Ticks! EW! Gross-just pulled one off my head

[MSRminis]

We just moved from the desert in CA where NO ticks or fleas to SW Ohio. Found a tick on my head yesterday-totally freaked-and made my husband drive home from work to remove it. Can anyone give me suggestions on how to keep them away? I have all kinds of animals, Only two dogs that are in and mostly go out only to potty and occasionally make barn rounds with me, but I also have three kids from age 2-10. Don't really know what to do or use that is safe for kids and pets.

 

[~Karen~]

We spread out diaznon just before a rain, and that pretty well takes care of them here. Ticks, chiggers and fleas are prevelant around these parts, and that diaznon takes care of them all. Their bites can really make you itch. There are alot of new anti itch creams that are out on the market and I haven't tried any of them, but have used calamine from time to time, and if I any of us get ate up too bad (usually mosquitoes, a dose or 2 of benadryl has helped).

~Karen

 

[Pepipony]

Keeping them away is best, like Karen said, diazanon etc and if you want, a repellant for when the kids are out.

Ticks can carry disease ( Lyme, rocky mountain spotted fever, etc) so proper removal is of utmost importance. NEVER ever, never ever ever, make a tick back out by using a hot match or vaseline etc. You must carefull grasp it by its head and slowly twist and pull it back out, to remove it. If you get a skin tag, so be it.

Ticks are the bane of my existance. I am on SSD because of them, or maybe more so because of ignorant Drs who wouldnt listen

: So be aware of odd symptoms, or 'flu' when it isnt flu season and see a Dr.

 

[RobinRTrueJoy]

I despise ticks, they really really freak me out. I buy Preventic collars at the Vet($20/a collar) but they really do work well. I just started wearing baseball caps out doing barn work and especially when I dump the wheel barrow. Had 3 ticks last week in my hair, one a day X 3 days, I flipped out too!

Keep the kids out of tall grass. When my grass gets tall, I get ticks. Check them over everynight especially their hair. I am sure you do that anyway.

I always say that ticks are maybe one of nature's mistakes. I hate them!

 

[Davie]

Was watching Oprah yesterday and Dr Oz was on and your question about ticks was asked. Her is want Dr Oz said. Don't aggrivate (sp) the tick by trying to burn it, paint it with fingernail polish etc as this will make the tick regurtate (sp) and put what ever fluids it had in its body back into you.

His directions for removal:

Flip the tick over on it's back and pull it straight out--you can use tweezers or if you have long fingernails use them. It's barbs are straight so no twisting is needed. He said if the head does not come out that our bodies will push it out and there is no danger from the head. What his major concern was -- removing the body as that is were the toxins are.

I live in a very sandy area and ticks are something I do watch for. I have chickens and gunieas and they really help keep the ticks, fleas, and other buggies down but I do got one on ocassion. Do be sure and check the kids if they have been out playing that is for sure--ankles, underarms, behind knees, hair, around waist line where clothing is tight fitting.

Hope this helps

 

[Charley]

I too hate ticks. They totally freak me out.

I check my dog daily for them. We just moved out to the country and have seen quite a few since we moved. My dog had six on her head and ears the other day. I am now checking her daily. We take the tweezers and pull them straight out.

I have heard that guineau hens will eat them.

 

[Pepipony]

I will respectfully disagree with Dr Oz. Think about it, if you leave the head that means you grasped the body and pinched it, which will force its stomach contents out of its mouth, which you do not want to do. You must grab the head and not the body. Yes, your body will eventually push out the head but since that is where the mouth parts are, there may still be bacterium there. Be safe and get the entire tick by grabbing the head. Also, you twist the tick to let loose the 2 barbs that the tick has along its mouth parts, if you pull straight back, you run the risk of loosing the head.

 

[Boinky]

I agree wtih peppi... beinga person with lyme..that is NOT what i was told.. you want to be certain to get the WHOLE tick out..and you want to get something that will reach down under the tick and grasp the head.

the best way to avoid tick born diseases at this point is to wear long sleeve LIGHT colored clothing.. you can buy pemethrin spray at walmart (quite reasonably priced) that will last on your cloths for like 35 or so washings... prevention is the key here. I've never heard about the spray above people treat their yards with..but i would think that could be a good option too, however i'm hesitant about using too many pesticides..especially having dogs, horses ect... but is definatly an option! dogs i'd recommend a tick repllant like front line andi f your still havinga problem maybe treat them with something extra.

