The low down on ticks?

[smadigan]

Hey All!


OK, now I am a native western new yorker so an abundance of ticks is fairly new to me. I have read various things about ticks in the Pine Barrens and opinions seem to vary. I really LOVE the pines, so I guess I am looking to be re-assured . I have seen ticks in the barrens, but I have never had one attach itself (I usually go in dec to feb and when I go other times I use all the precautions: deet, tucking in, etc.). Here are my questions if anyone has time to answer them:

1.) What are the tick seasons? Is it safe in winter, summer, etc?
2.) Given the seasons, which is lyme season?
3.) Some ppl seem to imply that they have had hundreds of ticks bite them over the years. If this is true, how real is the lyme disease problem? If it were that bad, why even go? If you get bit, what are the odds?

Any help would be great!

Signed,
A country boy living in self-imposed exile in Philly,
Sean Madigan
P.S. Planning on "thru-hiking" the batona this winter. I can't wait!!!!!!

 

[Ben Ruset]

With how warm the winters have been, tick season is year round. That said, they are far less active in the winter.

As far as how prevalent Lymes is, I personally don't believe it to be too bad. I have had plenty of tick bites and have not had any of the symptoms of lymes. I heard from someone on an outing once that Lymes was most active in NJ, which is the opposite of what I heard.

That said, enjoy the outdoors and don't worry too much about it. Take precautions, be smart in how you dress, and you'll minimize the effects of the ticks.

 

[Boyd]

Hey Sean, I can identify with you after living 15 years in Sterling NY (50 miles East of Rochester near Lake Ontario) and never once seeing a tick there.

In the 12 years I've lived here I've had tons of tick bites as well. I agree with Ben's assessment. I've never been tested for Lyme disease, but never had reason to believe I've had it either. My personal feeling is that Lyme disease is one of those things that doctors zero in on when they don't understand what's really wrong with you But of course that doesn't mean you shouldn't take it seriously.

The ticks aren't so bad in the winter months, I rarely get them then. Last summer was very odd. I did a lot of work outside in the spring and early summer and had more tick bites than ever before. Then we had the big flood in Burlington County in July. After that, I didn't see a single tick for the rest of the season - we discussed it here even.

I assume you know that Lyme is only carried by the tiny little ticks? They can be pretty hard to spot before they're engourged. As a general rule, if you feel something that itches anywhere on your body check it out immediately. This is the first hint that a tick is on you. After awhile you start to recognize this feeling pretty quickly. Also, from what I've read, it takes something like 24 hours of attachment for a tick to pass the Lyme disease to you. So to play it safe, take a shower and scrub yourself down when you return from your hikes. This gets rid of most of the ticks.

Don't let it spoil your fun! And if you are worried about tick bites in the summer, then just hike on the sand roads and wide trails. The only way that ticks can get on you is when you brush against foliage. Get outside and enjoy the summer.

 

[wis bang]

I have experienced Lymes disease. Caught a case around 1997 when I went off a local trail to bushwack around to spy on some deer in a field...didn't think anything of it at the time.

About 1.5 weeks later I felt 'off' enough to visit the doctor who could not find anthing wrong and said I came in 'too soon'...couldn't do a test [they are better now] and I went home for a few more days & then the bulls eye apeared on my belly. I never saw that tick! The deer ticks are truly tiny.

I've collected the larger [and more common] ticks all my life. They are really bothersome but you can usually feel them moving around. I catch alot walking on my neck and pick them off...You need to strip down and look your self over in a mirror whenever you've been in the brush. I never used to see many ticks in the Poconos; 'till this spring turkey season. Last two weekends in May; I must have found 4 - 5 every saturday. I picked up repellant w/ DEET for next spring, non DEET just don't work well on ticks. You are sitting on the ground w/ all the new growth all around. It was different in early May 'cause it was still cool enough to wear poly pro long johns tucked into boot socks and I think they are less active when cold. When you do find some, don't forget to check your clothes. My wife gets upset when she finds them while sorting thru the laundry!

You don't hear too much about Lyme right now. They look for it as soon as they know you spend alot of time outdoors and the tests are better now. The first tests were useless once you've had lyme cause it looked for the antibodies.

I used to work w/ a woman who caught lyme and was not diagnosed/treated correctly for a few years. She still has serious problens years later, loads of joint pain and other issues. If you feel like the flu is comming in august...Go get checked!

 

[Teegate]

Nice reply Ben and Boyd!

I come right home and shower, putting my clothes directly in the washer. Wash right away with hot water and dry hot. In the hot summer leave your car windows up when you get home and that seems to kill them when the temperature rises. If not as soon as you get back in your car they will come after you if they are still in it. My daughter and I have climbed in the car soon after coming home, and watched them crawling towards us on the consol.

Guy

 

[Boyd]

A couple years ago they approved a vaccine for Lyme disease. I read somewhere that it was less effective for older males however. Is it still available? Has anyone tried it? I would be a little uneasy trying a new vaccine until it had been on the market for awhile myself.

