Woodticks and Mosquitos this Summer

[Steppenwolfe]

Here in SW Virginia the ticks are really bad this year. I have already in the past two years contracted Lyme and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. I spray 30 to 50 feet around the house, paths, fields, and dog run with pyrmethrin every 45 days or so. A $100 container lasts about a year. Knocks out mosquito's, too.

 

[deerseeker001]

might have to look into that.

 

[Happy Gilmore]

I'm not all that old, I hope, but I don't remember all of the hooplah about EEE, WNV and Lyme disease as a kid, we just played outside and never thought nor heard about it. My parents never mentioned it either that I can recall. Nowadays especially with EEE, they'll cancel evening youth sporting events, activities etc. when mosquito pools test positive for EEE or WNV.

 

[Toyboy]

Up this way you can get ticks from a gravel road, I found that out. I'm now taking Doxycycline for a tick bite.

Our lower level (walk out) was full of mosquitoes and we could not figure out how they were getting in since the wife had closed up and was running the AC (yep, you know your in WI if you go from heat to AC in the same day). Finally located the source, the small wood burner downstairs had the vent open 1/2 way. The thing was full of them flying around inside it. Why they came down the chimney from 2nd story threw me. Never happened before. Closed the vent and hung one of those Hot Shot pest strips down there for 5-6 hr and that fixed the problem. Hung one in the attached garage and also in the detached garage/shop. Those work really good and last for 4 months.

 

[deerseeker001]

Heat on and then Air conditioner in the same Day yes I have did that.

Up this way you can get ticks from a gravel road, I found that out. I'm now taking Doxycycline for a tick bite.

Our lower level (walk out) was full of mosquitoes and we could not figure out how they were getting in since the wife had closed up and was running the AC (yep, you know your in WI if you go from heat to AC in the same day). Finally located the source, the small wood burner downstairs had the vent open 1/2 way. The thing was full of them flying around inside it. Why they came down the chimney from 2nd story threw me. Never happened before. Closed the vent and hung one of those Hot Shot pest strips down there for 5-6 hr and that fixed the problem. Hung one in the attached garage and also in the detached garage/shop. Those work really good and last for 4 months.

 

[dmccarty]

Up this way you can get ticks from a gravel road, I found that out. I'm now taking Doxycycline for a tick bite.

We pick up ticks from the gravel all of the time.

This morning, I stopped to unlock the gate, and when I got back in the truck, there was a tick moving on my hand.

One day, years ago, I was clearing our road after we bought it. I was taking a break from the chainsaw sitting in a chair in the gravel hoping the gravel would provide some degree of protection from ticks and chiggers. I noticed a tick walking down the road making a bee line for me. :shocked: The tick would stop every once in awhile, "stand up" on its rear legs, take a sample of air, I assume CO2, and then start walking towards me. Hmmmm, said I. I moved my chair 90 degrees to see what the little bugger would do. The tick stopped, "stood up" and started circling until it could sense me again, locked on with its sensors, and started after me again. I moved several times, 90 and 180 degrees to see how well the tick could sense me and react to my movement. I was most impressed by its abilities.

I then smashed it with a rock! :shocked:

Later,
Dan

 

[deerseeker001]

the Skeeters were really bad this Morning had to keep swinging your Arms then a bit later the wind picked up seemed to keep them at bay.

 

[SPIKER]

We pick up ticks from the gravel all of the time.

This morning, I stopped to unlock the gate, and when I got back in the truck, there was a tick moving on my hand.

One day, years ago, I was clearing our road after we bought it. I was taking a break from the chainsaw sitting in a chair in the gravel hoping the gravel would provide some degree of protection from ticks and chiggers. I noticed a tick walking down the road making a bee line for me. :shocked: The tick would stop every once in awhile, "stand up" on its rear legs, take a sample of air, I assume CO2, and then start walking towards me. Hmmmm, said I. I moved my chair 90 degrees to see what the little bugger would do. The tick stopped, "stood up" and started circling until it could sense me again, locked on with its sensors, and started after me again. I moved several times, 90 and 180 degrees to see how well the tick could sense me and react to my movement. I was most impressed by its abilities.

I then smashed it with a rock! :shocked:

Later,
Dan

What ya didnt let him have a bite for his last meal !?!? All that work and admiration for naught, just a quick squish...

 

[JamesHW]

Two weeks here in the upper Hudson River Valley clearing brush every day and we have picked a couple of deer ticks and one wood tick off us. Daily thorough checks of each other. The wood tick had burrowed into my thigh and was difficult to remove, but I got him out. Fortunately it had not started feeding yet. My info is you need to be careful removing them as by squeezing them you can inject the Lyme disease into you. We have a tick twister and it sometimes works well and other times tweezers worked well. Picked off a deer tick last Spring and got tested for Lyme exactly two weeks afterwards with negative results. Never had the telltale red ring, but wanted to be sure. I've taken to tucking my pants in my socks, wearing a hat sprayed with Deet and always wearing long sleeved t-shirts whenever working in the bush.

The mosquitos have picked up this week with the weather warming and occasional rain, but still cool nights. We sat last night having cocktails behind the house and I probably swatted 30 or so over the course of hour. Really wonderful weather here, warm during the day and cool at night and no need for AC this time of year.

 

[deerseeker001]

We have a bit of a breeze that is helping a bit with the Skeeters.Its when the Breeze stops that is when you have to keep moving or they will be all over you.