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I've stopped hiking and camping largely because of this. Its just not worth it any more. This page has an uncommon photo of just how small the nymph deer ticks
by rb808 8y ago
I've stopped hiking and camping largely because of this. Its just not worth it any more.
This page has an uncommon photo of just how small the nymph deer ticks are. https://sectionhiker.com/backpacking-lyme-disease-prevention/ https://sectionhiker.com/backpacking-lyme-disease-prevention...
- beamatronic 8y agoCurious as to which geographic area?
- pera 8y agohttp://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0174428 http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal....
- baxtr 8y agoI recommend to have one of these on you at all times while you're hiking https://www.amazon.com/Life-Systems-34020-Lifesystem-Remover/dp/B00I43UR9E https://www.amazon.com/Life-Systems-34020-Lifesystem-Remover...
- craftyguy 8y ago> Credit card sized ... > $11.98 shipping is it wrapped in silk and gold leaf?.
- jjeaff 8y agoAs someone from the south, tools sold for the removal of ticks just makes me giggle. Just use your fingernail, scratch it off carefully. I can't imagine trying to use this or one of the crazier, "heat a needle" or "spread vasaline on them methods" when trying to remove the sometimes hundreds of ticks and chiggars you might have after working in the wrong field for a day.
- tapoxi 8y agoDoing it without a tool risks leaving the mouthparts embedded in your skin, leaving you prone to infection even after the tick was removed.
- Fomite 8y agoAs someone who lived in the south and worked with people who specialized in tickborne illness, none of them recommended the fingernail approach. Most "tools" are just a specialized set of tweezers, which aid in the pulling process in a way that doesn't separate the body from the head, and are generally recommended by the medical profession. And the heating, Vaseline, etc. methods aren't just more work - they're actively harmful.
- stronglikedan 8y agoRidiculously terrible and potentially dangerous advice aside, not everyone has fingernails.
- jjeaff 8y agoUnless you bite them down to a nub, all you need is a normal, close trimmed fingernail. Ridiculously terrible and potentially dangerous to remove a tick with your fingernail? I scoff at the ignorance. The great majority of ticks will be unknowingly scratched off before you even notice you have one dug in. So I guess you could use special tools to remove those last 10% that you happened to notice before scratching them off.
- clumsysmurf 8y agoI've tried similar tools, and found fine point tweezers are the best. Some of these buggers get so dug in, they don't fit well between the sharp edges.
- prokes 8y agoI got bit by a few ticks and we would always light a match, blow it out, and apply the still hot match to the visible back end of the tick. Scares the little bugger and they pop right out.
- Bjartr 8y agoUnfortunately the way they pop out is, IIRC from Boy Scouts, at least in part, vomiting. So I was always taught to never induce them out because you'll still risk infection from the excreted stuff.
- ams6110 8y agoI soak them with 100 proof whiskey. They loosen up and it's also a disinfectant.
- stronglikedan 8y agoWow, you would think with all that white (well, transparent anyway) space on that card, they'd print the directions directly onto it. As it is, they're only printed on the packaging, and they really aren't straightforward enough for a person unfamiliar with the card to pick it up and use it properly the first time. Shame.
- zaargy 8y agoJust remove them? As long as you remove them within 48 hours you'll be fine. Why go outside? You might get hit by a bus.
- 49bc 8y agoRemoving them requires two very vigilant people. Also getting hit by a bus is arguably better than life-long listleness caused by lyme disease which might be inheritable to your future children.
- jjeaff 8y agoTwo people to remove a tick? And I thought these little removal tools were crazy. You'll feel it itching after it digs in. Just be vigilant in the shower and use a loofa or other abraisive scrubber. Fingernails work perfectly fine as well. Of the literally thousands of ticks I have had to remove over the years, probably less than 5 were ever left on for up to 48 hours. Most people will scratch them loose accidentally.
