First ticks of the year

[Dan Hunter]

You can buy Permethrin on concentrate in the equestrian section of a farm supply store. Mix it in the recommended concentration level and store in a gallon container. Use a spray bottle to disperse. I spray it directly on the dog and rub it in. I spray it on whatever I intend to wear at the ranch until its damp, roll it up and stick it in a trash bag the day before so it'll brew and disperse. The infestation of ticks varies around the ranch but I've never had a tick attach when doing this on us or the dog. They'll be hanging from the dog looking dead and if you take them off and put them in a jar they revive...in time to be crushed. Permethrin is a neurotoxin to exoskeleton critters and arrests their respiration but is harmless to us and most pets. I like the idea of them suffocating to death.

Fortunately for us, we live between the areas where ticks - besides being disgusting - carry disease. I used to freak out when I found one on me driving home; now I just pull over and "share" the little beast.

 

[DKCDKC]

Dogs have had ticks for a month or so. Ticks are out here in Virginia in the winter, but not as many... And the dogs go into the woods less. Found a tick crawling on me yesterday for the first time this year. We just have to live with them. Our area is fairly heavy with lyme disease. All three of my dogs have tested positive, and one had to have the treatment. Two hunters on my land have also come down with lyme, but recovered well. So far my wife and I have been lucky I guess, but it may be inevitable. I know you can use chemicals and dress carefully to reduce the danger from ticks, but it interferes with the free and unscheduled enjoyment of the farm. I just choose to live with the risk.. And this is family land we've been on for 7 generations or more.

 

[dmccarty]

You can buy Permethrin on concentrate in the equestrian section of a farm supply store. Mix it in the recommended concentration level and store in a gallon container. Use a spray bottle to disperse.

I use Permethrin as well and it works. Kills the tick and chiggers. You can soak your work clothes in Permethrin and it will last through many washings.

Later,
Dan

 

[MtHam]

Here in the northern California coastal hills, we have a serious tick problem all winter which is our wet season. By June the rains are over until fall, and the ticks disappear. After my daily 4 mile trail hike, my 65lb boxer mix (tick magnet) usually has 10-25 ticks on him which I find and remove by hand. A few often remain undetected and will bite in overnight. These are then removed with tweezers, or die and drop off due to his monthly treatment with Front Line. He gets a yearly shot for Lyme's disease. Occasionally I will find one on myself, but usually do so before they can bite.

 

[farmgirl19]

Get you some fire ants, and you won't have the tick problems! Fire ants eat ticks, and about anything else in their path. Yiu will still have to deal with fleas, becuase they can jump out of the way faster than the ticks move.

Personally, I'd rather have the ticks, because I think they are easier to control, with less toxic chemicals.

 

[s219]

I have had good luck with permethrin on my pants. Does anyone know if it can be sprayed on the ground/foliage around a home to stop ticks? We have a 10-20 foot cleared buffer between the woods and our new home, which I plan to cover with bark mulch in May -- was told that the ticks won't want to cross the mulch. But I'd like to add some extra deterrents if I can. They are rife in this area.

 

[dmccarty]

Get you some fire ants, and you won't have the tick problems! Fire ants eat ticks, and about anything else in their path. Yiu will still have to deal with fleas, becuase they can jump out of the way faster than the ticks move.

Personally, I'd rather have the ticks, because I think they are easier to control, with less toxic chemicals.

We have ticks.
We have chiggers.
We have fire ants now....

I had hopped the fire ants would take out the ticks and chiggers, or tiggers as I like to call them but no joy so far....

Later,
Dan

 

[dmccarty]

I have had good luck with permethrin on my pants. Does anyone know if it can be sprayed on the ground/foliage around a home to stop ticks? We have a 10-20 foot cleared buffer between the woods and our new home, which I plan to cover with bark mulch in May -- was told that the ticks won't want to cross the mulch. But I'd like to add some extra deterrents if I can. They are rife in this area.

I have heard that ticks won't cross mulch but I don't believe it since I have gotten ticks on me while I sat in the middle of graveled areas.

Years ago when I was clearing our road, I was taking a break from the chainsaw and sitting in a chair on the gravel. I looked down and saw a tick running across the gravel towards me. Every once in awhile it would stop, rear back on its back legs and put some antennae in the air to sense me. Once it was sure I was still in the same spot it would move forward. I watched the tick do this a few times and them moved the chair 90 degrees to one side of the tick. :laughing::laughing::laughing: That stumped the little devil spawn. For all of about 10 seconds. It just stopped, reared back and started waving those antennae in the air until it found me again. :shocked: I played this little game with the tick for a few minutes, moving the chair around to see if it would find me and the tick always did. Eventually, I smooshed the tick between two rocks when I had learned what I could learn. :laughing::laughing::laughing:

Another time I noticed a tick on stop of my gas can. I would keep the gas can on the ground but shaded by the tail gate or bed of the truck. The tick had climbed the gas can and was standing on top waving its little sensor wands around for a victim. My impression was that it was attracted to the heat of the can and then climbed to the top of the can looking for a place to bite. Smooshed it between two rocks...

Later,
Dan

 

[Western]

Fortunately I haven't seen a tick yet, surprisingly and I even mentioned this to my wife, I have not ran into chiggers yet. I will usually get chiggers on my ankles during our turkey season, since I am out in the grass, this year nothing..... so far:thumbsup:

 

[caps]

We got em here in the Northern Neck of Virginia. Picked the first two of the season off yesterday after a walk in the woods. Wife got a chigger bite as well...