Farrar Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 I was talking with someone about this the other day and wondering... Once you've had Lyme, you can get it again, unfortunately. Also, unfortunately, not all cases of Lyme have the bull's eye, which is so useful and easy for identifying the disease and catching it early. What I'm wondering is... if you get the bull's eye, will you also get the bull's eye every time you get Lyme? Or do they not know? As in, is the reaction something inherent to the person or is it dependent on the circumstances somehow or is this just unknown? I looked, but couldn't find the answer. Ds has had it and I keep thinking how very useful it would be for those vigilant tick checks if I knew that every time he got Lyme he would just get the bull's eye again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 No. You can get a bullseye one time and nothing at all the next, and you can also get a weird big red rash that doesn't have a bullseye. Ask me how I know. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ethel Mertz Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 And there are other lovely tick-borne diseases that are just as bad. http://www.cdc.gov/ticks/diseases/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted May 17, 2014 Author Share Posted May 17, 2014 Oh well. That's rotten, Cat. I know there are other diseases you can get from ticks, but let's be honest... they're not as common. We would still do tick checks, but practically every family I know has had one person with Lyme at least once and we know several families where someone has chronic Lyme. I would worry a lot less if I knew we could look out for the bull's eye as the definitive sign. See, that's the other nice thing about it - it's so definitive while the tests are so vague and take forever. Ds's was so classic that the doctor at Children's in the ER put him on parade and made all the nurses look at it. Sigh. Lyme. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennynd Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 I just got a gigantic tick bite today.. :( What I heard is if the tick are not on you more than 24 hrs, you should not get Lyme. So I guess just constantly check. I check my older every other day and my younger everyday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aspasia Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 Ugh. Every summer I just wish I could move back to the West. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 And there are other lovely tick-borne diseases that are just as bad. http://www.cdc.gov/ticks/diseases/ A friend's DH became very ill with Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. It took a while to diagnose, as he had flu symptoms initially and thought he had a virus. He was in the hospital for several weeks and has had lingering problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 My feeling is that even if you don't remember being bitten by a tick, if you come down with flu-like symptoms and achy joints and it's not flu season -- go to the doctor and get a prescription for a 30 day course of doxycycline as a precaution. Some doctors still prescribe antibiotic creams, but those absolutely do not work! I know that many people are against the unnecessary use of prescription medications, but if there's even a chance you could have Lyme disease, it's not worth adopting a "wait and see" attitude. Your symptoms can be really awful before Lyme will show up in your bloodwork, and the longer you have the symptoms, the harder it is to get rid of them. If you get the prescription before you have symptoms, you'll probably never get any at all, and if you get it ASAP after your symptoms start, you might only need one 30-day course of medicine to get back to normal. If you wait too long, that's when it gets incredibly difficult to get rid of it. I had Lyme for years, and one of the biggest reasons I keep posting in Lyme-related threads is to encourage people not to take any chances. Also, don't think you won't get Lyme if you haven't been out in the woods. I am one of the least outdoorsy people on the planet and I contracted Lyme 3 separate times over the years -- and never after I'd spent extra time outdoors. I don't know if the dogs brought ticks into the house on their fur or what, but I definitely wasn't doing yard work or hiking, so you just never know. Lyme can be very, very serious and the symptoms can not only make you miserable, but they can also make you think you're losing your mind, because they are so varied and unpredictable. One of our clients had serious memory loss issues when he had Lyme, another client went blind for 2 weeks when she had it, and another man we knew was undiagnosed for years and ended up in a wheelchair as a result. That's some scary stuff!!! :eek: I think the most important thing is to be vigilant about checking for ticks, but also to try not to make yourself a nervous wreck about it. Remember that treatment is available, so if you or someone in your family gets a tick bite and you don't know how long the tick has been embedded in the skin, or if one of you starts to develop any Lyme symptoms, the main thing is to promptly get to a doctor who will take you seriously and who will prescribe the proper medication for you, and then you should be just fine. The people who have the biggest problems are mostly the