 

[Boyd]

I went home for a few more days & then the bulls eye apeared on my belly.

This is interesting... evidently that bullseye isn't proof of Lyme disease. Years ago my wife had a tick bite and the classic bullseye developed later. So she had the test and it came out negative. She didn't have any of the other symptoms and the doctor said not to worry about it. I've also seen the bullseye from a bite from the larger non-lyme carrying ticks.

Somewhere I read a few interesting factoids about ticks. In the early spring when they're young (think these are called "nymphs"?) they can't climb very high on the foliage so they will mainly get on your ankles when you walk through grass or low foliage. As the summer progresses they climb higher on the plants.

They are sensitive to vibration, so when they feel you coming they go into a position with their legs outstretched, ready to grab onto anything that brushes up against them. Again, they just lie in wait on foliage and they don't jump up onto you or drop down out of the trees.

I often use the DEET sprays myself, but honestly I'm not convinced that they make much difference.

 

[Teegate]

A couple years ago they approved a vaccine for Lyme disease. I read somewhere that it was less effective for older males however. Is it still available? Has anyone tried it? I would be a little uneasy trying a new vaccine until it had been on the market for awhile myself.

They stopped making it because of the lack of demand. It is no longer available.

Guy

 

[Boyd]

Guess that says a lot in itself about public opinion of Lyme disease in 2005. Funny how this was such a "cause celeb" a few years ago, it was all over the news wherever you looked.

 

[smadigan]

This is great guys! Keep going, I am learning a lot!

Sean

 

[BEHR655]

This is great guys! Keep going, I am learning a lot!

Sean

While lyme disease is serious, I am more concerned with chiggers. Ticks are a nuisance but chiggers are pure hell. If you see what looks like dirt on you but it's moving, they're chiggers. Spray them and brush them off the best you can. Their bites can torment you for weeks. We are entering chigger season now although you can come across a few individuals almost any time.
We hate chiggers!

Steve

 

[Teegate]

I also found this from 2001.

http://my.webmd.com/content/article/30/1728_71258

EDIT: They withdrew it from the market.

http://www.healingwell.com/library/lymedisease/info4.asp

Guy

 

[Boyd]

Heh, I think I've pretty much exhausted my "tick knowledge."

Well, we may have a lot of ticks here in the pines, but I don't think we have those nasty Fiddler Spiders (brown recluse) that hide in your sheds and woodpiles in central/western NY!

http://my.webmd.com/hw/health_guide_atoz/not40604.asp

 

[Boyd]

Great links Guy. I feel vindicated now for deciding against getting the shots when some friends urged me to

I gotta agree with Steve also. Chiggers are hell and it takes forever for the bites to heal and stop itching... see the link he posted elsewhere:

http://www.geometer.org/crtrip2002b/Chiggerfoot.jpg

My foot looked just like that last summer even though I'm generally very careful about chiggers. I am really careful now! Watch out for tall grass. If you must walk through it, get home quickly and wash your feet and ankles really thoroughly.

 

[NJSnakeMan]

We may not have Brown Recluse spiders but i know we have Black Widows! Found two a couple years ago camping. Never found any again since then. But anyways, does anybody know the range of brown recluse spiders?

 

[Gerania]

A woman from CT who had been letterboxing in the pines a few weeks ago returned home to find that she'd taken a tick with her. She went to the regional navel hospital and they determined that it was a Lone Star tick (!) and positive for Ehrlichiosis. http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/ehrlichia/Index.htm

She said that they were quite amazed because they'd never seen either this far east. I'll add north because I know that you can pick it up in the south as well.

Just one more reason to hate ticks. I've been treated for suspected cases of Lyme and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. In both cases the Dr.'s said they'd rather treat than wait another week to ten days to do the tests.

 

[NJSnakeMan]

okay i've been doing a little reading about the different kinds of ticks in NJ and the dieseases each individual species of tick carries. But i ran into a indentification problem.
first the Lone Star Tick(Amblyomma americanum) http://edcp.org/vet_med/images/lonestar_tick.jpg

And the other tick was a Black Legged Tick(Ixodes scapularis)
http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/entomology/extension/KIN/KIN_2003/kin-8/Black legged tick - female.jpg

I've also heard about a tick that carries lyme diesease called a ''deer tick'' is that just another name for a black legged tick or are they just a different species?

 

[smadigan]

In my quest to understand the ubiquitous creature known as the tick, I found this site. It is kind of interesting, as it seems that July and June are the months which contain the highest of Lyme infection cases (at least in this particular NJ county in 2002).

Link:
http://www.co.hunterdon.nj.us/health/lyme/actionalert.htm

Hope it is helpful to all

Sean

 

[Boyd]

Lyme disease in Hunterdon county was all over the news a few years ago when then governor Christie Whitman (a Hunterdon County resident) announced she had it and was receiving treatment.