View Full Version : Tick Seasons
ChinMusic
04-26-2010, 11:02
When does "tick season" start on the AT in the Damascus area?
HiKen2011
04-26-2010, 11:12
I'm not that sure about that area, but here in North GA. I have saw them already!
Dtour
Mrs Baggins
04-26-2010, 11:23
We were in the Tuscarora Forest Friday and Saturday. My husband, and the friend we were hiking with, both found ticks on themselves. When I unpacked my pack at home yesterday there was a tick taking a ride on my water bladder. Made me wonder how many more might be in the rest of my gear. But I have to assume that without a host they'll die fast. Right????
We were in the Tuscarora Forest Friday and Saturday. My husband, and the friend we were hiking with, both found ticks on themselves. When I unpacked my pack at home yesterday there was a tick taking a ride on my water bladder. Made me wonder how many more might be in the rest of my gear. But I have to assume that without a host they'll die fast. Right????
Nope. They can live for something like a year without a host. Put your stuff in the freezer to kill em off.
ChinMusic
04-26-2010, 11:46
I know what our "season" is here in Illinois, but we don't have deer ticks here (to any extent) and wasn't sure if the deer tick had a different pattern.
I'm doing a 5-day trip into Trail Days and will DEF be treating my clothing with permethrin. Sounds like I better bring some spray too for my equipment as an additional deterrent.
Snowleopard
04-26-2010, 12:13
Deer ticks can be active most of the year in forest floor litter (from a report from Connecticut). Probably if it's sitting on a blade of grass at much below freezing it's not active. They're going to be much more of a problem when it gets warmer. A friend picked up a bunch doing yard work in the suburbs of Boston in early March
ChinMusic
04-26-2010, 12:39
I know the map for Lyme doesn't start til upper VA but I also get the idea that the range is expanding.
http://www.aldf.com/RiskMap/virginia/virginia.GIF
http://www.aldf.com/RiskMap/virginia/legend.GIF
jhensley
04-26-2010, 18:07
I'm from Kentucky and I know numerous of people who have contracted Lyme locally. That map is a bit of a farce.
jhensley
04-26-2010, 18:08
I'm from Kentucky and I know numerous of people who have contracted Lyme locally. That map is a bit of a farce.
*whoops, meant 'numbers of'.
Mrs Baggins
04-26-2010, 19:11
Nope. They can live for something like a year without a host. Put your stuff in the freezer to kill em off.
Awww. Crap. I don't have a freezer with the room for ALL of our gear that could have ticks hanging out. Any sprays that might work?? :eek:
Migrating Bird
04-26-2010, 19:59
IMO, ticks can be active all year long. There is a great link from Maine about ticks this past winter on another thread. Give um a little warmth and they will be active especially if sun is out! A couple of years ago on a day hike in W. MA at 2100 ft. in Feb. we found 5 ticks on us because it was a bright sunny day with temps just below freezing.
Wise Old Owl
04-26-2010, 20:03
What Season ? it's year round except when snow is on the ground. Is this the Humor Forum? Nuts.:D
ChinMusic
04-26-2010, 21:00
What Season ? it's year round except when snow is on the ground. Is this the Humor Forum? Nuts.:D
It wasn't worthy of the "Humor Forum" until you posted.:D
From Rhode Island (this site shows activity per month): http://www.health.ri.gov/disease/communicable/lyme/activitymonth.php
Tick activity increases greatly in the spring (starting in April or May) when eggs first hatch. Ticks are most active and often feed in late June or early July, and slowly become less active during the autumn months. Ticks are least active and least likely to feed during January and February.
This means that, starting in the spring, you need to take precautions against tick bites, and should continue these precautions through the fall. However, while you are unlikely to receive a tick bite during the winter, you should not rule out tick-borne disease if you notice any symptoms of early Lyme (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/symptoms.php#early) or symptoms of any other tick-borne diseases (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/otherdiseases.php) and should still consult your physician about the possibility of these diseases. Also, if you are planning on treating your property with pesticides, it is often suggested that you do so in May in order to kill off newly hatched larvae.
