Really Ticked!!!!

[Bird]

I haven't seen any ticks in many years, but I'll never forget fighting ticks in the Healdton, OK, area when I was 10 to 14 years old. Naturally, we sometimes picked ticks off ourselves, but the one thing I never forgot was when my horse got some ticks on her. Dad bought some kind of powder that would get rid of the ticks if you could get it down through the hair on the horse. So I got a really stiff brush, and I'd sprinkle some of that powder on her, then brush the hair the wrong way to get that powder down in there. And I sprinkled powder on the brush, then brushed the wrong way under her chest and belly. Now it's hard to push a brush the wrong way through the hair, so I was pushing really hard when the brush slipped out and hit the back of her front leg. If you don't know how fast a horse can kick . . . . .. Well, so fast you don't know it's coming.:laughing: Now I was standing very close to her, so she didn't "hit" me, she just brought that hind foot forward, caught me about the middle, and tossed me out behind her, before I knew what happened. Fortunately, it didn't really hurt, but it was an unforgettable experience.

 

[Molalla1]

In past years I always used Frontline Plus. Out here with so much wind blown dust and dry dirt - the dog always had a "muddy spot" on his back from the Frontline. This year I'm using NexGuard chewable. Seems to work just as well and no greasy, muddy spot on his back.

My old friend (13.5) year old Australian Shepard . . . has never had a problem with flees, ticks nothing . . . :confused3:. I don't give him anything for such.

 

[Oaktree]

Been out here 38+ years now. NEVER seen ticks so bad.

Just the opposite for some reason here this year. Usually you can't do anything outside from mid-April thru June without getting them on you. Might have had 3 so far this year, and all early in the season. Then again, most of this "spring" was cold and raw, barely getting out of the 40s. Maybe they just didn't hatch or something. Not that I'm complaining...

 

[orezok]

I guess that there is one good thing living in a desert. No fleas at all and ticks are very rare. Supposedly ticks do live here but in the last 20 years or so I never found one on my dogs, or me.

 

[Liquidsilver]

I find that some bug spray around the socks or bottoms of the pant legs seems to help keep chiggers away from me. Not sure if it helps with ticks, too.

 

[Alan W.]

I usually spray picaridin or deet on my shoes and socks helps immensely in keeping them off. Dog is treated once a month. While Im typing this I find one already dug in and I did not spray my shoes and socks today. Oh well.

 

[buck12]

I find that some bug spray around the socks or bottoms of the pant legs seems to help keep chiggers away from me. Not sure if it helps with ticks, too.

Bug spray from the knees down definitely helps.

 

[RichZ]

I always keep a flock of guinea fowl on my property, they love to eat ticks. They really do keep their numbers down.

 

[NorTracNY]

I always keep a flock of guinea fowl on my property, they love to eat ticks. They really do keep their numbers down.

Any tips on how to home them? I waited till they were older before letting them out. At first I'd open the door later in the day, but they'd never come out. Then one day they all came out, walked around the yard eating every bug they could fine. But they never went back in their coup and they went up into the trees. Never saw them after that.

 

[Ford850]

Growing up we had Guineas for years. We gave up trying to get them to roost in the coop. They took to the trees every night through the summers, and we rounded them up to keep them in the coops through the winters with the chickens. We left them hatch their own keets most years to replenish what the coons ate.

 

[rekees4300]

They're eating me alive!!! Probably have snatched 6 or 7 of the little devils off me so far this year.

These socks are very effective to keep ticks off your legs. Ticks hate permithrin. Material is high quality and repellent is effective for 70 washings.

 

[Gem99ultra]

These socks are very effective to keep ticks off your legs. Ticks hate permithrin. Material is high quality and repellent is effective for 70 washings.

View attachment 658643

Would spraying my own socks (and pants legs) with Permithrin not have the same results?

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

We spray our house and surrounding yard several times a season with Permethrin. It really helps keep the ticks and mosquitoes away. We don't have chiggers to deal with here. The dogs get flea and tick collars replaced every 3 months. I don't think I've seen a tick since we started using the Permethrin.

 

[rekees4300]

Would spraying my own socks (and pants legs) with Permithrin not have the same results?

How to Use Permethrin on Clothing, Safely - Consumer Reports

 

[ArlyA]

We used the sawyer brand Permethrin which is formulated to be sprayed on clothing and have done this for many years each spring. It really does work, but we assume its largely washed off after a few times in the laundry. That's OK since the tick season is worst in the spring and tapers off after that. We just spray our outdoor work clothing each spring. We spray some pants and shirts and mark them as such. Helps with mosquitoes as well. Love the stuff and here it is on amazony.

 

[Diggin It]

Question for those who might know .... Are Ticks useful for anything at all? We might hate wasps and other bugs and they might hurt us, but they're pollinators or serve some other purpose. Flies and their maggots are annoying and nasty, but they clean up decayed materials.

 

[Jstpssng]

Question for those who might know .... Are Ticks useful for anything at all? We might hate wasps and other bugs and they might hurt us, but they're pollinators or serve some other purpose. Flies and their maggots are annoying and nasty, but they clean up decayed materials.

They do, although it may not be useful to humans.

 

[BRMyers]

Purpose of ticks....to annoy me.

The scientist will tell you they serve as food for other animals.

I still think the true purpose is to annoy me.

 

[RichZ]

Any tips on how to home them? I waited till they were older before letting them out. At first I'd open the door later in the day, but they'd never come out. Then one day they all came out, walked around the yard eating every bug they could fine. But they never went back in their coup and they went up into the trees. Never saw them after that.

I first keep the guinea chicks in the barn until they're at least half grown. I keep feed and water in the barn for them, and they return to the barn for a while, but they eventually do go wild and prefer to roost in the trees during the summer, but during the winter, when there are no bugs they go to the barn for feed and water and usually go back to their original roost.

They are hard to keep, but they lay eggs and hatch them out, but they're TERRIBLE mothers. A mother will have ten or even twenty chicks following her, and every day there are fewer chicks. Some do survive, but I occasionally get more chicks to increase their numbers. It's also tough to keep them out of the road, and some eventually get hit by cars. Chickens are much easier to keep. and they never go in the road. And chickens do eat a fair share of ticks, but nothing eats ticks like guinea fowl, so they're worth the effort.

 

[two_bit_score]

I first keep the guinea chicks in the barn until they're at least half grown. I keep feed and water in the barn for them, and they return to the barn for a while, but they eventually do go wild and prefer to roost in the trees during the summer, but during the winter, when there are no bugs they go to the barn for feed and water and usually go back to their original roost.

They are hard to keep, but they lay eggs and hatch them out, but they're TERRIBLE mothers. A mother will have ten or even twenty chicks following her, and every day there are fewer chicks. Some do survive, but I occasionally get more chicks to increase their numbers. It's also tough to keep them out of the road, and some eventually get hit by cars. Chickens are much easier to keep. and they never go in the road. And chickens do eat a fair share of ticks, but nothing eats ticks like guinea fowl, so they're worth the effort.

I love Guinea’s. Intend to have a few someday.

Chickens will keep scorpions down and it seems like Guinea fowl would be just as good as chickens but I’ve never heard that about Guinea’s.