 

[Pepipony]

This is going to sound absolutely far fetched way out there in space land LOL There are 2 camps concerning ticks/tick disease. Those that have a tick disease ( or who actively and correctly treat them) and those that dont ( including the Drs who dont treat it) Unfortunatly the only way to learn is to get sick from a tick. Even though we have many Rheumotologists ( sp?) and ohhhhh whats the name, anyhow, Drs who treat tick diseases, very few of these Drs actually know how to treat it correctly. Sounds nuts doesnt it? Did to me when I was first diagnosed with lyme. But then I learned and the reason why those 3 dozen Drs over 17 years all got my illness wrong, wasnt so far fetched. Oh well, off my soapbox LOL Remove those ticks CORRECTLY!!!

 

[dreammountainminis]

Avon skin so soft in the pale green bottle also works as a good repellant and it is safe for kids dogs cats horses ...I use it on my kids and critters and swear by it ...It also repells flies and skeeters ..

 

[Davie]

After re-reading my post I did leave the impression that Dr Oz was saying to remove the body only. That is not what I meant he did say to grab the tick as close to you skin as possible, but if the part of the head remained it would be rejected. I know that I once removed a tick and part of the head remained and I finally was able to get my twizzers back on it and pull it out.

You do want to grab the tick as close to you body as possible and REMOVE THE WHOLE TICK. I've know about Skin So Soft for many years and do use it. Dr Oz also mentioned that ticks do not like the smell.

Sorry for the mis-interpertation

 

[Pepipony]

Davie, I got it, I assumed he meant what you re-posted. I was just stating that it is imperative to get the entire tick out, either the first time, or right when it breaks and not let your body expell it.

 

[Mike Creel]

I have always heard that Guineas are great for controlling ticks.

"Guinea Fowl originated in West Africa and look similar to turkeys. The diet of these birds, when full grown, consists of 90% insects with one of their favorite being the tick. Guineas walk around pecking the ground like drill sergeants eating any insect they come across. Many people use them for controlling the tick population. They also make good watch birds, as they will holler at anyone approaching the property for whom they are unfamiliar with."

Source: http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/pets/guineafowlwhat.htm

--Mike

 

[~Karen~]

You know, my grandpa use to take sulfer tablets to keep all insects away. When he could no longer purchase the tablets, he would take the heads of paper matches (3 of them) daily from Feb. until after the insect season. I was amazed as a teen at how we could get ate up by chiggers and mosquitoes and ticks, and he would never get anything on him at all. Personally, I have never done this, not really sure if it is safe for the body or not. My mom use to take garlic tablets to keep away all those insects and it worked for her, but she always smelled like garlic. I don't know if the no odor garlic works the same. I just spray if I go out of zone, untreated areas. I'm the worst to remember to take tablets daily. and really don't rellish the idea of smelling like garlic all the time. I've heard the same thing about that skin so soft. I don't know any aavon sellers personally, so I don't buy it myself.

~Karen

 

[wantminimore]

I always thought that the ticks whole head was in you and had wondered how you're supposed to get it out when it's head was buried. So, does only part of it's head get buried?

Leslie

 

[Pepipony]

The tick can bury its entire head. Along their mouth , think of a drinking straw as the mouth, they have 2 barbs that shovel in and then hold the head in place while they suck. The trick is to find the beggers before they can fully attach. For a few reasons, one being that they wont have time to get 'stuck' and also , the less time they have to feed, the less the risk for passing a disease. However, disease can be passed the instant it starts feeding. Drs/researchers used to think that it took 24 hrs to pass disease ( I never understood that thinking) , it was only recently that they discovered it can be instant. And I can vouch for that. A few years back hubby felt the tick bite and we know it wasnt there 15 minutes earlier, and I removed it right then. 2 days later he got that lovely huge Lyme rash at the bite site.

 

[wantminimore]

What, if anything should you put on the bite site after removing the tick?

Leslie

 

[Pepipony]

Clean it thouroughly with Peroxide, then use a triple antibiotic cream on it. Watch for any signs of rash, which can appear anywhere on the body and not just the bite site. Also watch for any odd symptoms, from blurry vision to aches to 'just about anything'. If any of these appear, see a Dr and if they just poo-poo it, see another. Blood tests are useless for a few weeks as it takes time for your body to build antibodies, if anything is suspected, treatment must start asap, no waiting for test results.

******* I am NOT a Dr nor Nurse, I am just someone that has had to deal with their incompetence and had to learn how to cope with their mistakes.