ones who weren't diagnosed quickly or who refused to believe they needed to take a full course (or more) of their prescriptions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 And there are other lovely tick-borne diseases that are just as bad. http://www.cdc.gov/ticks/diseases/ Yes. Despite the name Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, North Carolina is actually ground zero for that particular nasty. So while Lyme isn't really even on our radar, RMSF certainly is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alisoncooks Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 Following this thread b/c DD has had 3 tick bites this year already... (in NC). Question: has anyone else seen any correlation between honeysuckle bushes and ticks? DD has only gotten ticks on the days that she spent a lot of time hovering around honeysuckle bushes ("eating" them, LOL). I tried to google, to see if there was something there and found some associations with deer & those bushes & there being a higher # of ticks... Just curious if this is known to others (and I'm just clueless) or just anecdotal... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 Following this thread b/c DD has had 3 tick bites this year already... (in NC). Question: has anyone else seen any correlation between honeysuckle bushes and ticks? DD has only gotten ticks on the days that she spent a lot of time hovering around honeysuckle bushes ("eating" them, LOL). I tried to google, to see if there was something there and found some associations with deer & those bushes & there being a higher # of ticks... Just curious if this is known to others (and I'm just clueless) or just anecdotal... Pine trees and ticks seem to go hand in hand. Did the honeysuckle happen to be near pine trees? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted May 17, 2014 Author Share Posted May 17, 2014 I just got a gigantic tick bite today.. :( What I heard is if the tick are not on you more than 24 hrs, you should not get Lyme. So I guess just constantly check. I check my older every other day and my younger everyday. My understanding is that this is untrue. It just lessens your risk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted May 17, 2014 Author Share Posted May 17, 2014 Cat, I'm in total agreement about the preventative rounds of antibiotics if there's even a chance. Lyme is scary enough for it. Yeah, here and in Maryland we really worry about it... But I have noticed that for my friends in other states, it's barely on their radar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
---- Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alisoncooks Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 Pine trees and ticks seem to go hand in hand. Did the honeysuckle happen to be near pine trees? Hmmm, it is somewhat near pine trees, especially an area with lots of pine straw on the ground. I'm sorry to derail the thread but... Has anyone here had success spraying any sort of tick deterrent in their yard? I'm wondering if those yard sprays work? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted May 17, 2014 Author Share Posted May 17, 2014 I don't think that's a thread derail. The whole thread can be tick truths and tips. But my yard is too small to spray, so I have no clue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzie in Ma Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 Ugh. Every summer I just wish I could move back to the West. It's in every state and many other countries as well. http://module.lymediseaseassociation.net/Maps/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzie in Ma Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 Catching it early is essential. Misdiagnosis is common, tests are unreliable at best, and they are even worse for co-infections. Once it gets a hold, it digs in to every system in your body. As I write, our eldest is getting meds into her iv port. She went undiagnosed for years. Her labs showed 3-5 bands on her western blots but were stamped negative by the labs because they were not CDC positive. We lost years that way where treatment was critical. You have to educate yourself. www.ilads.org www.lymedisease.org Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TN Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 *sigh* I don't think I'm going to enjoy our upcoming camping trip. I'm going to have to douse us in bug spray. I've known so many people with Lymes. And except for one person who caught it very early, it was pretty terrible. My BIL has Lymes and it doesn't seem to have effected him, long term, at least. I wonder if it has become more severe in the last couple decades? I never thought it was a big deal until this past year when I have heard of the misery it can cause! Now I worry that we will completely miss the signs or symptoms. I bought a couple different bug sprays that contain picaridin - Sawyer premium insect repellent and Avon SSS with picaridin. I'm hoping they are effective when we go camping next week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 I really wish the medical research community would tackle the difficult diagnosis issue and strive to come up with some reliable testing methods. I understand the nature of tick borne diseases makes this a challenging prospect, but I believe the effort must be made. So often, too much time that could be treatment time is lost to muddling around for a diagnosis. Off soapbox now... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommymilkies Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 My feeling is that even if you don't remember being bitten by a tick, if you come down with flu-like symptoms and achy joints and it's not flu season -- go to the doctor and get a prescription for a 30 day course of doxycycline as a precaution. Some doctors still prescribe antibiotic creams, but those absolutely do not work! I know that many people are against the unnecessary use of prescription medications, but if there's even a chance you could have Lyme disease, it's not worth adopting a "wait and see" attitude. Your symptoms can be really awful before Lyme will show up in your bloodwork, and the longer you have the symptoms, the harder it is to get rid of them. If you get the prescription before you have symptoms, you'll probably never get any at all, and if you get it ASAP after your symptoms start, you might only need one 30-day course of medicine to get back to normal. If you wait too long, that's when it gets incredibly difficult to get rid of it. Even my most pro-homeopathic anti-med friends are 100% pro-Lyme testing and treatment. I have *not* found that true of doctors, however. They usually just think you're crazy around here. Last spring my 5 yo had 8 ticks on her in one week. That's more than all the kids for the past dozen years combined. I collected each tick, preserved it, and tracked her symptoms and lymph nodes. Her lumph nodes swelled up ridiculously. Each doctor visit they just told me that I should give her tylenol if she gets a fever but they wouldn't even test her for Lyme or keep an eye on it. They told me to stop worrying. Her lymph nodes are still swollen. It's sooooo hard to get a doc to take you seriously in some places. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzie in Ma Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 Even my most pro-homeopathic anti-med friends are 100% pro-Lyme testing and treatment. I have *not* found that true of doctors, however. They usually just think you're crazy around here. Last spring my 5 yo had 8 ticks on her in one week. That's more than all the kids for the past dozen years combined. I collected each tick, preserved it, and tracked her symptoms and lymph nodes. Her lumph nodes swelled up ridiculously. Each doctor visit they just told me that I should give her tylenol if she gets a fever but they wouldn't even test her for Lyme or keep an eye on it. They told me to stop worrying. Her lymph nodes are still swollen. It's sooooo hard to get a doc to take you seriously in some places. I would send bloodwork into Igenex for Lyme and co-infections, better to know than wait for the shit to hit the fan. Does she have any other symptoms? http://www.lyme-symptoms.com/LymeCoinfectionChart.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted May 17, 2014 Author Share Posted May 17, 2014 Even my most pro-homeopathic anti-med friends are 100% pro-Lyme testing and treatment. I have *not* found that true of doctors, however. They usually just think you're crazy around here. Last spring my 5 yo had 8 ticks on her in one week. That's more than all the kids for the past dozen years combined. I collected each tick, preserved it, and tracked her symptoms and lymph nodes. Her lumph nodes swelled up ridiculously. Each doctor visit they just told me that I should give her tylenol if she gets a fever but they wouldn't even test her for Lyme or keep an eye on it. They told me to stop worrying. Her lymph nodes are still swollen. It's sooooo hard to get a doc to take you seriously in some places. That's been my experience as well with my friends - both the homeopathic types and the more traditional types are all super vigilant about Lyme... it seems like the doctors are starting to catch up in their thinking, but that's newish. And, not to totally actually derail the thread, but I was having a conversation with an old friend who's a doctor and she was frustrated by all these "idiots" who are anti-vaccination and I was trying to explain to her that while I believe in vaccinating, the sort of experience you're describing above where the doctors seem to be completely ignorant of their own job and you have to go in there and educate them is just really common in my experience. Yes, Lyme is a big deal, yes it's safe to breastfeed exclusively, yes I really am having these symptoms that you're dismissing and they really are a big deal and here are some things it might be! So it's like, no wonder people struggle to trust the medical professionals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wheres Toto Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 Are ticks like mosquitos where they seem to find some people "tastier" than others? We live in a fairly wooded area, lots of pine trees, deer wandering through all the time, in one of the states where I believe Lyme is epidemic, we go camping in the woods/Pine Barrens, etc. I use bug spray while camping or hiking but not usually just in our backyard. I do tick checks starting in the Spring and going right in to Fall. But, we very rarely have ticks on us. Dh does when he is doing yard work down in the woods and high weeds, but the kids and I almost never do. I worry so much that we just aren't seeing them since the deer ticks are so tiny, but none of