The Lyme Disease Research Group reports a mild winter could mean an especially rough time for ticks.
Medical experts fear that many people who’ve been stuck inside due to coronavirus may “let their guard down” once they’re able to venture outdoors and not pay attention to tick bite prevention.
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I've been fighting the damned ticks for the past two months. I've sprayed the area around the house but to do the entire property would cost me thousands.
I take a low dosage garlic pill every night and that keeps them off of me, so that ain't no big deal but that asshole dog Jack is a tick magnet because he's not happy unless he's in the trees or chest high in brush trying to find something to kill. I give both dogs tick and flea meds and while they don't latch on to him much, they cling to his coat so I'm constantly checking him and brushing them off before he can come into the house, averaging 3-4 a day.
Deal with it....
ReplyDeleteYep.
DeleteIf you have room in your coop, add 4-6 Guinea hens. They are a roving tick patrol. They are a bit noisy but when they are out eating they all stay together. They will also take care of any snakes or rodents in the yard.
ReplyDeleteTicks are one of the most disgusting insects out there. I remember fighting them as a kid in Indiana. Don't see them so much though here in SoCal, but instead we have lots of democrats....not much difference-they're both bloodsuckers.
ReplyDeleteWe had to get guineas. Unfortunately, we picked the jumbos. Stupid as hell, will walk up and say hi to (rac)coons, or run around on the ground all night after refusing to go in their pen, and just drop their eggs (usually on the driveway) and keep walking. The normal ones we had in Georgia were smarter, roosted in the trees, and clutched their eggs, but were easier for owls to get. Both kinds are tasty. No ticks either way.
ReplyDeleteI thought about that but that asshole dog Jack would have a field day with any fowl running loose.
DeleteYou do know that your favorite animal, the possum, eats ticks.
DeleteHave you thought about guinea fowl? They eat ticks like a fat kid at an ice cream buffet. Unless the dog will chase them.
ReplyDeleteGuinea hens will eat all of your ticks
ReplyDeleteWe give our dog one Nexgard tablet per month and it works great for fleas and ticks. It ain't cheap at the vet. It kills fleas and ticks when they bite, I believe. When we bought this house on an acre with about 1/2 acre of woods in the back, I said, "Oh, boy, I'll sit on a log and watch Bambi and Thumper play." My wife said that I didn't realize that Bambi and Thumper were ticks. I had a dozen last year but this year I'm keeping the grass cut close and staying out of the woods.
ReplyDeletePermethrin is the Mil-type Arthropod Repellent. Look for "Fly Spray" for Horses, it is a low-percentage, oil-based Repellent for most Bugs, but Don't use it on Bare Skin, it is quite Irritating. On Fur or Clothes, it make the Ticks just Drop Off as they crawl into it.
ReplyDeleteKenny, been reading your stuff for a long time, thanks for all your work, it is a great site, one of my favorites and Happy belated Birthday.
ReplyDeleteYou would think that one half of the country would be slow to pick a fight with the other half of the country that is armed to the teeth but nope, it is happening.
It is going to be a great great day if we ever get to the other side of this current bullshit. The key word is "ever".
Thanks again for all the work.
I have been worried about the democrats for years now so adding an other set of parasites is not too difficult.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I am OK with ticks, just kill the bastards.
I went to camp a couple weeks ago and arrived to one of the worst tick infestations I've seen there. There were three of us in camp. We sprayed our shoes and lower pant legs with 30% DEET and cut the grass down to almost bare soil. One of the guys stopped counting after pulling 50 off his pants in the first hour. When leaving all we did was move duffel and sleeping bags out to the cars. I found one on each leg as I'm driving on the highway. I also one on my chest starting to dig in after I got home.
ReplyDeleteNemo
I got Rocky Mountain spotted fever a few years ago, most killed me before they found out what I had. Pissing red,105 fever,foggy eyes, spots over hands & feet,felt like someone braking my bones, worst headache ever & just felt like I was dying. Crap still flares up 4yrs later,or a secondary infection they say. And the antibiotics turned my nails & teeth yellow. It was a tick the size of a sesame seed that I missed for 2 days.
ReplyDeleteGrandaddy long legs will eat them too. I get 2 or 3 off my dogs everyday up here in NE Tn in the mountains. They stay in the woods and gardens with me all day though. I usually feel them crawling on me, seldom get dug in though, now that I am older I dont even get chiggers too much anymore, course my ballsack is like an old medicine ball now, could be part of it.
ReplyDeleteSkipperdaddy
Look for Bifen I/T at your local ag store. I use it here in NC and it keeps the ticks away as well as the carpenter ants.
ReplyDeleteWho doesn't like lyme with their corona?
ReplyDelete