- Symmetry 8y agoI've never felt itching with any of the ticks that've gotten me. A few big ones I just noticed running my hands over my body. The one that gave me Lyme I never saw at all. Luckily I got a big bullseye rash and with antibiotics never had worse than an afternoon fever for a few days.
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- jjeaff 8y agoI guess everyone's sensitivity to their bite and poison is different. I generally feel them crawling up my leg before they have a chance to dig in. But you wouldn't be used to that feeling if you live in an area that doesn't have many ticks.
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- nonbel 8y agoSomething is wrong here. How did humanity survive living most of their lives outdoors for so long in the presence of these ticks? Did lyme disease really not exist until 1975? I see there is some kind of "blame everything on lyme disease" movement going on as well: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyme_disease_controversy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyme_disease_controversy
- maxerickson 8y agoTick populations have expanded greatly in recent years. Things like climate change and wildlife management practices are thought to be a factor. (warmer winters->less ticks die, more deer->more deer ticks)
- nonbel 8y agoThat sucks it is a climate change linked issue... I already know I will find that more sensitive tests for tick borne diseases have been developed so essentially the definition of these diseases has changed, funding for surveillance has increased, the methods of counting ticks have become more sensitive, etc. EDIT: Yep, this looks like a good starting point if anyone is interesting in trying to figure out what is really going on. I'm not sure if I will bother: "A later surge in interest in ticks and tick-borne pathogens has been inspired by recent claims about the impact of forecasted climate change on the spatial distribution of ticks and associated pathogens (Brownstein et al., 2003; Ostfeld et al., 2005; Diuk-Wasser et al., 2006; Ogden et al., 2008; Jaenson et al., 2009). However, this research has been fraught with difficulty from the outset because of insufficient knowledge about the nature of many tick-pathogen associations (Randolph, 2009; Franke et al., 2013; Medlock et al., 2013). A proper understanding of how abiotic factors shape the transmission cycles of tick-transmitted disease agents awaits a more rigorous analysis that is often limited by the current availability of data and the many indirect mechanisms that bear on them (Kahl et al., 2002; Eisen, 2008). We assume that the many procedural and analytical errors in current tick and tick-borne zoonotic disease research are often a consequence of a lack of knowledge or of suitable training. [...] Typical problems include errors in tick identification (especially of immature instars), premature or erroneous reporting of ticks as new vectors and hosts as reservoirs, superficial data on the abundance and seasonal activity of ticks, inappropriate use of statistical methodology, and uncontrolled laboratory diagnostic procedures. The very ready accessibility of research publications online, at least in abstract form, tends to exacerbate the situation in that, as a result of superficial reading and subsequent citing, an erroneous conclusion can quickly become embedded in the literature. " https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3737478/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3737478/
- hannob 8y agoThat sounds extremely irrational. Not saying ticks aren't a health risk. But an inactive lifestyle is also a health risk, and very likely a much bigger one. There are things you can do to protect yourself and reduce the risk, e.g. using insect repellents and removing ticks quickly if you see them. Also for FSME there's a vaccine if you live in a risk area (for Lyme there is none, although a vaccine used to exist...).
- pmoriarty 8y ago"Not saying ticks aren't a health risk. But an inactive lifestyle is also a health risk, and very likely a much bigger one." You don't have to perform activities that expose yourself to the risk of getting tickborne illness just to be active.
- hannob 8y agoGiven that the biggest inhibitor of an active lifestyle for most people is motivation I'd say do whatever you like, even if it carries minor risks. And I doubt ticks from hiking overall is a relevant risk.
- intrasight 8y agoLast year twice I went out in my yard for just MINUTES and came back with ticks. I assume that any tiny black dot is a tick, and I investigate with a high-power illuminated magnifying glass - the only way I can see that it's a tick. Besides each door leaving my house is a can of "Off".
- ghaff 8y agoNot a criticism but I honestly can’t understand reacting like that. Use permethrin, do tick checks, and take other precautions.