Prevention/Protection
This latest Update – Added 28th April 2015:
What to do if bitten by a tick, a video & useful advice by ILADS:
http://www.ilads.org/lyme/what-to-do-if-bit-by-tick.php
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Added 22nd March 2012:
Plants That Keep Ticks Away
By K.C. Morgan, eHow Contributor | updated July 19, 2011
Add tick-resistant plants to the garden to make your outdoor spaces more pleasant.
Ticks are dangerous garden pests that cause Lyme disease and other problems. Ticks are problematic because they are attracted to both humans and animals, and may infest your household pets. Plants that keep ticks away keep the garden safer for everyone, and many offer other pest-prevention applications in addition to repelling the blood-sucking insects.
Read more: Plants That Keep Ticks Away | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/info_8759217_plants-keep-ticks-away.html
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Protect Yourself:
http://www.tickencounter.org/prevention/protect_yourself
Protect Your Yard:
http://www.tickencounter.org/prevention/protect_your_yard
Protect Your Pets:
http://www.tickencounter.org/prevention/protect_your_pet
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Non Chemical Control for your garden:
http://www.bada-uk.org/tick-control/tick-control-domestic-environment
Chemical and Non-chemical Methods of Tick Control for the Rural Environment:
http://www.bada-uk.org/tick-control/tick-control-rural-environment
Tick Prevention for pets:
http://www.bada-uk.org/tick-prevention
Top Ten Tips to defend against tick attachment:
http://www.bada-uk.org/top-tips
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Lyme Games (for kids)
If you know of any young ones who might want to learn about Lyme this is excellent.
Put the Tick Parts Together:
http://www.tickencounter.org/education/games/anatomy_web2c.html
Wordsearch:
http://www.tickencounter.org/education/games/word_searchb.html
Naming Body Parts of a Tick:
http://www.tickencounter.org/education/games/nameparts.html
Finding the Garden Danger Zones:
http://www.tickencounter.org/education/games/dangerzone_web4.html
Billy’s Maze (while avoiding the ticks!)
http://www.tickencounter.org/education/games/BillieMaze.html
Find the Ticks (see how many you can spot in the bushes)
http://www.tickencounter.org/education/games/activity2_web7.html
Dress Billy (before he goes into the country)
http://www.tickencounter.org/education/games/BillieDress2.html
Memory Game (match 2 identical ticks from a pack)
http://www.tickencounter.org/education/games/memoryquiz1.html
Looks like fun!!
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DEET vs. Permethrin as a Tick Repellent
by Tom Grier
http://www.lymeneteurope.org/info/deet-versus-permethrin-as-a-tick-repellent
Springtime is tick time. This means we will soon be seeing those cautionary ads on television telling us to use tick repellents. In almost every instance, the active ingredient in those advertised tick repellents will be DEET, which is the active ingredient in most mosquito repellents.
DEET is an excellent mosquito repellent, but it is a fairly poor tick repellent. We are inundated with so many DEET repellents because there are several huge corporations that manufacture hundreds of variations of DEET products. There is only one small company ,Coulston Laboratory, that markets a handful of competitive tick repellent products for human use that contain 0.5 % permethrin.
There are pros and cons to each product, but as a tick repellent, permethrin wins hands down. Permethrin is an insecticide derived from a chemical found in the chrysanthemum family of plants. It is a spray that is used on clothes only, and is deactivated and made less effective by the oils on our skin. Once it is sprayed on our clothing, it becomes odorless and can last for several weeks with a single application. Once it is applied, most ticks will curl up and fall off if they make contact, and will eventually die if there is prolonged exposure.
Both DEET and permethrin have come under criticism for possible human side effects. DEET has been associated with human case histories of neurological damage and even death, and products greater than 40% were restricted in some states. Permethrin has been implicated in possibly contributing to the Gulf War syndrome. However, the studies involved mixing permethrin with DEET and applying it directly to the skin of mice that were then given military vaccines.
Pros and Cons:
* DEET needs to be applied regularly and can only work as it is evaporating. Permethrin works for weeks after it has dried inside clothing fibers.
* DEET is applied directly to the skin and can be absorbed through the skin. Permethrin is applied to clothing only and has limited contact to the skin.
* DEET has a detectable odor. Permethrin smells only until it dries.
* DEET does not kill or disable ticks and is a poor repellent. Permethrin works instantly and is extremely effective. It is the tick repellent of choice by the military.
* DEET can melt synthetic clothes like nylon. Permethrin causes no damage to any known cloth or synthetic fiber.
* DEET products are easy to find. Permethrin is hard to find and more expensive.
* DEET is an effective fish repellent. Permethrin’s effect on fish is unknown.
Permethrin-containing products that are approved for human use are manufactured by Coulston labs, and can be found under labels such as Duranon, Permanone, and Congo Creek Tick Spray. A 0.5 % veterinary permethrin product can be found in most feed stores and horse supply shops as a horse tick repellent. The veterinary products tend to cost about half the price per ounce as the human-use product.
The Minnesota Insect-Borne Disease Education Council conducted a field test in Jay Cook State Park in northern Minnesota, and found that the permethrin products outperformed the DEET-containing tick repellents. A shoe was sprayed with Duranon (0.5% permethrin). Three weeks later, it was tested against a recently sprayed shoe using Deep Woods Off (35 % DEET). Ticks that made contact with the Duranon-sprayed shoe immediately rolled up and dropped off. Ticks on the soaking-wet DEET saturated shoe continued to crawl unimpaired.