us have shown any symptoms of illness that could be Lyme. And this whole thread is leaving me feeling all itchy and crawly. Yuck. :willy_nilly: :ack2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aspasia Posted May 18, 2014 Share Posted May 18, 2014 It's in every state and many other countries as well. http://module.lymediseaseassociation.net/Maps/ True. And I was always aware of them when I went camping or hiking in the West--we always checked for them. But I never, ever, in my 29 years of living in the mountain west, ever found a tick on myself. And I never knew anybody who contracted Lyme disease there. (I'm sure they're out there, but I never knew anyone.) But here in Virginia, I swear at least 10% of the people I talk to about ticks have had Lyme disease. I find the dang things on my kids and in my house. It's unbelievable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommymilkies Posted May 18, 2014 Share Posted May 18, 2014 Pine trees and ticks seem to go hand in hand. Did the honeysuckle happen to be near pine trees? They really love our Tulip Poplar trees. The kids have gotten more sitting under those than anywhere else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted May 18, 2014 Author Share Posted May 18, 2014 Are ticks like mosquitos where they seem to find some people "tastier" than others? I think so. One of my boys gets bitten a lot and the other less and me even less, though I once had a nasty engorged one on me after camping. One time we went for a hike and one person had dozens on him and the rest of us couldn't find but a few between us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twoxcell Posted May 18, 2014 Share Posted May 18, 2014 Is it weird that I have never seen a tick in my life and would not have any clue how to check for them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alisoncooks Posted May 18, 2014 Share Posted May 18, 2014 I think the grossest tick incident we've had was when oldest DD (who was then 4) stumbled into a patch of seed ticks. Literally, a hundred pin-sized ticks crawling up her legs. *shivers* I've heard that tape is the best way to remove those... Too bad I didn't know that then. I spent an hour picking those things off poor DD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie4b Posted May 18, 2014 Share Posted May 18, 2014 Are there any natural tick repellants that work? I really don't want to put DEET on every day. Where we live now, Lyme's is present, but not prevalent so it's harder to get docs to treat. I have relatives in PA and the doctor will prescribe antibiotics if there is a deer tick bite. No testing, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted May 18, 2014 Author Share Posted May 18, 2014 Is it weird that I have never seen a tick in my life and would not have any clue how to check for them? Not if you live somewhere, such as the PNW, where there aren't many. And not if you're not an outdoorsy person or live in a big city and don't go to the woods sometimes. If you live in Lyme ground zero - Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, etc. - and don't know though, I would get educated. Kids can get Lyme playing in a suburban backyard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucy the Valiant Posted May 18, 2014 Share Posted May 18, 2014 This has been a BAD year already for ticks in my area. :( These are the best things we've found that work: - chickens (seriously, they'll CLEAN your yard of ticks) - pay the kids $1 for EVERY tick they find (mine are young enough to be motivated by this, but if they ever lost interest, I'd up the cash value; they have to BRING it to me or DH) - daily tick checks, all kids, head-to-toe, no exceptions - tea tree oil shampoo & conditioner (Trader Joe's carries it, or you could add to your regular shampoo - not sure if this works or not, but we do it!) - odorless garlic (again, rumors that this is true - no hard evidence, but it's cheap and easy and nothing to lose) - the "big guns" Permethrin spray comes out when we go either (a) camping or (b) to a known tick-heavy place - I spray the clothes on the clothesline outside the night before . . . this is pricey for every-day use, but IT WORKS - Tick Tubes for the yard (ticktubes.com) - stay in close communication with kids' pediatrician; she knows we're not run-in-there-for-just-anything kind of people, and she trusts my concerns My kids are outdoors HOURS and HOURS, and we have found ticks even in the dead of winter (in New England) - it's definitely something to think about / work at preventing / learn about. It's that eternal search for balance between vigilance and just enjoying the freedom of childhood. Not always easy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twoxcell Posted May 18, 2014 Share Posted May 18, 2014 Not if you live somewhere, such as the PNW, where there aren't many. And not if you're not an outdoorsy person or live in a big city and don't go to the woods sometimes. If you live in Lyme ground zero - Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, etc. - and don't know though, I would get educated. Kids can get Lyme playing in a suburban backyard. Yes I do live in the PNW. We live in town but spend a lot of time out in nature. I guess they are not that common here. My Dh grew up in this same state but more in the country and he remembers seeing some ticks. