Tick season

[cobbiemommy]

Mowed the grass today with a riding mower and picked up a few stray toys out of the yard. I also mowed my mother in law's yard which has several mature trees. When I got home I was covered in dust and grass so I stripped down (TMI, I know) in the laundry room, grabbed a drink and headed for the bathroom. Just as I was about to get out of the tub, guess what I saw floating in the water???? A TICK!!!!!!

 

Don't really know if I was bit, but I sent that sucker (literally) off to the lab to be tested. I want to move, but don't think my hubby will go for it.

 

Be aware, the ticks are out!

 

Cobbie

[matis_mom]

Mowed the grass today with a riding mower and picked up a few stray toys out of the yard. I also mowed my mother in law's yard which has several mature trees. When I got home I was covered in dust and grass so I stripped down (TMI, I know) in the laundry room, grabbed a drink and headed for the bathroom. Just as I was about to get out of the tub, guess what I saw floating in the water???? A TICK!!!!!!

 

Don't really know if I was bit, but I sent that sucker (literally) off to the lab to be tested. I want to move, but don't think my hubby will go for it.

 

Be aware, the ticks are out!

 

Cobbie

I shudder to think... We live in 14-acres with woods (I think we all got Lyme as soon as we moved in... the grass was taller than the kids!!!)

We've cleared a lot, and I just contacted a forester to see about clearing some more. I'm definitely getting rid of all cedars, and there always seem to be ticks around them. But I don't moving would help, it's everywhere! We have some friends that live in a pretty populated, not woodsy neighborhood, and they all got Lyme too!

 

Isabel

[Suzan]

Our future after lyme treatment totally stresses me out and it's not just ticks anymore I think, that's the sad thing.

 

Susan

[Bill]

Mowed the grass today with a riding mower and picked up a few stray toys out of the yard. I also mowed my mother in law's yard which has several mature trees. When I got home I was covered in dust and grass so I stripped down (TMI, I know) in the laundry room, grabbed a drink and headed for the bathroom. Just as I was about to get out of the tub, guess what I saw floating in the water???? A TICK!!!!!!

 

Don't really know if I was bit, but I sent that sucker (literally) off to the lab to be tested. I want to move, but don't think my hubby will go for it.

 

Be aware, the ticks are out!

 

Cobbie

 

 

Doubt you were bit as it probably washed off before he had a chance to grab you. Showering/bathing after being outside is the best thing one can do (though not practical many times). Also read that one should throw your clothes in the drier for 30 minutes as ticks are not tolerant of the heat. Again, I know that I will not be doing that every time I'm outside.

 

I'm currently using 1 tablespoon of almond oil with approximately 10 drops of rose geranium oil. I put a few drops on my dog's collar every week and one swipe on the long hair on her tail (Shih Tzu). Other sites have said to put a line straight down their backs much like you would the commercial insecticides but I understand that the rose geranium oil can irritate the skin. I took the dog walking through our back yard tonight putting a few drops on my socks before I went out. No ticks. Ten minutes after we came in I watched 11 deer walk across the same area we did. That is pretty much a twice daily occurrence (morning & night). Our record is 24 deer at once.

 

Since starting this, I've only found one listless tick on her tail and that was before I put the oil on her tail. Prior to using the oil, we found several ticks on her and in the house in a few days.

 

So far so good with this mixture. I'll keep everyone updated as the year wears on.

 

I too am freaked about the ticks though. I grew up outside and never gave them a second thought. Even though I lived in the country, never seemed to get many; even the dogs would not get that many. Now....not sure what to do. Seems like the ticks are everywhere. I started taking Cat's Claw as I had the bottle just sitting there. Suppose my thought is that perhaps it will help prevent infection when I do get bit. And actually, I've pulled multiple deer tick off myself in the last decade. Tests are negative but I suspect we all have it too.

 

Concur with others, don't bother moving. Not sure where you would go to escape them. I think for all of us here, outdoor life will never be the same.

 

bill

 

bill