Sorry to let real info get in your way..........:D:D
Awww. Crap. I don't have a freezer with the room for ALL of our gear that could have ticks hanging out. Any sprays that might work?? :eek:
Sprays with permethrin can be used on clothing. It is recommended that you spray outside on a calm day, don't breathe the vapors, and let the clothing (pack, tent, etc) dry for at least two hours before allowing them to contact your skin. Supposedly permethrin is supposed to be harmless to humans but will kill ticks if they crawl across it. I use it because I've had Lyme disease at least once, probably three times.
Even after going thru the hysteria induced tick bite I got in November in NY, I would not let the idea of ticks alter the enjoyment of your trip. I guess there's nothing wrong with being cautious, but I certainly wouldn't spray my clothing with chemicals for a trip to the Damascus area. I know they are supposedly down south now but I think doing a daily check will more than suffice.
Now, Connecticut section in June might be a different story...
ChinMusic
04-26-2010, 22:56
Even after going thru the hysteria induced tick bite I got in November in NY, I would not let the idea of ticks alter the enjoyment of your trip. I guess there's nothing wrong with being cautious, but I certainly wouldn't spray my clothing with chemicals for a trip to the Damascus area. I know they are supposedly down south now but I think doing a daily check will more than suffice.
Now, Connecticut section in June might be a different story...
I hear ya. The Damascus area doesn't appear to be a hot-bed for Lyme. I personally don't have any fear of permethrin if it is handled properly and I use the soaking method for clothing. It does a REAL good job of keeping mosquitoes and flies from biting my shoulders too.
We have West Nile in our area which IMO is much less of a risk to a healthy individual, like myself, than Lyme.
Non-backpackers always ask me if I'm scared of bears and I say no......ticks.
Scientist need to come up with some way to eradicate ticks once and for all.
Panzer
stranger
04-30-2010, 18:37
I don't personally believe there is a tick season, or perhaps a better way of stating it is when are ticks not out?
Generally speaking, from about March to November, you can expect to find ticks along much of the Appalachian Trail. The hotspots are CT of course (where it was discovered in 1975) NY, and MA, but it's probably possible to contract Lyme anywhere nowdays. I've heard it's real bad in certain areas of PA for example, same with W. VA.
Without question, the best overall prevention is Permethrin on your clothing, and Deet Repellant on your skin (though not 100%, you don't need more than about 30%) and clothing.
It's a known fact that about 95% of those who contract Lyme never saw the tick that bit them...so daily checks are not going to get the job done. Plus, you cannot check your crotch and head...both tick hotspots.
Remember, clothing can prevent alot of bites, and treating your clothing means the tick won't have the time to walk up your leg and bite you in the ass.
Without question, the best overall prevention is Permethrin on your clothing, and Deet Repellant on your skin (though not 100%, you don't need more than about 30%) and clothing.
Picaridin ( http://www.picaridin.com (http://www.picaridin.com/) ) is/has been used in Europe for a very long period as an alternative to DEET and has been available for sale in the U.S. since 2005, when it was approved for use as an insect repellant by the EPA. ( http://www.epa.gov/opprd001/factsheets/picaridin.pdf (http://www.epa.gov/opprd001/factsheets/picaridin.pdf) ) .
Testing indicates that at 20% strength (which is the % most picaridin-based products contain) it is equally effective as 100% DEET (http://www.medletter.com/freedocs/picaridin.pdf (http://www.medletter.com/freedocs/picaridin.pdf) ) .
Unlike DEET, picaridin has essentially no smell and does no damage to plastics and clothing if inadvertently applied to them (http://www.picaridin.info (http://www.picaridin.info/) )
In 2000 the World Health Organization proclaimed that, due to its safety, effectiveness and cosmetic properties, Picaridin was their recommended product for repelling the mosquitos that carry Malaria. They noted that under some circumstances it was more effective than DEET. (Id.)
Picaridin has proven effective in laboratory and field tests against a variety of mosquitos, ticks and flies and other biting insects (Id).
