2025: Year of the Tick

[Jstpssng]

Not entirely. There is some scientific evidence for antibodies against tick saliva anticoagulants, which causes the blood not to flow into the wound the way ticks need to feed. That causes the ticks to relocate, and drop off.

Whether I have them is a different story. Totally unproven.

All the best,

Peter

That's got to be similar to how the Bravecto works.

 

[jyoutz]

Avon skin so soft lotion has long been a secret that people who work in the woods know about. It’s a great mosquito and gnat repellent. It’s made with citronella oil. IDK if it works on ticks.

 

[2manyrocks]

They make a product with tick repellent. Dont know anything about it.

Skin So Soft Bug Guard Plus Picaridin Aerosol Spray by AVON

Shop AVON's Skin So Soft Bug Guard Plus Picaridin, a mosquito repellent for full protection on holiday in a handy pump size. Bug repellent with no deet!

www.avon.com

 

[jyoutz]

They make a product with tick repellent. Dont know anything about it.

Skin So Soft Bug Guard Plus Picaridin Aerosol Spray by AVON

Shop AVON's Skin So Soft Bug Guard Plus Picaridin, a mosquito repellent for full protection on holiday in a handy pump size. Bug repellent with no deet!

www.avon.com

All of those products contain citronella oil. Works great for gnats and not bad for mosquitoes.

 

[CPTKILLER]

In Texas, Guinea Fowl do a fair job with ticks, snakes, and other varmints.

Penn State Extension says:

“Guinea Fowl
Three studies have examined whether guinea fowl feed on ticks in North America. Two of these focused on blacklegged ticks (also called deer ticks), while the third focused on lone star ticks. All three studies found that guinea fowl consume adult ticks, and two reported that this feeding reduced the adult tick population. However, two of the studies also examined the impact of guinea fowl foraging on nymphal ticks. Nymphal ticks are smaller than adults, so there is a higher risk of a person being bitten without realizing it and acquiring a tick-borne pathogen. Both studies found that guinea fowl did not reduce the nymphal tick population. Further, the guinea fowl served as hosts for nymphal ticks, which may increase the number of ticks in an area. Because of this, the studies concluded that guinea fowl are not effective at controlling ticks or reducing the potential for acquiring tick-borne pathogens.”

 

[jyoutz]

In Texas, Guinea Fowl do a fair job with ticks, snakes, and other varmints.

Penn State Extension says:

“Guinea Fowl
Three studies have examined whether guinea fowl feed on ticks in North America. Two of these focused on blacklegged ticks (also called deer ticks), while the third focused on lone star ticks. All three studies found that guinea fowl consume adult ticks, and two reported that this feeding reduced the adult tick population. However, two of the studies also examined the impact of guinea fowl foraging on nymphal ticks. Nymphal ticks are smaller than adults, so there is a higher risk of a person being bitten without realizing it and acquiring a tick-borne pathogen. Both studies found that guinea fowl did not reduce the nymphal tick population. Further, the guinea fowl served as hosts for nymphal ticks, which may increase the number of ticks in an area. Because of this, the studies concluded that guinea fowl are not effective at controlling ticks or reducing the potential for acquiring tick-borne pathogens.”

Interesting. I do know that my guinea hen east a lot of grasshoppers and other bugs.

 

[drumminj]

They make a product with tick repellent. Dont know anything about it.

Skin So Soft Bug Guard Plus Picaridin Aerosol Spray by AVON

Shop AVON's Skin So Soft Bug Guard Plus Picaridin, a mosquito repellent for full protection on holiday in a handy pump size. Bug repellent with no deet!

www.avon.com

The other day I had rubbed picaradin lotion on my legs and forearms plus sprayed my socks and pant legs..STILL found a seed tick crawling up my shin to my knee.

I've pulled maybe 15 off me so far this year. They're way worse than the previous few years. And now with bees I'm not sure there's a way I can treat the ground.

 

[drumminj]

Interesting. I do know that my guinea hen east a lot of grasshoppers and other bugs.

Ours is great at catching frogs and lizards. Fun watching her run away from the chickens with legs hanging out of her beak.

