TICKS!!!!!!

[ragkar]

If you decide to go for guinea hens, be sure to research the web on how to care for them. For instance, you have to build their home first so that the chicks adopt it and return to it.

 

[podagrower]

Well, I was going to mow the yard today, but now I'm just too creeped out.

My wife and I go off exploring the woods on our 5 acres now and again, and every time she winds up with more ticks than me. We don't always find them, but if we do, she gets the high count. I always go further into the woods than she does, and propably move around more than her as she supervises. Maybe the ticks don't like my thick German skin, (or get too drunk to hold on ) or maybe her rare AB blood type tastes better.

Anyway, I'm gonna go bath in Dursban now and stay indoors.

 

[vansimplement]

I've read in a number of places that Guinea Fowl are a great way to keep a tick population down, so I'll second that motion.
I haven't noticed a problem in my immediate area, but have certainly encountered them when I've been elsewhere at archery shoots. I've spent time picking them off myself, and overheard one guy recounting his story of getting into a patch of "seed" ticks while there. I think last winter's weather had something to do their prevalence this year.

 

[pennwalk]

RollingsFarms.

Deer ticks are bad news. Our doctor puts us on antibiotics right away to insure we don't get lymes disease. Lymes disease can really mess you up. There is a deer feeder that applies insecticide to the deers head and neck. In the course of two or three years it is supposed to wipe out all the deer ticks in the area. You can find information about it on the lymes disease web sites. Oh dogs get it too and it messes them up too.

Chris

 

[pennwalk]

Makes you wonder why the don't make Frontline for people.

I remember hearing that they were working on a lymes disease vaccine for people. Maybe it didn't pan out because I haven't heard anything about it in a while.

Chris

 

[QRTRHRS]

Makes you wonder why the don't make Frontline for people.

I remember hearing that they were working on a lymes disease vaccine for people. Maybe it didn't pan out because I haven't heard anything about it in a while.

Chris

You may be correct. If I recall correctly, "they" were looking for volunteers to try it out. I am thinking that one of the reciprients got lyme from the vaccine?

Early on when Lyme was first being looked into, I had inconclusive results so I went through six weeks of antibiotics for it. No big deal other than a touch of morning sickness now and then but some people never recover from Lyme.

Tucking your pant legs into your socks or wrapping elastic around them and spraying with a repellant is a good first line of defense. Ticks may not jump but they do catch a breeze. I can remember one day at Cape Henlopen in Delaware when I stood still and picked ticks off of me.

Lately, I have been putting some fence posts in the ground about twelve feet off of the woodline. The little rascals are crawling all over my posts that I previously dropped off from the truck. When I miss one and they bite in, I take my tweezers and grab a bit of skin along with the mouth parts and yank them out then apply some hydrogen peroxide.

 

[texasjohn]

Folks, there is a simple solution to your tick problem.

Fire ants.... solves your chigger problem, too...

For those unaware of this particular critter, it is a rather amazing ant... eats just about anything in its path... Boll weevils, ticks, chiggers, grass hoppers, box turtles, other ants, horned frogs, lots of stuff.

read all about them right here

 

[schmism]

Fire ants.... solves your chigger problem, too...

fire ants... or guinea hens.... hmmmm hard choice there

 

[Tororider]

one word for ya....

guinea hens

say good buy to your flee and tick problems.

Gardening with Guineas by Jeannette S. Ferguson from the June/July, 2008 issue of Backyard Poultry

Thats actually two words, hehe. I would go with chickens, they will take care of the insects and you will get eggs from them. And not nearly as loud as guinea hens.

 

[Skyco]

Its a plot I tell ya, ticks (and poison ivy) are taking over the world
Ticks on a plane delay flight for six hours - CNN.com

 

[JDGREEN4ME]

Its a plot I tell ya, ticks (and poison ivy) are taking over the world
Ticks on a plane delay flight for six hours - CNN.com

"Ticks on a plane" Wasn't that a movie???

 

[dooleysm]

I just happened to see guinea keats for sale in the classifieds last night for $2. I called and reserved 10, picking them up Saturday morning. Looking forward to being bug free at our house. The chickens are NOT keeping up with the ticks. I'm hoping the guineas will eat my crop of potato bugs too.

 

[vansimplement]

I just happened to see guinea keats for sale in the classifieds last night for $2. I called and reserved 10, picking them up Saturday morning. Looking forward to being bug free at our house. The chickens are NOT keeping up with the ticks. I'm hoping the guineas will eat my crop of potato bugs too.

From what I recall there are a few precautions or preparations a person needs to take when you first get keats, but it isn't anything horrible. The people you're getting them from will probably tell you everything you need to know, otherwise googling comes up with it pretty quickly.

 

[davitk]

From what I recall there are a few precautions or preparations a person needs to take when you first get keats, but it isn't anything horrible. The people you're getting them from will probably tell you everything you need to know, otherwise googling comes up with it pretty quickly.

One thing I have heard is to pen them up, initially, otherwise they just may march right back "home". I know this pertains to adult guineas, hopefully not keats.

 

[dooleysm]

We're picking them up about an hour away, I certainly hope the babies don't try to walk back home! I raised ducks and chicks this spring with no losses, so I'm pretty optimistic about raising these guineas. I'm excited to see them start eating bugs too, because we have a pretty big supply.

 

[Redbug]

You don't need a watch dog if you have guineas...

Lotsa neat varieties, also...
McMurray Hatchery - Guineas

 

[dooleysm]

I hope my beagles don't get jealous, that's been their job since we moved out here.

 

[ragkar]

Regarding the Lyme disease vaccine, there was a gotcha. It seems that some people with a rare genetic makeup, you know DNA, would come down with terrible disabling problems. One fellow wrote that he was rather healthy before he took the vaccine as a precaution, then he was crippled and unable to walk and stand. There's class action lawsuits against the maker.

I remember because I was trying to get vaccinated before the problems arose. Then I did get the disease, but got no debilitating symptoms whatsoever. I know that I got it because of the unique trademark bullseye rash that I got on my left waist and because my doctor confirmed it. I had known what that symptom looked like, but like an idiot I had convinced myself that it was because I was bumping into a table when I went sleepily to the bathroom in the middle of the night. After confirming it, my doctor elected to give me no treatment or medication and it eventually the rash went away.

But I'm not immune now. You can get Lyme disease a second time.

 

[mjfox6]

Folks, there is a simple solution to your tick problem.

Fire ants.... solves your chigger problem, too...

For those unaware of this particular critter, it is a rather amazing ant... eats just about anything in its path... Boll weevils, ticks, chiggers, grass hoppers, box turtles, other ants, horned frogs, lots of stuff.

read all about them right here

I've got guinea (and chickens) and fire ants AND still have tons of chiggers and ticks (box turtles, frogs and toads, too). Got Lyme Disease when I was vacationing in NC.

 

[dmccarty]

Fire ants finally made it to our property. If the are around the house I Andro them. Elsewhere I just leave them alone and hope the eat the chiggers and ticks.

Later,
Dan