(A side note: Picaridin is derived from the group of plants used to make black pepper. http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/PicaridinGen.pdf (http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/PicaridinGen.pdf) )
Among the various vendors (including Sawyer), Natrapel makes 8 hr. "wipes" (sold in boxes of 12) that are touted for mosquitos but are also effective on ticks.
permethrin is fatal to cats and is classified by the US EPA as a likely human carcinogen.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permethrin
Panzer
permethrin is fatal to cats and is classified by the US EPA as a likely human carcinogen.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permethrin
Panzer
From the US EPA:
Likely to be Carcinogenic to Humans by the oral route
....so don't drink it.
Reference: Permethrin Facts (http://www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/REDs/factsheets/permethrin_fs.htm)
ChinMusic
05-01-2010, 21:38
I try real hard to resist the urge to drink the permethrin. I've been successful to date.
I'm from Kentucky and I know numerous of people who have contracted Lyme locally. That map is a bit of a farce.
Really? That makes me worry a bit more...
I had a tick bite for which I ended up going to an urgent care center last Sunday. A baseball-sized red spot developed around the bite (on my back). No bullseye shape though, just a big red spot.
It turned out I had a pretty big local histamine reaction to the bite, but it was not Lyme.
The doctor told me that Lyme was very rare in Kentucky. I was hoping that was true...
ChinMusic
05-01-2010, 23:32
It turned out I had a pretty big local histamine reaction to the bite, but it was not Lyme.
The doctor told me that Lyme was very rare in Kentucky. I was hoping that was true...
Hope the doc is right too. I read stories about misdiagnosis and your symptoms would make me nervous too.
Stay on top of it.
A baseball-sized red spot developed around the bite (on my back). No bullseye shape though, just a big red spot.
not everyone gets the bulls eye.
Panzer
It's a known fact that about 95% of those who contract Lyme never saw the tick that bit them...so daily checks are not going to get the job done.
Or, it could be that those who don't see that tick are the ones not doing daily checks. But, yeah, I would use some sort of bug deterrent.
Recently (April 11th or so) hiking in the Wekiwa State Park in Florida, our group found about 10-12 ticks each-just on a 2 mile portion of a hike. Three weeks before-different location but basically the same region ( Little Econ Forest in Florida) no ticks at all-and this was after a thorough search afterward.
Seems in the last few weeks they have definitely become more active-at least down here in the Tourist South .
Blue Jay
05-02-2010, 08:49
permethrin is fatal to cats and is classified by the US EPA as a likely human carcinogen.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permethrin
Panzer
Extreme poisons are in many ways just as bad when absorbed by your skin as it is direct exposure, not broken down by your digestive system. Also rarely can you keep the poison on your entire body all day long. A better way to avoid Lyme is to religiously pick all the ticks off you twice a day. Once after you urinate in the morning and once just before you go to sleep. Just slowly cover your body and pick off everyting that feels like dirt that will not come off easily. This is the best way to avoid Lyme and if you make it a habit is quite easy.
SerenitySeeker
05-02-2010, 09:20
dont drink the permethrin, or give to cat, bring along someone close enuf to check my head and oher areas, pick each other clean twice a day...got it...
seriously reconsider my desire to hike...got it...
Snowleopard
05-02-2010, 11:10
Lyme disease is less likely in the south than in the north, but it seems to be extending its range. I've read trail journals mentioning people off the trail because of Lyme in Virginia and south. There are other serious tick borne disease that are present in the south.
The ticks are less active in winter and you're less likely to pick them up. They are active in Connecticut in the forest floor litter year round.
Kel, the "Stickman"
05-02-2010, 13:17
Tick season in full swing, up here in Maine.
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:_uo2FtnQ_coJ:www.wmtw.com/health/23059671/detail.html+ticks,+Maine,+2010&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us
I was out yesterday, with my nephew, who is a logger. I didn't happen to pick up a tick, but he did. We were in the woods for about 2 hours...
Be careful, check for ticks after every hike/excursion to the great outdoors!
God Bless,
Stickman
http://www.scripturesticks.com/
stranger
05-02-2010, 14:10
Thanks RayBan...good to know!
Wise Old Owl
05-02-2010, 14:31
When the wind blows?
today I went for a walk down a jeep sized trail along farmers fields and when I got home I felt something on the neck --- yep the wind propels the little suckers or he jumped from a tree.. He didn't crawl up the pants in half an hour.
