Deer ticks and lyme disease.. tis the season.

I removed a deer tick from my dad today...and in true stubborn dude fashion he insisted on waiting for the EM (target rash) to develop before visiting a doctor.  I was able to persuade him otherwise since we live in a lyme disease endemic area. 

My brother and I have both had lyme disease, and it aint no joke.

Here is a link to the CDC website on lyme disease.  I recommend reading "prevention" and "signs and symptoms"  to be able to identify the characteristic lyme disease rash and other symptoms.

http://www.cdc.gov/lyme/


Below is a picture of a characteristic lyme disease "target" rash that occurs in 70%-80% of those infected.  In my case I was unaware of being bitten by a tick, but I recognized the characteristic rash and immediately made an appointment with my physician.

Thanks for the heads up and illustration Adam, Hope your dad didnt get an infected bite

I hate ticks, they really suck!

They fall from the trees in my front yard!  Uck!  had to dig a couple out of Bacon already.  Good thing she is white, and they were easy to spot!  Thanks for the info Adam 

While pig hunting lake sonoma a couple weeks ago, I snuck up on 5 deer, within 5 yds or so.  I immediately think of deer ticks, look down, and theres 7 of the buggers crawling.up my pants!  As soon as this grass starts growing the ticks come out in full force, make sure to check your delicate bits!  Great link, thanks!

While pig hunting lake sonoma a couple weeks ago, I snuck up on 5 deer, within 5 yds or so.  I immediately think of deer ticks, look down, and theres 7 of the buggers crawling.up my pants!  As soon as this grass starts growing the ticks come out in full force, make sure to check your delicate bits!  Great link, thanks!

Found 2 on my stomach yesterday which led to a strip down tick search(Just imagine) 


I hear that it takes 48 hours of the tick being in you to contract the Virus. I would still get any ticks found in you checked. My 2 Cents

Great link ATD. You and your brother had it? Damn.... It just got that much realer.

Be safe every one

While pig hunting lake sonoma a couple weeks ago, I snuck up on 5 deer, within 5 yds or so.  I immediately think of deer ticks, look down, and theres 7 of the buggers crawling.up my pants!  As soon as this grass starts growing the ticks come out in full force, make sure to check your delicate bits!  Great link, thanks!

Found 2 on my stomach yesterday which led to a strip down tick search(Just imagine) 


I hear that it takes 48 hours of the tick being in you to contract the Virus. I would still get any ticks found in you checked. My 2 Cents

Great link ATD. You and your brother had it? Damn.... It just got that much realer.

Be safe every one

Lyme disease is initially caused by a bacteria (not a virus), which is good because antibiotics can take care of the bug.  However (without going into too much detail), the bacteria that causes lyme disease has a mechanism of masking itself to look similar to our own body cells (thereby fooling our immune system). In some cases our immune system mounts a response against a this masked bacteria.  Once this happens our immune system can sometimes begin mistaking our own cells for lyme disease bacteria.  In these cases our own immune system starts attacking our own body, which is bad news.

Fortunately it takes some time for the bacteria to start mimicking your cells, so early detection and treatment is key.

They fall from the trees in my front yard!  Uck!  had to dig a couple out of Bacon already.  Good thing she is white, and they were easy to spot!  Thanks for the info Adam 

Yeah, I'm sold on light colored dogs now. I can usually get them off the dog before they dig in since they are easy to see.
I hate ticks. Haven't been bitten in years, but each spring I find them crawling on my pant legs. Ick!

Nasty little suckers . . .

My kid used to catch lizards up the lake all the time and they had a lotta ticks on them. I guess that's a good thing.

UC Berkeley entomologist Robert Lane has discovered that a substance found in the blood of the common western fence lizard kills Lyme disease bacteria in the gut of juvenile ticks that feed on it. It may help explain why there is far less Lyme disease in California than in the eastern United States, where the lizard does not live. The western fence lizard -- a commonly found species dubbed the blue belly lizard in California, can carry an average of 30 juvenile black legged ticks, which are about the size of a poppy seed. Three stages of tick development Larval Ticks pass through three stages of development. During each stage they eat one ``blood meal.'' Larval ticks become infected with Lyme disease when they feed on rodents.

Nymphal
Tiny tick nymphs can transmit Lyme disease by biting a human. If they feast on a common western lizard, however, something in the reptile's blood appears to kill the bacteria

Adult black-legged ticks move off the forest floor and onto plants and grasses. Those who feasted on lizards as nymphs are less likely to transmit Lyme disease to humans.

http://www.anapsid.org/lyme/sceloporus.html

While pig hunting lake sonoma a couple weeks ago, I snuck up on 5 deer, within 5 yds or so.  I immediately think of deer ticks, look down, and theres 7 of the buggers crawling.up my pants!  As soon as this grass starts growing the ticks come out in full force, make sure to check your delicate bits!  Great link, thanks!

Found 2 on my stomach yesterday which led to a strip down tick search(Just imagine) 


I hear that it takes 48 hours of the tick being in you to contract the Virus. I would still get any ticks found in you checked. My 2 Cents

Great link ATD. You and your brother had it? Damn.... It just got that much realer.

Be safe every one

I'm not sure if there is a 48hrs limit or whatever but that makes some sense.  The bacteria that causes lyme disease lives in the gut of the tick.  It doesn't enter your body until the tick is engorged and basically pukes your blood back into you along with the bacteria.  So... being bitten by a carrier is not the end of the world as long as you get them off before they start to swell.  That is why it is important to strip check after outdoor adventures and remove them without squeezing them.  I have a little tool that I keep with my stuff that is sort of a flat metal piece about the size of a silver dollar that has a keyhole in it.  You put the big part of the keyhole over the tick and pull them into the skinny part right at skin level.  That way you pull them out without ever touching the abdomen of the tick.

http://www.rei.com/product/777807/liberty-mountain-the-tick-key

I have a little tool that I keep with my stuff that is sort of a flat metal piece about the size of a silver dollar that has a keyhole in it.  You put the big part of the keyhole over the tick and pull them into the skinny part right at skin level.  That way you pull them out without ever touching the abdomen of the tick.

http://www.rei.com/product/777807/liberty-mountain-the-tick-key

Thanks for the link, I'll be purchasing a couple of those!

I have a little tool that I keep with my stuff that is sort of a flat metal piece about the size of a silver dollar that has a keyhole in it.  You put the big part of the keyhole over the tick and pull them into the skinny part right at skin level.  That way you pull them out without ever touching the abdomen of the tick.

http://www.rei.com/product/777807/liberty-mountain-the-tick-key

Thanks for the link, I'll be purchasing a couple of those!

No problem, they work great.  I have used in on myself and the dogs.  The only issue with dogs is their hair.  You need to make sure to get it out of the way or else you will pull a chunk of it out along with the tick.  It has never failed to completely remove the tick, head, legs and all.

Wow, those tick keys look pretty slick. I will definitely be ordering a couple of those.
Thanks, Big Buoy

Now that I'm starting to itch all over and have the hebie jebies......thanks for the tips, guys! I think I might order a few of those tick tools myself....

Isn't there bug spray you can spray on your pants to ward them off?

-Cherie

Now that I'm starting to itch all over and have the hebie jebies......thanks for the tips, guys! I think I might order a few of those tick tools myself....

Isn't there bug spray you can spray on your pants to ward them off?

-Cherie

Deet works well, but it is toxic to humans too.  There might be some newer products that I am unaware of.