Check yourself for Ticks

[Westaus]

[video=480,360]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j77nrTVM_j8[/video]

 

[AtomRat]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j77nrTVM_j8

Pyrethum is a natural insecticide which can be made by crushing certain species of chrytsanthemum flowers by grinding them into a powder and kills ticks upon contact. Useful if you have the plant nearby

Permethrin ( mentioned in vid ) is a man made version of the above as its more stable ( lasts longer ) in sunlight and widely used for agricultural and farming purposes. It is toxic to cats so don't use on pets, the above isn't, and if the flower is nearby, a remedy could be made within 24 hours. Probably something to prepare before tick season.

I probably shouldn't go into how to make ether or dry ice as there's no easy 'home' process apart from keeping a can of 'wart-freeze' close by or any other freezing agent in a can for larger ticks as suggested.

Good video Westaus, cheers

 

[davent]

Road sense my arse! We were flogging Australian Post just recently as I remember men!

Back to my stock in trade, Sar-major..... Regiment! Regiment, Fix bayonets. Regiment....Run down the fool on the red step- through Honda with the Queens mail bag over his left shoulder, ride that bastard into the soil from whence he came, Charge!!!!!

The Peacekeeper

Arty or Armour Sir?

I can hear it now, "YOU!"......"YES YOU" "GET ORF MY GRASS!"

 

[5ftfossicker]

Carry aerostart or any other ether spray with you , quick spray kills tick within seconds , wait a minute and remove ..

 

[Karen]

I was unfortunate enough to get a paralysis tick on my back between my shoulder blades a couple of years ago. I felt a slight itch, so reached down to feel what it was and realised it was a tick, so I just pulled it out, not knowing it was a "paralysis" tick. I estimated it was probably on me for around an hour or two. About 15 or 20 minutes after I removed it a burning sensation started and grew with intensity and after about 40 minutes I couldn't move without holding an ice pack on my back, (very tricky when nature called). Really intense pain and heat and I had a big red circle on my skin that kept expanding until it took up three quarters of the width of my back.

I found the tick on me in the morning but I still had the intense burning pain that night, so I didn't get much sleep. Someone advised me to take an antihistamine tablet the next morning, and after a couple of hours the pain and heat eased up considerably. Took several days for the large red mark to dissipate though.
To this day I swear I can feel the heat come back at times in the same spot when the weather's hot. Nasty little critters but I guess they've got their job to do in nature.

Peacekeeper you bring tears to my eyes. You have a wicked sense of humour Cracked me up.

 

[ChrisM]

I feel you guys. I managed to pick up one of those nasties a few years ago in an "undisclosed area" of my body whilst doing a leasurly bush walk around Pitwater.
First thing I did was panic and tear the thing right off me. Bad move.....the head remained embedded. Took a while to clear out the resulting infection.
Thats when i learned how to deal with them [a bit late]
The idea of suffocating them with a dab of dishwashing liquid/sunscreen/vaso etc has worked for me [I used the sunscreen that time]
The other thing the doctor recommended was wetting an earbud with insect spray and soaking the tick in it. Wait a few minutes and then gently lift it off using some tweezers. The bug spray acts as a neurotoxin and weakens its grip
I also carry these when i go bush walking with the family. Just in case[but havent used them]

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/TICK-TWI...hash=item1e92aa4af0:m:mb8llOyAgBUdyFKU90p-zVw

 

[Heatho]

Yep paralysis ticks really are very nasty, I've had a few on me, one a few weeks ago actually, woke up with it on me after a night out at a mates place in Pittwater. Needed antibiotics one time about 2 years after being nailed by one and not removing the head, came up as a cyst which got infected.

Got about 30 larval stage paralysis ticks (grass ticks they call them around here) on me from my front garden at the end of winter this year, I was plucking them off myself for days. One mate got over 100 on him one day, poor bugger.

 

[Chewy]

Can't say I've ever noticed any when I've been out prospecting, but I usually don't go into grassy areas, it's usually pretty open bush. Many years ago though, I was engaged to a lady who had been a nurse in the army. She had unknowingly picked up a tick while on a training exercise in Qld. Washing her hair in the shower later, she broke off the body leaving the head still buried under her scalp. Not long after she wound up in hospital paralyzed and unable to talk. She almost died actually. She had to blink to communicate. Pretty heavy stuff. Eventually she started to improve, and over time had to learn how to walk and talk again. At 1 point she was in a coma and they weren't sure if she'd come out of it. Her family were faced with turning off the life support. She was a very different person when I met her to her time in hospital. Just a normal person. But wow! What an ordeal!

 

[AtomRat]

Bloody hell Chewy..certainly a real nasty critter. Hope she's doing well

 

[Peacekeeper1966]

Dave(from the)NT presumably, I am one St. Barbara's children from the Gun Line.

