Ticks - what the heck?!

[John Nail]

I ordered a special dog collar for the bird dog that seems to help, but she still gets 'em

[Clay Hills Bill]

I got a couple deer ticks on me up in Tennesse a couple weeks ago.  They were so small I didn't see them until the next day. As they were embedded, I went to the doctor.  The upshot is that for the first time in over 40 yrs of hunting and fishing I ended up with Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, detected by blood test. I was on Docicycline for 14 days and that took care of it.  If you get bit, get checked because the symptoms don't come on right away.  I had no lasting side effects due to the doctor catching it quickly.

Bill

[Pat B]

Here in the mountains of Western NC they are as bad as I have seen in the 18 years since I moved here. I bet I pick at least 10 a day off my chocolate lab, Lucy Brown and find a few each day walking on me and my wife. Where are the guinea fowl when you need them!       Pat

[tradtusker]

we get these tiny ticks in south africa we call "pepper ticks" small black or light brown little guys and they are bad news.
i got nailed by them a few years ago and did not sleep for 3 days , had hundreds of bites on me and they are sore and itchy but if you scratch them they blister up!    :mad:  as i said NOT GOOD!

[Brian Krebs]

is there a tick preditor that is missing- like due to west nile or something? I know honey bees are not having their greatest day.. and one person mentioned cicadas filling bird bellies-- but is there a tick predator out there that we need to encourage?

 I have seen deer feeders with paint rollers coated with insecticide to force the deer to be exposed to tick and other bug killers.

 Is the tick problem in relation to increases in deer herds; or perhaps because of the increase of 'no hunting-no tresspassing' signs????

[GingivitisKahn]

That's a good question about the tick predators.  Something really seems out of whack at the moment and, based on the (admittedly small sample of) replies here, I'm not the only one noticing it.

[mmgrode]

Ticks were pretty bad here in WI this spring for turkey season.  We'd just expect to pick 20-25 or so off us(our clothes mostly) per day in the woods.  Had my first run in with a deer tick also.  Retched little creatures, but I'd rather have them than mosquitoes.

[rtherber]

This has been absolutely the worst year for ticks in my area. It started at Land Between the Lakes Rec.area during Spring turkey season. That place has always had a tick problem.I literally quit hunting there early they were so bad. I hike with a backpack on regularly in the woods near the house. It is a regular hiking/equestrian trail maintained by the US Park Service(Natchez Trace Parkway). I had to quit taking the dog with me because of the amount of ticks she was getting on her. BUT I've quit too, I am covered with the small seed ticks along with the larger ticks. I've gone to bicycling to stay prepared for the upcoming elk hunt out West. I've NEVER seen the amount of ticks as this year in all parts of TN. Even when I was in the Smokies last week flyfishing I was picking up ticks while hiking the well used trails to the river,not as many but several big spotted ticks were on the socks.

[PhilFloyd]

I was doing some chainsaw work in northern TN close to the KY line.  Got home and found about 25-30 deer ticks on me.  Pulled them off with no trouble.  They had been on me less than 4 hours.  About 5 days later, I started having fevers and headaches.  Tried to push my way through it for a few days.  Just got worse and worse.  Finally had to go to the emergency room.  They admitted me to the hospital with a 104 fever.  Finally diagnosed me with ehrlichiosis.  I had never heard of it, but it is a tick born disease that will hammer your liver.  They kept me 4 days, and I am still taking antibiotics.

I am a firm believer in permanone, but this day my bottle was empty.  Lesson learned the HARD way.

[Rob DiStefano]

A natural tick predator is the Guinea Fowl.  A friend has a bunch of 'em and I've seen these birds actually hunt the ticks voraciously.

 Guinea Fowl and ticks

 Guinea Fowl

[Shaner]

There have been a lot more than usual around here as well (southern Ontario)the past few years. I work at a nature reserve and we are thinking it could be because of the explosion in the deer population? Whatever the reason, it sucks, those things creep me out.
Shane

[Brian Krebs]

I am thinking from the standpoint of the weather this winter we experienced ( deep cold for a long time - it snowed on the 13th of this month here) ..

 But was there a difference in the weather where you guys are that are seeing more ticks over the winter etc??

Guinea fowl running all over would be cool.  

[hill boy]

Yea there so thick here in arkansas that they will jump ten feet to get on you and if your out of range they'll throw a handful of chiggers on you.  :D

[BigRonHuntAlot]

 Now where have I heard that before??

[vwvectors]

My guess of why the ticks & other blood suckers are so numerous is the lack of wildfires . From the Great Plains to Florida ( where I live ) many plants need fire to propagate & the soil has much more nutrients after a fire . Furthermore it also keeps invasive animals & especially plants numbers in check from totally wiping out endemic species of flora & fauna.

What say u guys ?

[R H Clark]

I would think fire plays a role.Years ago everyone burned off their land every spring around here.Not anymore though,too much risk of lawsuit.

I experimented a little on a tick once.I froze one in a Dixie cup for a few weeks.He was inside the ice.When I thawed him out,he tried to crawl away.Cold weather may keep them from reproducing as much but I don't think it kills them.

[Larry247]

I brought about ten of those little suckers home with me from the Tenn Classic. Thats after i thought i got all of them! I've still got a few places on me itchin where i pulled them off. I've never seen ticks this bad before in my lifetime, and i use to be a logger years ago.

[highcountry]

okay, I guess I better share this tick joke I just got:

Tick Warning!
I hate it when people forward bogus warnings, and I have even done it
myself a couple times unintentionally...but this one is real, and it's
important. So please send this warning to everyone on your e-mail list.

If someone comes to your front door saying they are checking for ticks
due to the warm weather and asks you to take your clothes off and dance
around with your arms up, DO NOT DO IT!! THIS IS A SCAM!! They only
want to see you naked.

I wish I'd gotten this yesterday. I feel so stupid.

[bayoulongbowman]

Well us southern boyz have always had to deal with them...I use deet spray from my knees to my toes , I where long socks then spray inside and outside my jeans...but I hear up north is worst...not: I pray for all in path of the floods along the Mississippi river...God spare them ....marco