Tick`s & Chigger`s

Sue Gremlin

Piney
Sep 13, 2005
1,277
233
61
Vicksburg, Michigan
Not true. A magnifying glass indicated just how small the little critters were. Nostalgic for ticks and chiggers...you see, we have (virtually) no bugs in the Southwest. :D

Actually it is true.
After crawling onto their host, they inject digestive enzymes into the skin that break down skin cells. They do not actually "bite," but instead form a hole in the skin called a stylostome and chew up tiny parts of the inner skin, thus causing severe irritation and swelling. The severe itching is accompanied by red pimple-like bumps (papules) or hives and skin rash or lesions on a sun-exposed area. For humans, itching usually occurs after the larvae detach from the skin.[8]
Potter, M. and Koehler, P, 1995. Invisible Itches: Insect and Non-Insect Causes. University of Florida, Depart. pp. 1-4. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/MG/MG34300.pdf.
 

manumuskin

Piney
Jul 20, 2003
8,552
2,465
59
millville nj
www.youtube.com
yes Sue and Woodjin are correct.as a side note what makes you itch is chemicals your own body sends to heal the wound the chiggers made.so your actually making your own self itch,same as when any scab heals.once you scratch the chigger bites if their even still there you knock them off.
"chiggers, We hates them don't we Precious?"
Gollum
 

piker56

Explorer
Jan 13, 2006
640
53
67
Winslow
Question for pet owners

This isn't quite on subject, but did anyone else have problems this summer with bugs (ticks, chiggers or fleas) on their pets? We used Frontline on our dog, and this summer it didn't seem to work as well. She ended up with fleas, even though we applied Frontline. We also picked off more ticks than usual. She's had Chiggers (I think) in the past and just about scratched herself raw, but this summer it was ticks and fleas. We are all (me, my wife and the dog) hoping for an early frost!
Thanks,
Greg
 

Sue Gremlin

Piney
Sep 13, 2005
1,277
233
61
Vicksburg, Michigan
There have been reports of fleas becoming resistant to Frontline. Did you see actual fleas or flea dirt, or did you just observe extra itchiness?
You might want to try something else. K-9 Advantix or ProMeris are different chemistry than Frontline and both work very well for fleas and ticks. Usually when a dog scratches itself raw, it's flea allergy.
Also, does your dog go swimming a lot?
 

piker56

Explorer
Jan 13, 2006
640
53
67
Winslow
There have been reports of fleas becoming resistant to Frontline. Did you see actual fleas or flea dirt, or did you just observe extra itchiness?
You might want to try something else. K-9 Advantix or ProMeris are different chemistry than Frontline and both work very well for fleas and ticks. Usually when a dog scratches itself raw, it's flea allergy.
Also, does your dog go swimming a lot?

Sue, thanks for the repsonse. We saw actual fleas. The vet has actually put her on an Antibiotic (Keflex?) because the scratches became infected. We also got an antihistamine for her as he said she had an allergic reaction. We will also switch her flea and tick medicine from Frontline, the vet recommended ProMeris. The dog now has her own shelf of the medicine cabinet.
Our dog unbelievably can't swim, so the answer to that question is a no. The last time she went in the water my son had to go in after her (seriously, I'm not kidding).
I have run her in the woods quite a bit, though not lately as I'm recovering from knee surgery. Another few weeks and we'll both be good to go!
Thanks,
Greg
 

Sue Gremlin

Piney
Sep 13, 2005
1,277
233
61
Vicksburg, Michigan
Interesting. Do you have any other beasts in the house? Cats? Have you applied the ProMeris yet? It works great! But I *might* be just a BIT biased about that... :)
It will certainly take care of your flea problem.
 

46er

Piney
Mar 24, 2004
8,837
2,143
Coastal NJ
This isn't quite on subject, but did anyone else have problems this summer with bugs (ticks, chiggers or fleas) on their pets?

No problems until just recently when I stopped the Frontline® Found a couple of engorged ticks in his kennel. They look just like the tips of somebodies pinky finger :) Frontline® has been reapplied.
 

wanderlust

New Member
Mar 4, 2009
18
0
49
South Jersey
This isn't quite on subject, but did anyone else have problems this summer with bugs (ticks, chiggers or fleas) on their pets? We used Frontline on our dog, and this summer it didn't seem to work as well. She ended up with fleas, even though we applied Frontline. We also picked off more ticks than usual. She's had Chiggers (I think) in the past and just about scratched herself raw, but this summer it was ticks and fleas. We are all (me, my wife and the dog) hoping for an early frost!
Thanks,
Greg

Both our dogs are treated with Frontline. I also use geranium rose essential oil on their collars (its supposed to be a natural repellent) and one of the dogs still managed to get Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.

I never found any ticks on them, I found one in one of the spots they like to lay in and one on my daughter's changing table. Both dead, neither engorged.
 

Sue Gremlin

Piney
Sep 13, 2005
1,277
233
61
Vicksburg, Michigan
Both our dogs are treated with Frontline. I also use geranium rose essential oil on their collars (its supposed to be a natural repellent) and one of the dogs still managed to get Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.

I never found any ticks on them, I found one in one of the spots they like to lay in and one on my daughter's changing table. Both dead, neither engorged.

Geranium oil isn't going to cut it for ticks. They're tough! Sorry to hear your dog had RMSF. How did that work out? It is a really awful disease.
 

wanderlust

New Member
Mar 4, 2009
18
0
49
South Jersey
Yeah, I figured that out :) I was hoping the both combined would help.

Fortunately we were really lucky and the vet was fantastic. We noticed the dog limping one day and what looked like he was favoring his one paw, wouldn't go up the stairs. He's kind of a klutz so we figured he hurt himself when he was playing with our other dog. The next day he wouldn't go up the stairs, stopped eating (he NEVER gives up food) and just really wanted to sleep all day. I finally figured out it was his hip and gave the vet a call.

She insisted we test for tick borne illnesses even though the dogs are treated and said they had been seeing an increase in RMSF. Wouldn't ya know it. I never heard if it before she mentioned it. He's doing really well now. Still has a little bit of trouble going up stairs but otherwise is back to his normal goofy self. This happened towards the end of July.

I started treating our yard with DE and have not found any on us or the kids since, knock on wood. I spent my entire childhood exploring in the woods and never had a tick on me, we move here and we're pulling them off left and right just from being in the backyard. Had me freaked out for a while.
 
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