Karen, glad to have given you a giggle, I will consider it my good deed for that day. Now I just need to make up for yesterday because most of it I spent skulking on the lounge with my brain in an odd-elliptical orbit, in front of LG, my fav' television. Incidentally and ironically at the same time, the other LG or The Love of Grog, is what rendered me prostrate on the lounge. But, Toshiba TV (my other favourite tele who lives in the man-cave) who colludes with Toshiba Laptop and the Pioneer Sisters in making me play music videos like Moldy Old Dough (Lt Pigeon) or massed pipes & drums bashing out The Black Bear, must accept some responsibility too. Such activity and merriment invariably leads me to transactions of transgression with Mr Haier the Wine Fridge who's door est light with not so much as token resistance nor a whisper of WHS warning to those who gamble beyond the glazed threshold.

Oh, and today is an AFD....

The Peacekeeper

 

[Chewy]

Bloody hell Chewy..certainly a real nasty critter. Hope she's doing well

No idea how she is now AR we went our separate ways a long time ago and she moved away. (She wasn't a local) I did catch up with her a cpl of times around the place, haven't seen her for years now. But I wish her well.

 

[Westaus]

Can't say I've ever noticed any when I've been out prospecting, but I usually don't go into grassy areas, it's usually pretty open bush. Many years ago though, I was engaged to a lady who had been a nurse in the army. She had unknowingly picked up a tick while on a training exercise in Qld. Washing her hair in the shower later, she broke off the body leaving the head still buried under her scalp. Not long after she wound up in hospital paralyzed and unable to talk. She almost died actually. She had to blink to communicate. Pretty heavy stuff. Eventually she started to improve, and over time had to learn how to walk and talk again. At 1 point she was in a coma and they weren't sure if she'd come out of it. Her family were faced with turning off the life support. She was a very different person when I met her to her time in hospital. Just a normal person. But wow! What an ordeal!

Can she still eat red meat?

Story on Catalyst spoke about allergy and tick bite re red meat, it was pretty interesting how it all works.

http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/4177191.htm

It is a concern on the East Coast, plus more so for all you red meat lovers, be aware of the potential side effects.

 

[Chewy]

Can't say I've ever noticed any when I've been out prospecting, but I usually don't go into grassy areas, it's usually pretty open bush. Many years ago though, I was engaged to a lady who had been a nurse in the army. She had unknowingly picked up a tick while on a training exercise in Qld. Washing her hair in the shower later, she broke off the body leaving the head still buried under her scalp. Not long after she wound up in hospital paralyzed and unable to talk. She almost died actually. She had to blink to communicate. Pretty heavy stuff. Eventually she started to improve, and over time had to learn how to walk and talk again. At 1 point she was in a coma and they weren't sure if she'd come out of it. Her family were faced with turning off the life support. She was a very different person when I met her to her time in hospital. Just a normal person. But wow! What an ordeal!

Can she still eat red meat?

Story on Catalyst spoke about allergy and tick bite re red meat, it was pretty interesting how it all works.

http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/4177191.htm

It is a concern on the East Coast, plus more so for all you red meat lovers, be aware of the potential side effects.

yeah I saw that to. She could still eat red meat no problems. But I have heard of a meat allergy developing after a tick bite, then saw that story on the ABC to.

 

[Jaros]

I recently had a prolonged stay in hospital and was on antibiotics for 3 1/2 weeks on drip and months afterwards. I developed a sensation where all steak tasted very liverish for months after--maybe a connection in there somewhere??
Jaros

 

[B5MECH]

Damn area is plagued in grass ticks, me and my GF both got one yesterday
Any chance anyone knows a sure fire way to keep the little buggers away from me, I presume an ultrasoinc repeller will mess with my detector but not sure with out testing one and I'm not into garlic that much so any advice is much appreciated at the moment as I really don't want lime disease
Rose geranium oil? or would a clove of garlic in my pocket work :lol:
Thanks everyone

 

[Reeks]

Bushmans spray on your ankles?

 

[B5MECH]

I think there coming from brushing against trees as well as the grass maybe spray my hat?

 

[jm9422]

I use neem oil for mozzies, flies, and ticks. It's a natural oil, so probably safer than off the shelf unpronounceable ingredients. I put it on my dogs as well.

Missus doesn't like the smell, so it works in that respect too I figure it's like a walnut smell, better than chemical smell anyway.

The neem tree is native around the tropics, villagers understood its uses, so good enough for me.

Best place to find it is in asian/sri lankan/indian grocers in small bottle.

 

[B5MECH]

Neem oil might be the go, the aerosol I got last time ran out of gas before they were empty
Thanks JM will check the stuff out, do you put a 1 drop on your neck? and that's it?

 

[jm9422]

You mean like a spot on for a dog? nah

I usually pour a little in to my palm, rub both hands together and then rub over exposed skin.