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted May 18, 2014 Share Posted May 18, 2014 This has been a BAD year already for ticks in my area. :( These are the best things we've found that work: - chickens (seriously, they'll CLEAN your yard of ticks) - pay the kids $1 for EVERY tick they find (mine are young enough to be motivated by this, but if they ever lost interest, I'd up the cash value; they have to BRING it to me or DH) - daily tick checks, all kids, head-to-toe, no exceptions - tea tree oil shampoo & conditioner (Trader Joe's carries it, or you could add to your regular shampoo - not sure if this works or not, but we do it!) - odorless garlic (again, rumors that this is true - no hard evidence, but it's cheap and easy and nothing to lose) - the "big guns" Permethrin spray comes out when we go either (a) camping or ( B) to a known tick-heavy place - I spray the clothes on the clothesline outside the night before . . . this is pricey for every-day use, but IT WORKS - Tick Tubes for the yard (ticktubes.com) - stay in close communication with kids' pediatrician; she knows we're not run-in-there-for-just-anything kind of people, and she trusts my concerns My kids are outdoors HOURS and HOURS, and we have found ticks even in the dead of winter (in New England) - it's definitely something to think about / work at preventing / learn about. It's that eternal search for balance between vigilance and just enjoying the freedom of childhood. Not always easy. Tick Tubes are amazing! Great to see someone else post about them. There have been studies about how effective they are, when widely used in an area. Excellent product. If they do not ship to your area, you can make your own by stuffing toilet paper tubes with permethrin soaked cotton balls (caution: don't get wet permethrin on your skin, let the permethrin dry before stuffing the tubes). We do a lot of tick prevention here. If you google, you can find landscaping ideas specifically to lessen ticks in your yard (yay!). We've done a lot of that. We use Tick Tubes, of course, and we do daily tick checks. We use permethrin on our clothes and shoes for camping (usually I buy the clothes with the permethrin already applied for camping), and we make sure to use tick/flea treatment on our dogs. We use DEET now, as a result of conversations with my LLMD - I now feel that the risks of DEET are outweighed by the risks of tick borne diseases. We save and label every tick, although unfortunately - testing the tick for tick-borne diseases is as ineffective as testing people. There are false negatives. But it's worth a shot. We know the symptoms of Lyme and co-infections and we watch for them. And we have a close relationship with our Lyme Literate Doc. If we didn't have an LLMD, then I'd make sure our pedi was open-minded about Lyme etc, and get her on board, in case we needed proactive care. There's not always a bull's eye, and even if you've had a bull's eye once - you can still contract Lyme again without a bull's eye. Unfortunately. I Iive in No VA, and contracted babesiosis in my own backyard. Literally. Babesia is common here, though when I first learned about it, my GP thought it wasn't possible, that it was a "tropical" disease. Not any more. It is a co-infection of Lyme not treated by doxy. Treating it is not easy, and extremely expensive (my meds were in the $1000s per month). Not to mention that it can kill a person, if not just disabling them. As a result of babesia, I won't ever be able to give blood, and I think I'm out as an organ donor, too. :( There are ticks every where. They have even been found on penguins in Antarctica! As a field archaeologist, I pulled ticks off in many states - mostly in the SW. CO, AZ, and NM come to mind. I have friends in the PNW and CA with Lyme, so please don't feel insulated if you're not in a typically endemic area. It can happen. It does happen. Hoping for a Lyme free summer for all of us! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandylubug Posted May 18, 2014 Share Posted May 18, 2014 We use Repel Lemon Eucalyptus Deet Free Spray with good success. We spray our clothes, hair, skin and shoes. I had one crawling on my pants when I got in from woods this evening. I sprayed some spray on table, flicked in there and watched the tick try to walk around it. It moved fast and away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted May 18, 2014 Share Posted May 18, 2014 Are there any natural tick repellants that work? I really don't want to put DEET on every day. The products with 30% Lemon Eucalyptus (which is a type of eucalyptus, not lemon + eucalyptus) are very effective, even CDC tested and approved for I think 6 hours, which is less than DEET but good enough for my usual needs. Just don't spray the stuff indoors and hold your breath while spraying - it is really smelly when it's in droplet form! Afterwards just on skin it's just a bit lemony, but better than ticks by far! Both Repel and Cutter make a 30% Lemon Eucalyptus repellent (both brands also make DEET products, so check which one you've got. The LE products are just that, though, no DEET at all). Oh, and it also works great on mosquitoes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted May 18, 2014 Share Posted May 18, 2014 Tick Tubes are amazing! Great to see someone else post about them. There have been studies about how effective they are, when widely used in an area. Excellent product. If they do not ship to your area, you can make your own by stuffing toilet paper tubes with permethrin soaked cotton balls (caution: don't get wet permethrin on your skin, let the permethrin dry before stuffing the tubes). I've been saving up tubes and have cotton balls and permethrin spray, but haven't gotten around to assembling. Would they still work if I put them out now (I thought mice and such used the cotton balls for nests, but I'm thinking they'd be best put out in fall, or maybe earlier spring?) Should I bother now, or wait? And how do I saturate the cotton balls? Just spray the heck out of them? Do I need to turn them over and do the other side? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandylubug Posted May 18, 2014 Share Posted May 18, 2014 We were in the woods today. Used LE spray and immediately showered and laundered our clothes.. will do a tick check again before bed but this thread has me feeling creepy crawly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted May 18, 2014 Share Posted May 18, 2014 I've been saving up tubes and have cotton balls and permethrin spray, but haven't gotten around to assembling. Would they still work if I put them out now (I thought mice and such used the cotton balls for nests, but I'm thinking they'd be best put out in fall, or maybe earlier spring?) Should I bother now, or wait? And how do I saturate the cotton balls? Just spray the heck out of them? Do I need to turn them over and do the other side? I would put them out now. It's not going to hurt. I would imagine the rodents would use nesting material year round anyway. Just spray thoroughly, saturate them. Let them dry completely then turn them over and do the other side if you think the spray didn't soak through. Just definitely make sure they are completely dry before handling them! You'll want to place them near areas where rodents might nest. I think the tick tubes website has some advice about that. Just thought of this - if you're spraying the cottonballs, you might put them on top of another item you want to spray, so you don't waste any. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted May 18, 2014 Share Posted May 18, 2014 Oh! One more trick. When you get home from outdoor play - throw your shoes and clothes in the dryer on high for 30 minutes to kill any hitchhikers. Then wash and dry like normal. This thread has me feeling crawly too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madteaparty Posted May 18, 2014 Share Posted May 18, 2014 Is permethrin very bad for you? I'm thinking of spraying shoes but leaving them outside. I'm kind of crazy about this stuff (I don't own a microwave or any plastic food storage) but we literally live in THE highest Lyme concentration area in the country. No ticks off my kids this year from our yard/ woods, though I did pull one off my baby's ear in a concrete playground in NYC the other day. The irony. Where do you place the tick tubes? Thanks for all the tips in this thread! ETA: I knew the dryer trick but we don't have one. Just a washer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted May 18, 2014 Share Posted May 18, 2014 This is making me itch!! Dh had lyme's. We found tbe tickon him fully engorged but the doctor refused to treat him until he was symptomatic. Went through 5 md's and were given the same song and dance. Then he developed the standard bull's eye rash and they still would not prescribe even though now he was sick...said it could be coincidental and he wasn't sick enough. We couldn't get in with the expert at Beaumont for two months because he was so backed up with patients. So, I got desperate and called a friend who serves in Doctor's without Borders. He prescribed meds from his foreign locale and referred us to a friend in Ohio for follow up. You know the state of medical care in the U.S. has dropped to abysmal when the facts about tick borne diseases are this well known but you have to seek treatment from someone in a foreign country. I think of how many on this board have suffered through it, plus their children, Denisemomoffour, Marianova, Lizzie...it's really awful. We need to be vigilant and Mammabears on steroids about this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted May 18, 2014 Share Posted May 18, 2014 Is permethrin very bad for you? I'm thinking of spraying shoes but leaving them outside. I'm kind of crazy about this stuff (I don't own a microwave or any plastic food storage) but we literally live in THE highest Lyme concentration area in the country. No ticks off my kids this year from our yard/ woods, though I did pull one off my baby's ear in a concrete playground in NYC the other day. The irony. Where do you place the tick tubes? Thanks for all the tips in this thread! ETA: I knew the dryer trick but we don't have one. Just a washer. Permethrin while wet is not good. I would not have my kids around it (wet), and in fact DH does all the spraying due to my issues (from undiagnosed Lyme and TBDs). While wet it is a neurotoxin. Once dry, it is supposed to be safe. We still use it sparingly, but we are careful. We also buy clothes from Ex Officio. We keep our permethrin clothes/shoes with our camping gear. Tick tubes go near wood piles, woody brushy areas, any place rodents might look for nesting materials. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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