I really dislike ticks.. :mad:
Wise Old Owl
05-05-2010, 18:12
I really dislike ticks and Bedbugs!:D
Migrating Bird
05-05-2010, 18:49
Went to the Doc's yesterday for my annual physical in Pittsfield MA. He spotted my two tick bites I received the beginning of April. He said on average if he sees 10 patients with tick bites in their Urgent Care Facility then of those 10, 2 test positive for Lyme but 1 will be a false positive. Not all persons with Lyme will have the "bulls eye) and most interesting the bulls eye can appear anywhere not just around the bite site. He said the size of the bulls eye depends on the persons reaction to the bite, he had one patient last summer with the classic bulls eye but it was on one side of her body from her knee to her shoulder and half of her front and back and the bite was on the other side of her torso. Ticks suck!
Wise Old Owl
05-05-2010, 19:06
Always good to get a second opinion, I broke all the rules two weeks ago and went back to an earlier family doctor I hadn't seen since 94. 10 days of Doxycyline sometimes is NOT enough, so I got the tests, and a second perscription with a refill.
Always good to get a second opinion, I broke all the rules two weeks ago and went back to an earlier family doctor I hadn't seen since 94. 10 days of Doxycyline sometimes is NOT enough, so I got the tests, and a second perscription with a refill.
Last May I was prescribed three weeks' worth.
I had repeat symptoms in November (probably another bite, or some other type of reaction that caused the same elbow to swell like a football). That was out of state and the doc prescribed two weeks' worth (no titer test either time - I opted out - didn't want to wait for the results).
I never spotted ticks or a rash, but I had a possible positive back in the '90s and the symptoms were the same.
If you explain to your doctor that you spend a lot of time in the woods where Lyme disease is known to be a problem, you might get the Doxy without too much resistance from your physician.
When the wind blows?
today I went for a walk down a jeep sized trail along farmers fields and when I got home I felt something on the neck --- yep the wind propels the little suckers or he jumped from a tree.. He didn't crawl up the pants in half an hour.
I'm going to have to go ahead a disagree with you here... Ticks don't jump from trees and aren't some airborne menace like flying monkeys or something. What they can do is crawl a hell of a lot faster than you might think. 30 minutes is more than enough time for a small army of ticks to climb from your socks to the top of your head and plant a flag there, have a siesta, and climb back down again.
Snowleopard
05-09-2010, 21:17
I found a tick in my house yesterday, and I really don't think I carried it in! :mad: :mad:
At least it wasn't a deer tick.
Black Sheep '91
05-09-2010, 22:40
Hi folks, this is my first post on the forum. I'm a veteran AT hiker (filmmaker: "Sticking To It," 1992 about my 1991 class of thru-hikers), a WFR and a frequent traveller on the AT from my base near Sky Meadows State Park in VA. Here's the scoop on tick borne disease in northern Virginia. It's here and it's rampant, no doubt about it.
A year ago when I got my WFR from Wilderness Medical Associates, the TEXTBOOK teaching was that tick borne disease could not be transmitted from a bite in less than 24 hours, and my teacher introduced new data suggesting that 12 hours was the known limit. In less than a year, that time has been reduced to 2 hours or less, depending on whether there is ANY evidence of reaction at the site.
Pesticides aside, make a practice of checking for adhesive ticks regularly throughout the day. You may not be able to detect them crawling in your hair, for instance, but you can definitely feel them once they've latched on to your scalp. Sensitive fingers, a set routine and a few quiet moments seem to do the trick. For GA-ME hikers, the Shendandoah just might be the time to consider humping a lightweight tent, instead of sleeping in a shelter, if you're worried about tick-borne disease.
The writer who talked about longer courses of antibiotics wasn't kidding. Long courses that last three months to a year for stubborn or caught-late cases are not unknown in my home town here.
But let's get back to that tick you just pulled off. How do you decide if you're possibly infected? You check for a reaction at the site, and monitor the site for a few days.
