Message Forums

My daughter was weeding her garden a couple of years ago, she looked down at her wrist and saw what she thought was a spider so she tried to flick it off but she said it was hard to to do. A while later (cant quite remember if it was the next day) she got a rash where it had been and it spread in a wierd sort of line right up her arm.

It didn't get any better so she went to the Docs and she didn't feel too great either. They sent her up the hospital where they examined her and gave her treatment for suspected Lymes Disease. That was from her own garden, they said it could have been off a fox.

Helen

The dog used to get them regularly when we lived in Bradford, I think they came from the horses, but now we are living in the countryside, he doesn't seem to get them anymore!

Think I will invest in Calendular oil though.

B

Hi All

Reading this thread has just reminded me about these horrible little things. Our dog got a few last year and they really are disgusting. Trouble is they are so small you can't really see them until they have been sucking on the hosts blood for a while and become engorged   

When they are engorged they look like a brown jellybean. A fact my hubby used to creep out our children by saying ' ooh look we just found another tick on the dog' and eating it (Jelly bean not tick!!!)

We now get Advantix from the vet instead of the other flea treatment we used to use as this helps prevent ticks as well as fleas!!!. When she did have them I found the twist and pull method quite difficult so we bought a tick remover and it  gets them off really quick and easily. I would definately recommend keeping one in the camping equipment. I'm just glad none of us have had them. I'm sure the remover would work equally well on people though.

You can TICK this advice or leave it !

But If you find ticks on you and you want to get um off quick the easiest way is to use a tick remover that is designed for your pets that you can get in most vets for a couple of pounds. I always carry one in my kit and have done for 17 years (HM Forces) 

They are called tick hooks you get one large hook and a small one the pack shows you how to slide it over the tick and with a twisting action twist the little devils out in one peace job done in seconds 

As for getting Lymes Disease well , its important to remain vigilant as previously mentioned by others but I would worry to much about that one

Well if folk are going to tell horror tick stories try this one

About 5 years ago on exercise in sunny Scotland I had to find a route through a dense wood much to my pleasure I noticed what appeared to be a small path running through and luckily in our general direction so myself and the rest of the section stumbled through until daylight at the other end

The trouble was when we emerged on the other side we were all covered from head to toe in hundreds and hundreds of small ticks we were crawling in them

The nice little path must be used regularly by deer and these little devils just sit and wait for you to brush past

Needless to say there was very little insect repellent left shortly afterwards and it would have been an interesting sight for any passerby as we were all inspecting and checking each others............

Well im sure you can imagine cant you!!!!!

I will never forget that one