Scottish Tics

AndyP said:

"Peewiglet" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

<fx: shudder...> How did you get them off?

I find a hard stare usually works.

:-)

Best wishes,
--
Peewiglet

Roos Eisma said:

SteveO said:

sorry, added confusion to the issue, I find them easy enough to remove
and its painless too. By "cleanly" what I meant was that I'd not been
able to avoid the bite area "marking" for a couple of weeks or so
afterward, irrespective of which method I'd used for removal or how
patient or otherwise I'd been in trying to remove them.

Quoted message said:

I don't think that can be avoided - quote from a website:
"Once a tick has initiated feeding, the salivary secretions form a cement
that locks the jaws in place."

oh, bother! well, at least I know it wasn't me trying to rip its head
off that brought them on ;-)

SteveO

NE Climbers & walkers chat forum;
http://www.thenmc.org.uk/phpBB2/index.php

NMC website: http://www.thenmc.org.uk

On Wed, 18 Aug 2004 20:09:38 +0100, compo <[email hidden]>

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The message <[email hidden]>
from "AndyP" <[email hidden]> contains these words:

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I've never come across tics in the Highlands of Scotland before now

Some posters will know that I work in a veterinary lab in the north of
Scotland. In the far north-west ticks are rife and we often see sheep
that are covered with hundreds of the nasty wee beasties.

Got a hammering by them on Bad a'Chreamha. Lochcarron on Sunday... Got
the few that had attatched out with the swiss army knife tweezers

The midges however were unbearable and I cut short the trip because of
them. Just as well as a large part of the hill I was going to do this
afternoon is now on the A85

Richard Webb

"AndyP" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Stuart" <[email hidden]> wrote

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The miniature crow bar type plastic tick removers as discussed elsewhere

in

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this thread are excellent, I have used them a few times on myself and

have

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always managed to extract the tick alive! This is important as a live

tick

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is less likely to have passed anything into you.

Am I right in thinking this needs the tick to have been feeding on you a
while so that you have something to slide the tool under? It wouldn't be
able to lift off ones that have only just attached themselves would it?

How

Quoted message said:

long does it take before they swell up visibly anyway?

I believe you can prise it out straitaway, presumably its body is always
wider than its mouthpiece!

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I usually manage to notice them before they dig in at all by regular

checks

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going along and the 2 I found actually attached hadn't inflated any amount
and were pinched out with fingernails. I was a bit worried that there was

a

Quoted message said:

tiny black spec left in that I couldn't get out without a trip back to
civilisation but no rash or anything yet. I'll probably take a tweezers
next trip (lightweight titanium ones naturally).

The ticks start to infate with your blood after thay have been attached for
about 24 hours.
The tiny black specs were probably its mouthpiece, this is why the mini crow
bar things are quite good, they tend to remove the tick in one piece!

Stuart said:

The miniature crow bar type plastic tick removers as discussed elsewhere in
this thread are excellent, I have used them a few times on myself and have
always managed to extract the tick alive! This is important as a live tick
is less likely to have passed anything into you.

It also gives you the satisfaction of having the wee [censored] fully in
your power to dispose of how you want!

Quoted message said:

this exchange of fluids that can pass on Limes disease. So basically if you
get the tick off in 24 hours you should be ok

So anytime you've been in a danger zone (basically, high vegetation
where sheep and/or deer may be passing) have a good check over exposed
skin. Even if you do this, at the end of any day where you've been in
the weeds check all over (this is a lot easier with a friend!).

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

AndyP said:

Am I right in thinking this needs the tick to have been feeding on you a
while so that you have something to slide the tool under? It wouldn't be
able to lift off ones that have only just attached themselves would it? How
long does it take before they swell up visibly anyway?

No, this is where the green crowbars show their worth. The v-shaped end is
so small that it can slide under ticks that are so small you can hardly
see them.

Roos

AndyP said:

Am I right in thinking this needs the tick to have been feeding on you a
while so that you have something to slide the tool under? It wouldn't be
able to lift off ones that have only just attached themselves would it?

Judging from the unfortunately large sample base Roos has had it isn't a
problem. The crevice you slide under the tick is V shaped, so it
applies progressive pressure as you slide it under. If not much is
needed it'll be out well before you get to the end, I'd think.

Quoted message said:

long does it take before they swell up visibly anyway?

Even the small ones are visible straight away, though the very smallest
do need a close look to tell from a spot of mud. They'd be harder to
spot amongst dark hair (but they seem to find hair awkward to get past,
maybe that's why I don't get so many as despite being a slaphead I'm
otherwise a walking rug) or on black skin, but harder shouldn't be
impossible.

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I usually manage to notice them before they dig in at all by regular checks
going along

A very good habit to get into.

Quoted message said:

I'll probably take a tweezers
next trip (lightweight titanium ones naturally).

The tick removers Roos got at the vet are light plastic, probably
lighter than Ti. They don't need to be especially strong, after all.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

In message <[email hidden]>, Rodders
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

When we were young up in Scotland my dad would place a lit cigarette close
to the tick and this would make it retract its "feelers" in defence.

I saw this being done on the telly and it worked well. If the dog gets
them we use toothpaste. On the tick, not the dog's teeth !
--
Muzz
Reply to [email hidden]
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"Peter Clinch" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

As "tick magnet" Roos reported, they really do work (we now have one in

our FAK). If you don't have one, tweezers are the best alternative
that's likely to be at hand.

...and whatever you use twist, don't pull, so you get the head and thorax out
intact.
BTW, tick hooks can be bought from any decent Agri. Merchant as well as from
the vet.

----
Luran

Luran said:

...and whatever you use twist, don't pull, so you get the head and thorax out
intact.
BTW, tick hooks can be bought from any decent Agri. Merchant as well as from
the vet.

Image of 4 foot plastic hook for removing tics from cattle...

Bernie