Reaction at the site means: do you see any swelling around the bite, any spreading or radiating redness and/or histamine (white fluid ring around the bite) reaction? If you can't distinguish that right now, look again in a few hours. If you see these things, particularly a day or two after you have removed the tick, then it probably means that a bit of "poison" has gotten into your system and your body is already fighting it off. That poison could merely be a speck of dirt or dust or some other waste product from the embedded part of the tick. Or it could be the source of a full-on infection of Lyme's disease (or another serious disease). Depending on your level of medical training, awareness of how your own body usually handles foreign invaders and faith in your gut instinct about the bite, you may be able to correctly rule out serious infection. But if you can't, it's my personal advice that you contact your doctor immediately and consider preventative antibiotic treatment.
One of the helpful notes above talks about establishing an effective relationship with your doctor before heading out on your AT hike, so that you can plan in advance how to react to a dodgy tick bite. That is really good advice.
It occurs to me that the standard treatment (Doxycycline) might not be ideal for thru-hikers because of the side effect of sun sensitivity. Instead, discuss an alternative (Amoxycyline?) with your doctor. Also, and perhaps more important, since if you're thru-hiking you want to go the distance, is managing the probiotic phase of treatment which your doctor will probably forget to lecture you about. So here I go. You should replace the "good" bacteria in your gut daily for two weeks after a two-week course of antibiotic, in order to stay healthy and defend against a bunch of other invaders who will want to move in after the antibiotic has wiped out your natural immunity, and this is not going to be easy because yogurts and other pro-biotic dairy products are tough to carry and keep cold on the trail. Your best bet is to discuss your options with the resident expert at the best whole foods market or health food store you can find.
I guess it all boils down to...."No pain, no gain, no Maine," so get out there and have fun and don't let the ticks bug you, and let us all know what you find out in the probiotic research department!
CHEERS,
BLACK SHEEP
Black Sheep '91
05-09-2010, 22:53
Oh, and I did want to address Medic's comment. No, ticks can't fly, but they are easily and often dislodged from "perches" above you where they've been flicked off by a host (like a bird or a squirrel), so yes they can and do fall from the canopy onto your baseball cap here in Ole Virginny.
And maybe the most important thing to add to my long post above is this: there are still a lot of unknowns about Lyme's and other tick-borne diseases, in terms of infection rates and transmission pathways and even who might be immune or at least not attractive to disease-carrying ticks, and the data is being fiercely debated in medical circles. But the one thing that is for sure is that serious infection is a major problem that everyone should try to avoid. If you are a healthy hiker and you come down with a fever, joint aches or sweats that can't be explained by a pre-existing condition, please get off the trail for a few hours and see a doctor! For instance, if you do not already have problems with joint pain and your elbows or fingers or neck ache along with your knees and possibly hips from a big descent, that is a red flag. Be smart about the fevers and aches and aigues!
When does "tick season" start on the AT in the Damascus area?
Ahh, a fellow tick hunter! As I understand it, the season is year-round and there is no bag limit. Do you use a gun or a bow? :D
Wise Old Owl
05-10-2010, 09:55
Ahh, a fellow tick hunter! As I understand it, the season is year-round and there is no bag limit. Do you use a gun or a bow? :D
IA, I just got the tests back I have Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.
Sierra Echo
07-03-2010, 20:33
done. Plus, you cannot check your crotch and head...both tick hotspots.
Is it possible to get a tick up your butt?
I'm being totally serious. I knew someone who got a chigger up their
butt while peeing in the woods.
Owl, how did you make out with the RMSF? What was the treatment?
Wise Old Owl
07-03-2010, 21:11
I'm going to have to go ahead a disagree with you here... Ticks don't jump from trees and aren't some airborne menace like flying monkeys or something. What they can do is crawl a hell of a lot faster than you might think. 30 minutes is more than enough time for a small army of ticks to climb from your socks to the top of your head and plant a flag there, have a siesta, and climb back down again.
Uh yea I know what you are talking about, I still cant believe a tick can crawl up someone that fast.
Wise Old Owl
07-03-2010, 21:12
Owl, how did you make out with the RMSF? What was the treatment?
I am out some $300+ dollars and feel great. - all cleared up.