TOPIC: Beware Of The Black-legged Ticks

Was out today doing some transplanting and when I got back to the car I saw a total of six of these little boogers on my clothes and skin. After getting home I had to remove the clothing outside to prevent bringing the stinkin' things inside. Then I washed them in bleach water and dried them beyond dry to kill any survivors. In doing a tick inspection I saw I had one bitten in and just out of sight and from this past Wednesday. I just gotta hope no signs of lyme disease show now. Only 10% carry. These things are little and hide in the leaf litter that we planters and even diggers of wild seng are disturbing. They take no break at trying to kill us as we try to enjoy our hobby, be it July or January. Permethrin on the clothing and boots left to dry survives six hot washes and still works. Deet on the skin. I won't go out again unprotected and hope you all don't either. I hate chemicals but ain't quite ready to be taked by a darn arachnid either. It's them or me. Here's a link for Ohio info. I live in Belmont county. We have them bad here. Real bad.
Be safe.

www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=...m=bv.104819420,d.dmo

I stay in the wood just about year around either root/mushroom hunting and I feed deer year around about twice a week. I have these on me and sometime in the hundreds or maybe thousands if you find a nest of the little ones. I never had a problem with any sickness just itch like the dickens and takes like 3 weeks to heal with out itching. The Permethrin works well I have used it when I start to seeing the seed ticks aka (turkey mites).

Wow, sounds like you have them real bad. Not so thick here but one to me is too many. No bullseye rash on my bite and it's healing good so I must be alright. You all know one of the pioneers of seng growing died of lyme disease from them ticks liking the leaf litter, since it don't freeze under there. We gotta root around in there like a wild boar to get our work done and that's their nesting grounds. In Ohio we had 2 counties just three years ago with the black legged tick and we are up to 30 counties now that they know of. That's reproduction at a horrible pace. I got my permethrin for the clothing and the Deep Woods Off with the deet for the skin just yesterday. So I guess I got my obamacare for the year! That's my kind of insurance. Maybe now the IRS won't steal from me this year if I can claim that.

Actually the percentage of ticks that carry Lyme & co infections is much higher, it's more in the area of 35-50%+ but there really hasn't been a lot of research done. I don't want to scare you but, a person doesn't always get a bulls eye rash. I've been fighting Lyme for over a year and half and tracing back my medical records; it seems I contracted it in 1997 and I never had a bulls eye rash (I was also tested many times over the years). I've also talked with others that have Lyme and none of them had a bulls eye. A rash can show up differently and in places other than the bite. Lyme bacteria can lay dormant indefinitely, and usually will take over when your immune system is compromised, stressed, sick etc.
The testing that one can get through a doctor is completely useless and outdated.

DEET does absolutely nothing for protection, at least not in my area. One thing that does help overall is to soak cotton balls in permethrin and put them in your woods, because mice are the major carriers this will kill the ticks the mice are feeding and hopefully lower the population.

Lyme is horrendous to deal with it's not easy to get rid of, it's also very hard to get the correct testing and treatment. The longer one has it the harder it is to treat. A good place to get some accurate information is the International Lyme And Associated Diseases Society (ILADS) website (NOT the CDC or IDSA). There are two co infections of Lyme; Babesia and Bartonella that are very dangerous, research the symptoms so you're aware. Lyme and co infections symptoms vary from person to person and some can be very subtle and most are miss diagnosed.

Like I said I don't want to put you in panic mode but I was completely naive and took it for granted so if I can help others, I've done my job. awareness is key.

Hope this helps!

We have ticks bad down here in the south (southern middle TN).

I get a few every year even when being careful and taking steps to stop them. I have had the misfortune of having hundreds attached at one time in my youth (seed ticks)... and man I hate those things.

It is not unusual to walk thru a low leafy ares in the woods (especially cut over timber areas)... and then look down and have hundreds of (we call them seed ticks) deposited in a wad on your pants leg. Crawling there way up...

I have found that you really need more than just spray to help... you have to dress right too.

I wear two pairs of rather thin cotton socks, that come up to upper calf area.

I put on the first pair, then after I put on my pants I put on the second pair and fold my pants leg over, then pull the second pair of socks up over that folded pants leg. That way everything is tucked in, giving them no easy direct access to skin. That area goes down into my tall boots.

That way they can't just crawl up your boots and get under your pants and to your legs.

I do the same with my shirt, tuck that in too. If you don't they have easy access to your skin.

That for the most part keeps them from just going in easy to get to skin, they mostly have to crawl up to find an opening.

That is where your spray comes in... on the way up they have to cross treated clothing.

And I use a combination of Permanon Spray (for Ticks) and Repel 40% deet (for Chiggars and Skeeters).

Spray my boots good, and pants legs, and around my waist.

If you go into the woods around here, between April and October and you are not dressed right and clothing treated right, you are going to get them. No doubt about it.

TNhunter

JSAT: Thank you for that info. I will check that site you mentioned. The CDC site is in fact lame. I got that 10% info from ODNR. The bite location has healed with no bad signs, other than darn shingles (I hope) coming on recently. Did you have any rash yourself? The shingles looking rash is on my opposite side right where shingles is known to appear.

TNhunter: These black-legged ticks actually get worse around October and are present all winter. Over the last couple years I have seen, and others have been too, seeing these on cats all winter but not at summer. I never cared about summer ticks (brown dog ticks). They are less dense here and in fields. The black boogers are more prevalent in fall and winter and in the woods. I think cats get more than dogs from using leaf litter as outdoor kitty litter. And, as seng growers, we are right in that leaf litter at just the wrong time. (Right time if you are the tick!)