 

[CPTKILLER]

They are opportunistic eaters. They can do a good job eliminating varmints on the property. At night, they like to roost in trees if possible or sometimes a coop.

 

[MMC]

They are opportunistic eaters. They can do a good job eliminating varmints on the property. At night, they like to roost in trees if possible or sometimes a coop.

As I remember, they served as a great "alarm system" on my grandfather's farm, warning of the approach of strangers or predators. Loud...really loud.

 

[Chris527]

Growing up on a farm in Upstate Ny in the late 60's and 70's , Shorts barefoot through fields and woods all the time, never once did any of us kids have a tick nor did any of our dogs or cats that would hunt outside all the time. I Do not recall EVER seeing one on anything or animal we had including or Dairy stock. About the early 2000's is when they started warning us about them here and now its like a plague here, it really sucks. We really started to see a lot of them when our DEC re introduced wild turkey populations, it seemed to happen at the same time, the last few years seemed to be not so bad but this year in nuts so far. Cant even let the kids play in the yard unless they get tick checked every time.

 

[Hay Dude]

I think hunting as a sport seems to have declined a bit. Still a lot, but not fanatical as it once was.
That is allowing deer populations to explode with few predators.
Farming helps control deer a little, and that's on the decline, too.
Throw in population growth in more remote areas as another reason peeps are gettin bit

 

[MMC]

I think hunting as a sport seems to have declined a bit. Still a lot, but not fanatical as it once was.
That is allowing deer populations to explode with few predators.
Farming helps control deer a little, and that's on the decline, too.
Throw in population growth in more remote areas as another reason peeps are gettin bit

Another reason for the decline in hunting is the difference in responsible young people as...hunters.

When I was young, all you had to do in rural Kentucky was go up to a farmer's door and politely ask if you could hunt. Most times, because you displayed courtesy and a responsible attitude, you would get a "yes" and even advice on what bull to watch and where to find the game you were after. And if you were a nice guy, you might offer the farmer part of your kills (which he normally declined).

Today, as a landowner, I have to worry about liability and the frankly...dumb people with a gun. Unless I know you (or your dad), I don't allow people with firearms on my land. But, if I know you, you may certainly come to my farm and be welcome.

So...less farmland to hunt on, more worries about liability, and stupid, untrained, young people with deadly weapons. I really wish it wasn't so, but it is...this is not the 1950s and 1960s I grew up in.

Now, as to ticks, darned if I know about the correlation between numbers and deer populations, but there are more of them and they carry deadly diseases.

As always, best of luck (and use DEET)

 

[Hay Dude]

I remember like 40 years ago when I was a kid, deer weren't rare, but they weren't plentiful, either.
Now you can't spit in any direction without hitting a deer.
That's got to be one reason-too many deer.

 

[2515R Dude]

I have great luck with permatrin. Ones in the season spray the clothes and no problem

Robot or human?

www.walmart.com

 

[CalG]

GAACK! I just pulled a small tick out of my belly button. I wondered why it itched so! Next time, I'm getting an outy, not an inny! ;-)

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

I remember like 40 years ago when I was a kid, deer weren't rare, but they weren't plentiful, either.
Now you can't spit in any direction without hitting a deer.
That's got to be one reason-too many deer.

I grew up in 50s-60s, neighbor had 2500 acres around our place. We walked for miles through woods and never saw a deer. Then mid 60s my grandfather couldn't believe he saw one, so we went next door & saw it with binoculars.
Now going to home place it's not unusual seeing 30-40 in a herd in the front yard.
That 2500 acres has been sold off by family decendants, sub divisions & townhouse complexes. Deer have no where to go & majority are does not bucks.

 

[CPTKILLER]

Guinea fowl don’t miss much. Yes, they are noisy.

 

[grsthegreat]

Was walking the dog yesterday on my property….spooked a huge moose that was standing on the trail. The dog had enough sense not to chase the critter……thank goodness.

 

[2515R Dude]

Was walking the dog yesterday on my property….spooked a huge moose that was standing on the trail. The dog had enough sense not to chase the critter……thank goodness.

Talking about the ticks