I just read that a Lyme patient bought a Christmas tree from NC at her local grocery store (could be from anywhere, however). She got it home and discovered that it was infested with ticks! Arghh!
Someone else who used to be on LN said that she got her Lyme from ticks on her Christmas tree.
So, please, please check and be careful. That's the last thing anyone needs.
Sigh, is anything safe from ticks anymore? Maybe a fake tree is safer, although not nearly as wonderful.
[Mods: I know that you may want to move this to General, but could you please leave a stub, so more people will see it? Thank you.]
[ 12-11-2013, 03:18 AM: Message edited by: Rumigirl ]
Posted by LisaK (Member # 41384) on :
how long do they stay on a cut tree?
Posted by GretaM (Member # 40917) on :
Thanks for the reminder!
I was contemplating getting a real tree this year, but the country areas where most of the tree farms are...are where all the new members to my support group are coming from.
Plastic it is!
Posted by faithful777 (Member # 22872) on :
We no longer use fresh trees for that reason.
Posted by map1131 (Member # 2022) on :
They stay buried in the bark as long as it's cold. Once they get in the home where it's warm and toasty and smell/sense a blood meal, they crawl out.
Remember they need a blood meal to survive.
I wouldn't put a live tree in my home. Sure I miss the smell and the look of a live tree.
But I wouldn't rest. I would be on tick search 24/7. I believe there are some tips on leaving it our in the garage and treating tree with something. Sneaky tiny nasty things.
If they are in my garage they can get in my home, into my car. No way Jose!!!!!
Years ago, we were warned to find out which state the trees came from. If it was northeast, forget it. Well, this is widely spread to all states.
Pam
Posted by Kudzuslipper (Member # 31915) on :
Oh my gosh... I just had a flashback.. Before I was dx'd... My DH thought he'd surprise me by getting a tree and setting it up as a surprise cause I was feeling pretty crappy just didn't know why yet. Normally, we would have gone and picked it out and set it up together.
Well, while decorating, these, what i learned later were jumping black spiders kept jumping off the tree at me. Never saw a tick, but then again I wasn't looking for them.
Next year, I was treating. No tree, but right after Christmas I went and got a really good fake at 1/2 price...
Not quite as magical, but it is much safer, and easier too!
Posted by GretaM (Member # 40917) on :
This likterally gives me a ball of anxiety in the pit of my stomach.
Everytime I pass by a "Xmas Tree" for sale sign, I shudder.
I just picture, well I'm not going to write it out, but it plays like a horror movie.
The unsuspecting family.
Posted by Lymedin2010 (Member # 34322) on :
Same thing for firewood. Those that use & store fire wood outside their house & then bring them in for the fall, winter, & part of spring need to be vigilant.
Same with potted plants that need to be brought in for the winter.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Please don't spray it with chemicals and then bring it into your home!
Posted by Rumigirl (Member # 15091) on :
OMG, this is a bigger deal and more common than I even thought when I posted it!! What a horror! We all love Christmas trees, well, I guess that makes it, used to!
I used to be Miss Nature Girl before I finally found out what I had. All my life I was. No more.
I barely want to leave my big city anymore. Yes, I want to go out of the city, but I have had way too many ticks on me in recent years simply from taking a 24 hour trip to visit friends, where I was careful!
I just told my husband about this, and at first he thought it was over the top. Plus, he wanted to get a tree this year, since we'll be home. But then he said, "St. Tickalaus!"
Oh, good grief, is there anything left? Well, there's our hearts. The ticks can't take that away, unless they kill us. And even then, our love doesn't die.
Posted by GretaM (Member # 40917) on :
St. Tickalaus! Is hilarious! Had a good laugh at your hubby's play on words.
But seriously.
My mom aunt and grandma brought in a spruce yesterday to decorate.
Then had so much fun decorating it, I felt like a jerk when I asked them if they checked the tree for ticks.
And their answers were, "No, but if there were any, the cat would eat them."
what?!
Posted by Rumigirl (Member # 15091) on :
The cat would eat them??!! Huh? Is that a wild cat that you have? Not that even wild cats would eat ticks. That is really funny, except for the fact that maybe they believed it.
Posted by Kudzuslipper (Member # 31915) on :
Love St. Tickleous!!! Raising a glass of coconut milk, stevia sweetened eggnog to your husband rumorgirl. A good man.
![[Frown]](frown.gif)