Ticks

[highlandsflyer]

Just removed the first tick of the year from one of my beasts.

Remember to check yourself after riding where they are found.

Horrible things.

 

[IDB1]

Fair turn my stomach they do..

Only ever had them on one dog a few years back but if I go rabbiting with the ferrets, they come back laden with ticks and fleas.. eeeeewwwww..

What's your preferred removal method hf??

I have a couple of these that someone sent me

(thankfully they remain unused)

 

[Tazio]

Not had one for a few years now. Evil little sods.

 

[highlandsflyer]

Those look interesting.

I use these mainly, but any good quality tweezers are fine.

 

[IDB1]

I used to use needle nose tweezers but the guys on a hunting forum I occasionally frequent pretty much all use those.... reckon they whip them out clean every time..

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/TICK-REMOVER-OTOM ... 500wt_1074

 

[JeRkY]

That ebay advert misses the very important final step on tick removal:

4- Crush, burn and scatter the remnants of the evil little bastard as a warning to all its brethren.

 

[Bensherman]

Like your style Jerky

 

[The Ken]

That's surprisingly early HF,

I've got one of these....

I got a bite last year and scratched it off before checking for ticks, ended up with this spreading rash and a course of horrible headache inducing antibiotics to go with it.

Someone on here had full blown lymes for a while, might still have it, takes a while to overcome it.

edit... and my local chemist was as cheap as ebay for the tick hooks.

 

[IDB1]

That's interesting.. I can't for the life of me remember where I read it (could've been something like DEFRA's site) but the UK was supposed to be clear of Lymes disease..
Or maybe it was just England :?

Anyhoo.. interesting to know it's a very real risk over here.. if not slightly worrying

 

[The Ken]

Lymes disease is all over britain but tends to be in focused areas - it is very rare to actually contract it. The tick pukes up as it removes itself passing the bacteria into your blood (usually after a few days feeding) or the same happenes if you squeeze the abdomen on removal, which is why the hooks grab it by the throat.