One last tip for you fishermen out there: DEET is perhaps one of the most effective fish repellents known to man. Just a few parts per million can send game fish like salmon and trout to the other end of the fish tank. If you like to keep mosquito repellent in your tackle box, you may have unknowingly contaminated all of your fishing lures! Be sure to take care not to handle any fishing tackle once you have applied mosquito repellent. Just a few parts-per-million can repel more fish than mosquitoes!
To avoid ticks:
* Wear light-colored clothing.
* Tuck your pants into your socks.
* Tuck your shirt into your pants.
* Wear a hat.
* Spray your shoes, socks, belt-line, collar and hat with a permethrin-containing tick repellent.
* Do a tick check after walking in high-risk areas.
* Put any clothes that might have live ticks on them into a hot dryer for ten minutes to kill all insects.
Keep your Family Safe! Do Tick Checks!
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Safety alert for Cats:
Tick- and flea-control products that are sold over the counter in pet shops and supermarkets often contain Permethrin, which is extremely harmful to cats. It can cause Feline Permethrin Toxicosis, which is potentially fatal. Cases of poisoning most commonly occur when people mistakenly use a product that is intended for dogs on their cat. Poisoning can also occur when the cat comes into contact with treated carpets, other soft furnishings and pet bedding. Sometimes cross-contamination occurs when a cat has close contact with a treated dog.
Some product ingredients may be dangerous to aquatic organisms. Check the manufacturers’ instructions before letting your pet come into contact with water.
http://www.bada-uk.org/tick-prevention
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How to Make Garlic Tick Repellent
By April Ort, eHow Contributor
http://www.ehow.com/how_5551989_make-garlic-tick-repellent.html
Ticks, which carry Lyme disease, present a great danger to humans and pets. There are many products on the market that offer protection from these pests, but most contain a plethora of chemicals. It is possible to make a homemade tick repellent formula with garlic that is not harmful to humans, pets or plants. With some common household items, you can successfully protect your family, pets and garden from potentially dangerous ticks and other bothersome insects.
Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Instructions
Things You’ll Need:
* 3 ounces garlic cloves
* 2 teaspoons mineral oil
* Water
* 1/4 ounce dish detergent
* Spray bottle
* Meat tenderizer utensil
* Small bowl
* Strainer
1. Finely mince 3 ounces of garlic.
2. Pour 2 teaspoons of mineral oil into a small bowl.
3. Mix garlic into the mineral oil and allow to soak overnight.
4. Fill a spray bottle three-quarters full with tap water.
5. Add 1/4 ounce (one squirt) of dish detergent to the spray bottle of water.
6. Add the garlic and mineral oil mixture to the spray bottle.
7. Cover the opening of the spray bottle and shake well.
8. Do a test squirt into the sink. If the minced garlic is inhibiting the spray, you may want to strain the liquid and return the remaining solution to the spray bottle.
9. Spray the repellent onto skin or pets to kill and repel ticks.
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O’Tom Tick Twisters
Purchase your tick twister here! Comes in a pack of two. Very handy for placing in your pocket, slipping in your bag or rucksack & very safe for carrying on planes (ready for your holiday in the country).
Can be used on humans & pets. Priced at 5 euros per pack plus shipping & handling.
http://www.ticktalkireland.org/ticktwister.html
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Reduce Your Exposure to Ticks
http://sites.google.com/site/getitrighttreatthebite/ticks
*Don’t forget- do a tick check!
Wear light-colored clothing to be able to spot ticks more easily.
Scan clothes & exposed skin frequently for ticks.
Use insect repellant when outdoors.
Wear pre-treated clothing designed to kill ticks.
Keep long hair under a hat that has been treated.
Do a full-body tick-check when ever possible.
Check children and pets for ticks daily.
Avoid sitting directly on the ground.
When possible, stay on cleared, well-traveled trails.
*More Tips to Reduce Tick Exposures
Create a Safe Zone- Build a 3 ft wide and 1-3 ft deep wood chip barrier between your yard and the woods edge. Ticks are attracted to wood chips because of the shade and moisture it provides. Treat the chips regularly with an insecticide to kill any ticks living in or attempting to cross the wood chip barrier. Be sure to keep pets and children out of the treated wood chip area.
Keep lawns mowed and edges trimmed short.
Clear brush, leaf litter and tall grass from around the house and along the edges of gardens and walls.
Stack woodpiles in a dry location, preferably off the ground.
Clear all excess leaf litter out of the garden in the fall.
Spray your residential “safe zone” with an insecticide in late May (nymph ticks) and September (adult ticks).
Keep a bristle brush outside to brush off your clothing when returning home.
Discourage deer and other wildlife from feeding in your yard by spraying their ‘edibles’ with hot pepper or garlic spray.
Keep playground equipment and play areas in sunny locations in your yard.
Do not use wood chips in play areas because the chips provide ideal living quarters for ticks.
Keep bird feeders away from the house and your “safe zone” to discourage mice and other small mammals from becoming a host to ticks.
Set traps to remove mice from the home and garage.
Be a tick borne disease advocate for your family, friends and neighbors. Share your tick prevention knowledge with others so they can help protect themselves.
Don’t forget- do a tick check!
i HAVE MY DOUBTS THAT A GARLIC REPELLENT WILL WORK AGAINST THE NASTIES. I REALLY THINK WE ALL NEED TO COLLECT SOME TICKS AND OBSERVE THEIR BEHAVIOR AROUND VARIOUS SUBSTANCES, AS DID LADY BARBARA WHEN SHE TESTED HER ROSE GERANIUM ANTI-TICK SPRAY. Crazy – but we KNOW how much we can trust BIG BUSINESS about the TICK business
It’s possible that various things work, for instance the guy who runs the site nontix uses dried marigolds to help prevent ticks..http://nontix.co.uk/index.htm