing stuff. I have tried that on dogs and it
never worked.

 

[goldfinger]

The best thing you can do is find out where you're getting them from. If it's on your property and it's feasible, visit your local Wal-Mart and find some repellent to spread over your lawn. My parents had an awful problem with ticks because their back yard is right up against a cow pasture.

Now they buy stuff and put it out on the lawn once a year....... no ticks whatsoever!

If you just can't keep the chiggers off of you, steal some of the wife's nail polish and put that over them... it will kill them and the itch will go away. You might look a little funny, but it does work!

For the ticks, I just pull them off and stick a match to them. They make a neat sound when they pop.

If you have chiggers, you have my sympathy! Nothing that small can cause such a massive itch.

 

[Whimsey]

Sorry, can't help you with tick bite remedies. When I had my golden she'd get the dog ticks once in a while and I'd pull them off with tweezers. I didn't want to set her on fire using the burned match method

. I got one of those little beggars one night near my belly button. I tried the match method and vasoline and it wouldn't come out "voluntarily". So I used a tweezer and pulled it out. Unfortunately the head stayed and I got an infection and was sore for about 4 weeks.

Just be greatful you don't have dear ticks by you. They are soooo small you don't even see them. Maybe 40% of the people that get bit by them develop a bullseye rash. I didn't so I had no idea I was bit. You get Lymes disease and trust me it's not pleasant. If not caught and treated early on it can cause extremely debilitating problems and neurological problems. Mine was not "diagnosed" for possibly several years and I'm now paying the price. Maybe that explains my posts

, just kidding! My golden also had undetected Lymes and it destroyed her kidneys and killed her

.

Whimsey

 

[Pick]

When I first came down to Florida, my little Jack Russel terrier got a tick on her chest. I thought it was a cancerous growth and made a vet appointment. The last few days before the appointment, the tick tripled in size. What a relief when I pointed out the "growth" to the vet and she said, "Oh, that's just a tick" and ripped it off with her fingers.
Can't remember the name of the repellent we are using now, but no ticks so far this summer on 2 dogs.

 

[JohnBrowning]

Their is a vacine that you can get to prevent lyme diease. It is a 3 part vacine!

 

[yannis]

Put some oil over it.It can't breath this way (it uses its body for air) . It will die on suffocation and the head won't left behind.
Funny thing what someone remembers from biology lessons 10 years ago.

 

[Bob Woods]

Another use for WD-40?

 

[Al]

Well one of the symptoms of Lyme Disease can be joint pain. You should make sure you don't have that. Needless to say DEET is the main preventive for these little guys. Don't know remedies for bites.

 

[Whimsey]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Al:
Well one of the symptoms of Lyme Disease can be joint pain. You should make sure you don't have that. Needless to say DEET is the main preventive for these little guys. Don't know remedies for bites.

---

Too late Have had it for years now and it's developed into arthritis. It's done nerve damage already, affected my hearing, balance is off, memory, speech and a whole host of other unpleasant side effects. I went through two intensive rounds of antiboitics. It seems to have stopped the progression, but I won't get back what I lost and the arthritis will continue to get worse. And I still have relapses where I'm almost incapacitated for several days at a time. I got it late in life(50) and it hits harder and it's harder to rid yourself of it. The worst part is the arthritis has caused me to not be able to work on our vehicles much anymore

.

JB, last I heard the vaccine for humans wasn't really effective and it was pulled from the market for problems it caused. Ironically the lymes vaccine for pets is more effective

.

Whimsey

 

[msparks]

quote:

---

Originally posted by 59 Vetteman:
In Arkansas we are blessed with many forms of nature and its animals and bugs. Our State is having a problem with which is to be the Official State bug, the tick or the chigger. We are in the midst of an active infestation of these two pests.
Does anyone have a good remedy after you recieve a bite from these little dudes? If I get 4 or more bites it really affects my knee joints, having a partial allergy to them. Plus the itch becomes very miserable.

---

Wear long pants and treat them with permanone ( don't put it on your skin, just spray your pants and it will last for weeks and even several washings. I like to wear Army fatigues since you can tuck them in your boots really good too.

I also treated my sleeping bags with the stuff when I had to lay under the stars (with the army)

Here is the write up on it:

quote:

---

Repels and kills ticks which may carry Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Made with Permithrin and should only be applied to clothing. Active ingredients bond with fabric and will last a minimum of two weeks, formula also holds up to repeated washing. Effective against ticks, mosquitoes, chiggers and mites. 6 oz. aerosol. Repellent - for application to clothing only.

---

 

[msparks]

For my dogs I've good success with Fronline Plus, it's supposed to last 1 month and is water proof.

Matter of fact my GSP must have had 100 microscopic ticks on her about 2 weeks ago, I didn't bother to try to pick them off as it would have been impossible, I could barely see them with the naked eye, glasses on or off. So I just waited until the next day. Not a single tick on her. I'm satisfied it works.

 

[msparks]

Be careful with the DEET stuff, you know it is a nerve agent. I try to use as little as possible to be effective. Hence the long pants treated with the permanone.

I'll spray some areas with Deep woods off, but mostly for mosquitoes, as the ticks and chiggers won't get on the pants.

Good luck.

 

[tom slick]

quote:

---

Put some oil over it.It can't breath this way (it uses its body for air) . It will die on suffocation and the head won't left behind.

---

only german castrol though!!!!!

 

[Win]

I would have picked the Mosquito as the State bug. Or is that the state bird?

 

[motorguy222]

Sevin Dust is great to kill many of the critters that we dont like,I think that includes ticks.It could be spread over the yard or where the pet sleeps.It can also be used on animals(Read the Directions about applications and uses).You should be able to get it at your local home center,ACE Hardware or garden center.
As to getting a tick free,baby oil should do the trick,just coat the tick with it.It may take a few coats but it should come loose within a few hours to a day.

 

[Gary Allan]

I recommend these if the environment allows....

 

[JohnnyO]

I always heard you can get them off with the lit end of a cigarette too.

 

[STSinNYC]

Vetteman, very sorry to hear about the tck problem. In Arkansas, are they wood ticks or deer ticks? Wood ticks are bigger, easier to see, darker. Deer ticks are very small, not easy to see, lighter colored. Wood ticks are less rsiky but you can get Rocky Mtn. spotted fever. I hear that strong insect repellents are needed. Whenever I'm in tick territory, I shower or soak immersed as soon as possible and then wipe down all the exposed skin areas with alcohol to make sure I get them off. They hate being burned by chemicals. Been lucky so far.

If one gets on, the goal is to remove it with the head intact. You want as little of its saliva and blood in contact with your blood. Smother it, burn it with chemicals, but get the head out intact.

As Whimsey will tell you, if you get a rash that looks like a bullseye, sprint to the doctor!

Whimsey - Very very sorry to hear how badly you have been affected. One of my good friends has just been diagnosed with Lyme, he's had it for a while without knowing it, having some of your symptoms. Hopefully researchers will find an effective treatment soon.

 

[Bio-T]

STC,

Mostly wood ticks where I live. I don't have as much problem with them as I do the chiggers. If I get them I usually get 4-6 bites at one time. Really makes life miserable.

I have started using the Deet 40% in OFF since I read the above ideas. Also I am going to spread some Dursban on the lawn. Believe it or not, I live within 4 miles of the lake and some back waters, but mosquitoes are not a problem here.
(Yet)