If only we could have frontline for humans!

Sorry for the delay I replied last week but but it logged me out and didn't save my reply.

Yes most DNR websites post inaccurate information. The CDC is a major part of the problem, some board members own patents on the Lyme vaccine, some were paid by insurance companies to write the treatment guidelines, two women on the board own patents on the current and outdated testing (from 1995) and also are in charge of denying/approving any new and accurate testing submitted to the CDC. The CDC was investigated and an anti trust/conflict of interest lawsuit by Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal was filed. The CDC also claimed Lyme is not a concern, but just last year they changed the infection rate from 30,000 to 300,000 which makes it the fastest growing disease there is. (how could they be so far off on their estimates? see above I'm sure we'll have a Lyme vaccine soon enough)

I never got a rash, but in the summer of 2007 (10 years after I suspect I contracted Lyme) I did have some bumps on the back of my neck, I thought I got into some wild parsnip which is some nasty stuff. That summer I had other symptoms show and I also lost 60 pounds in about 3 months, I just had a feeling that all my symptoms were related.......everything starting slowly going down hill from then on. Over the years, I've seen many doctors and had at least 9-10 Lyme tests, which all were negative. I even have (had) a rheumatologist who denies my positive Lyme test. The testing that you get from a primary doctor, hospital etc. are completely useless, testing for animals is more accurate because the CDC doesn't control veterinarians.

2 of the common co infections of Lyme; Babesia and Bartonella both cause various rashes (both are very serious and in the right setting can be life threatening) do a search for pictures just to know what to look for. (cats are MAJOR carriers of Bartonella, hence the name \"cat scratch disease\")

One thing I do know for absolute certainty is that Lyme and family tremendously weaken your immune system which leads to others problems and allows other pathogens, viruses, bacteria etc. to kick in. One thing I suggest is to do a search for \"Dr. Joseph Burrascano Treatment Guidelines\" he is a leading and reputable Lyme doctor, or look for a documentary called \"Under Our Skin\" there's 2 parts and it might be on YouTube. The treatment guide should give you enough info to help you with any concerns and what you should do it also has a short summery of symptoms. I hope this helps, if you need anything else I'm glad to help.


TNhunter- Great point on the layering of clothes, I always tell people it's kind of like layering clothes for cold weather.

JSAT wrote:

Sorry for the delay I replied last week but but it logged me out and didn't save my reply.

Yes most DNR websites post inaccurate information. The CDC is a major part of the problem, some board members own patents on the Lyme vaccine, some were paid by insurance companies to write the treatment guidelines, two women on the board own patents on the current and outdated testing (from 1995) and also are in charge of denying/approving any new and accurate testing submitted to the CDC. The CDC was investigated and an anti trust/conflict of interest lawsuit by Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal was filed. The CDC also claimed Lyme is not a concern, but just last year they changed the infection rate from 30,000 to 300,000 which makes it the fastest growing disease there is. (how could they be so far off on their estimates? see above I'm sure we'll have a Lyme vaccine soon enough)

I never got a rash, but in the summer of 2007 (10 years after I suspect I contracted Lyme) I did have some bumps on the back of my neck, I thought I got into some wild parsnip which is some nasty stuff. That summer I had other symptoms show and I also lost 60 pounds in about 3 months, I just had a feeling that all my symptoms were related.......everything starting slowly going down hill from then on. Over the years, I've seen many doctors and had at least 9-10 Lyme tests, which all were negative. I even have (had) a rheumatologist who denies my positive Lyme test. The testing that you get from a primary doctor, hospital etc. are completely useless, testing for animals is more accurate because the CDC doesn't control veterinarians.

2 of the common co infections of Lyme; Babesia and Bartonella both cause various rashes (both are very serious and in the right setting can be life threatening) do a search for pictures just to know what to look for. (cats are MAJOR carriers of Bartonella, hence the name \"cat scratch disease\")

One thing I do know for absolute certainty is that Lyme and family tremendously weaken your immune system which leads to others problems and allows other pathogens, viruses, bacteria etc. to kick in. One thing I suggest is to do a search for \"Dr. Joseph Burrascano Treatment Guidelines\" he is a leading and reputable Lyme doctor, or look for a documentary called \"Under Our Skin\" there's 2 parts and it might be on YouTube. The treatment guide should give you enough info to help you with any concerns and what you should do it also has a short summery of symptoms. I hope this helps, if you need anything else I'm glad to help.


TNhunter- Great point on the layering of clothes, I always tell people it's kind of like layering clothes for cold weather.

Thanks for all the info. It is such a shame how greed has prevented so much advancement in medicine. Big pharma for ya!

If you check the \"remember me\" box by the login, you wont get logged off before hitting the submit button.

I've had three tiny black deer ticks that have got through my defenses and burrowed in this year. Despite a shower after being in the woods and mirror inspection, tight control of my clothes, trash bag until laundry. On three occasions the next morning I have had attached ticks. Not surprising as I'm brushing off 10 or 20 or more when I exit the woods. I'm starting to try and find where they hide when I'm taking a shower lol. I check my armpits and back crack, groin etc, I'm bald so no hiding there. They seem to love burrowing in my love handle and moobs.

Little buggers - sure I'm going to end up with Lyme's.

My family doctor said their used to be a Lyme's disease vaccine for humans, but it was taken off the market years ago because it wasn't profitable, not enough people took it, and there were too many people trying to blame and filing suit after falling ill sometime post vaccination. Apparently the market is better and less risky for pharma with the dog vaccine.

Regards,

Bulldog
Wisconsin