Ticks everywhere!!!! This is disgusting. Just got back from taking

[yy4me]

the dog for a run on the edge of a local golf course. Just low grass, bike path and the like. No tall grass, no trees.
4 ticks on dog, 2 on dog walker. We're vacuuming the house and car, washing the dog seat cover.
The dog has tick drops on her fur(skin) monthly, and is scheduled for a lyme shot but this does not help but give me the creeps. Will we have to walk the animals on local sidewalks instead of a nice run? Any warnings been issued? Never had this trouble at this location before and it seems a little early in the season..

[firefox_fan]

1. Who are the main predators for ticks? Birds?

I just don't know...

[Jackpine Radical]

2. 20 years ago or more we started getting deer ticks in N. WI.

We had always had ordinary wood ticks, but never before the little, dot-sized black deer ticks, which are the primary Lyme carriers. They also seem to be around half the year. Wood ticks used to show up in May & were gone by the end of June, when the summer started getting hot. Yeah, it's Frontline for the dog & picking ticks off him from before when all the snow is melted in the spring until after it covers the ground again in November in recent years. Hell, I got a tick bite in late November during deer season several years ago.

[whistle]

3. We just had Tick Prevention week last month and here is a web site

<snip>
Tick Prevention Week
-Defence against tick-borne disease
Starts 1st April 2007

What are the risks?
Lack of awareness
Ticks are tiny, spider-like, blood-sucking creatures. Many people will have seen them on their cat or dog after they have been outside. Ticks can be as small as a pin head, or as large as a coffee bean, once they are filled with blood. But what a lot of people don't realise is that ticks can transmit a number of devastating bacterial, viral and protozoal infections to all manner of wildlife, live stock, domestic pets, and humans.

More contact with ticks
Recent increased risks to humans could be due to a number of probable factors:

An increasing number of residential and business estates are encroaching on rural surroundings.
More people are involved in various outdoor recreational and sporting pursuits.
Climate change has resulted in milder winters. Ticks, which are active at temperatures as low as 3.5 degrees centigrade, have more opportunity to feed and breed.
The reduction of sheep dipping has allowed an increase in tick numbers within certain areas of the UK.
Certain species of animals that are favoured hosts for ticks have increased in numbers.
Whatever the cause of the increase, it is important for everyone to be aware of the dangers presented by ticks, and for them to know how to effectively prevent being bitten. If a bite does occur, it is also very important to know how to correctly remove an attached tick, because this can help to prevent infection.

The risks to travellers abroad
Tick-borne Encephalitis (TBE) is a potentially life-threatening and debilitating viral disease of the central nervous system. It can lead to meningitis and in serious cases result in paralysis and death, with about one in 30 cases proving fatal. The 'Tick Alert' campaign warns travellers to be aware of the risks.

A spokesperson for Tick Alert, said: "Ticks are an increasing risk in many parts of mainland Europe. Experts warn us that Tick Borne Encephalitis is now endemic in 27 countries from areas of Scandinavia down to the Mediterranean."

Vaccinations against TBE are available from MASTA clinics, GP surgeries and healthcare centres. Further details can be found at: www.masta-travel-health.com/tickalert

Scottish Gamekeepers endorsement
The Scottish Gamekeepers Association (SGA)is pleased to support BADA-UK and the vital work that they do to highlight the increasing threat ticks pose to human health; their commitment is second to none.

The SGA have been involved in monitoring the increasing devastation brought to game stocks in recent years, and recognise the urgent need for far greater research and investigation into the true extent of the problem. Until such times as this is carried out, and effective tick control measures can be put in place, awareness and preventative measures are essential to reduce the increasing incidence of tick-borne disease in humans.

Alex Hogg: Chairman.
Scottish Gamekeepers Association

http://www.tickpreventionweek.org/risks/

[AndyA]

4. Well, you know what they say.

9/11 changed everything.








:rofl:
Seriously, you have to be very careful with ticks. You might want to use repellents in the future. Although I heard the danger of getting Lyme Disease isn't as good if the tick is removed quickly. (Not sure if that's true, it wasn't from a medical professional, but on the Internets.)

[Straight Shooter]

5. Here's something that will help cut down the number of ticks ...

Rose geranium deters ticks.

Find some rose geranium essential oil at a local aromatherapy shop, or online. Place a few drops of it into about 1/4 cup of a "carrier" oil in a bottle. Even vegetable oil will work as a carrier. Mix it well, then shake a few drops into the palm of your hand. Rub your hands together and then lightly touch around your dog's fur on her feet, near her neck, the top of her head, her haunches, and a bit on the belly. Do this before heading out on your walk. Don't forget to rub some on yourself, too. (I run my fingers through my hair because ticks love the human scalp.)

Warning, your dog probably won't like the smell! You'll probably like it, though. Be sure to use just a very little, because it's an essential oil and is very strong. BIG WARNING: Never apply an essential oil full-strength directly to skin (or fur). Only tea tree oil can be used full strength, on humans.

I have used this formula for 2 years and although it doesn't get rid of all the ticks (which I hate, hate, hate those ticks), it does seem to keep most of them away from my dog. Edit to add, I hike in the woods, and most of the time we come home with no ticks at all, so it's working. But nothing is 100 percent and still as safe as this.

I've got to get back to work but I saw your post and had to respond. :)

[youngdem]

6. Perhaps you should set up beneficial predators on your dog and on your person

entomopathogenic nematodes would be a good choice. They kill ticks. You could also invite a colony of tick-eating wasps, ants or oxpecker birds to live in and around your nether regions, to keep you safe. They all like to eat ticks.

[mloutre]

7. Hmm...

Give a man a tick, and you tick him for a day. Teach him to post comments about ticks, and you tick him for a lifetime.

:0)

[frickaline]

8. found a good study on this

I read this article and found it contained pretty good info on this. Have a read, see what you think.

http://www.ecostudies.org/reprints/Ostfeld_et_al_2006_BioSci_56(5)_383-394.pdf

I know this post is old, but as its tick season now (and I was doing this research because of that) I thought I'd post. I guess I just hate to see an unresolved thread :)

p.s. I cannot get this board to not mangle the URL so Ill post it in sections for you:

http://www.ecostudies.org/reprints/
Ostfeld_et_al_2006_BioSci_56(5)_383-394.pdf

They concluded the following:
Conclusions
Reducing tick abundance is likely to remain the most effective
method for preventing tick-borne diseases.Most recent
research on reducing tick numbers has focused on the targeted
delivery of chemical insecticides to particular hosts. These
methods seem promising, but more rigorous tests are needed.
Several methods of biocontrol of ticks, including parasitoids
and some bird predators, have been shown to reduce tick numbers
in some situations. Perhaps the most promising method
of biocontrol is the targeted use of fungal pathogens, which
has been shown to reduce tick numbers both directly (through
mortality) and indirectly (through reductions in fitness).
These preliminary successes demonstrate the importance
and potential of rigorous research into novel and existing
methods of biological control of ticks.

and here is some information specific to nematode use with pets: http://ipm.ifas.ufl.edu/applying/methods/biocontrol/fleanematode.shtml

[unhappycamper]

9. tinyurl will do the trick for you.

http://tinyurl.com/