Ticks in the Pennsylvania Summertime Woods!

J

JerryinPA

New member
Hi all,

Although I'm not even trying to call any predators this time of the year, I'm sure enjoying taking my new Tikka for walks in the woods.

I live in Southwestern Pennsylvania. I've never spent much of my Summers in the woods, but I'm enjoying scouting out some areas.

So what about the ticks? Man, the woods are loaded with them! If I even think about sitting down for a couple of minutes I get 'em all over me. So far I've caught them on the clothes or at least before they chew their way in!

So what about them? Any good ideas, or do you guys all just go fishin' instead in the Summertime!

How is the best way to remove them if they do bite in to me?

Regards,

Jerry.
 
Bad in Ohio too! Be sure and wear a hat/ballcap. Light colored clothing and use Deet available at most camping supply stores. Just be sure and wash it off when you are home. I just pull them off before they get imbedded.
 
Tuck your shirt in also. Ticks don't bother me as much as chiggers. There is not a spot on your body immune to a chigger, if you know what I mean. Repellant works good for them also.
 
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How is the best way to remove them if they do bite in to me?



I've had 2 in my lifetime, both times I went directly too Dr.'s to have them removed and been tested for lyme. Thank goodness the tests came out negative. He just grabed them with tweezers and pulled them out then put me on an anitbiotic of some sorts. Dont know if thats what you're spose to do but it seemed to work out ok.
Havent seen many up my way this year YET !!! lol


Vic
 
Bad here too. I wear 16" snake boots and as goofy as it may look, tuck my pant legs into the tall boots. Shirt gets tucked in at the waist, long sleeve lightweight nylon variety that evaporates sweat quickly and breathes. I use the Peramone (sp?) spray and don't have a problem with creepy crawlers. If you use DEET, be careful what you handle. DEET will "melt" some plastics, remove finishes, ect... In the past when I got a hitchhiker tick, I used tweezers to pull the tick straight out removing the head too, don't break the head off in the skin, that's bad. Some rubbing alcohol, then an antibotic topical cream and forget about it. So far so good, but Lyme is a heck of a bad deal so be careful. On another forum I frequent a fellow Missouri hunter got bitten on the shin by what he thinks must have been a Brown Recluse spider and it caused him all sorts of serious problems. To the point that his doctor told him that if he had waited much longer to come in, that his white blood cell count was so low that he was in serious risk of death! He spent four days in the hospital over the deal. Yikes! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif
 
Got two ticks off me from behind my left knee during spring gobbler season..they were rite in the solf spot..I just pulled them off..a red spot with welts did appear..put rubbing alcohol on the bites...it quit itchin and all is well..also Witch Hazel will work also...to stop itching of all bug bites...
 
as a former sufferer of Lyme disease, I speak from experience... when bitten by a tick, one that is latched in and working, get to the Doctor to have it removed... he can identify it as to what type it is, although the Dog ticks have been found to be carrying Lyme also in the last few years... so it's not only the little Deer ticks we need to worry about anymore... your Doctor can give you a shot of some type antibiotics that will keep Lyme disease from developing, so long as it's within 24 hours of being bitten...

this is nothing to play with, it is serious business... I had a friend who I worked with for years that got Lyme disease and he was 3 years till they finally checked him, after thousands of dollars worth of other tests, and medications... they said he had atleast 5 other problems before they checked for Lyme and to this day he's still useless... joints are ruined, nervous system all screwed up, he's only a shell of what he used to be... if after being bitten you start showing signs of what you think is a summer time flu or cold get to your Dr and get checked out... if he's one of the foolish ones that think Lyme isn't around, get a second opinion... this stuff has the potential to ruin you... be careful out there and remember to check yourself out when you come out of the field...
 
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as a former sufferer of Lyme disease



Leroy, I thought Lyme disease was treatable but incurable? I can relate to your story about your friend. I had a former pastor who went through the same thing. He remembers pulling the tick off of him during deer season but didn't think anything about it. A few months later he's sick and they can't figure out what was wrong. A year later its too late! He was in his mid 40's, a picture of perfect health, running 5 miles a day. Now he's in a wheelchair and totally disabled.
 
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Leroy, I thought Lyme disease was treatable but incurable?



well it'll be 4 years in a couple months and have had no more trouble with any symptoms... lets just hope it's not laying dormant and waiting to blow up again... the antibiotics they had me on was the same they use for Anthrax and all that other good stuff... I sure hope it did the trick...
 
I dug a tiny one out of my bellybutton 4 days ago. It was about the size of the period on your keyboard. No lyme symtoms yet. Just a little red and itchy. I've beem keeping it clean and putting antibiotics on it. I'll keep an eye on it. Also got 4-5 chigger bites on my legs.

What is the purpose of ticks and chiggers and why did God create them? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif
 
I've never heard of anyone going to the doctor to have a tick removed. I've had many, from chiggers to seedticks and on up. From what I've read, Permethrin - sold as Permanone - works well. I just try to stay out of the woods in warm weather. I'm sure Lyme disease is bad, but I'm not sure it's as common as some of you are implying. In almost 28 years I've known one person that had it.
 
Thats exactly why I didnt act like a tough guy and went directly to the Doctors, I dont want to mess with lyme. I still dont wear any deterrent, just check myself frequently and hope to catch them before they catch me.

[Edit] didnt see your post JimT, replying directly to the lyme post /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Vic
 
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I've never heard of anyone going to the doctor to have a tick removed.



not so much as to have it removed but for the antibiotics to prevent the onset of the disease...

check this...

looking at the map JimT you're lucky to only have a light infestation in your state...
 
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