That would help me make up my mind about whether or not to send my child.
Hang in there.
Hugs,
Geneal
Posted by catskillmamala (Member # 12536) on :
I have three kids 8, 5 and 3. The older two have lyme. The 8 yo is resolved, the 5 yo is being treated for lyme and babesia.
Yeah, how can you live life never going outside!? SB, a wonderful MSW who works with lyme families told me that she doesn't walk on grass and that ticks are her al queda. I don't see how I can do that. We live on 5 cleared acres with a barn, cats, dog and chickens.
Here's what I did. Restricted the dog to a fenced in yard. Treat the dog with advantix which supposedly repels ticks. This has really cut down on the number of ticks I see on the dog. Once in a while she escapes and runs through the woods. When that happens, I brush her thoroughly and try to lock her outside so whatever ticks she has on her bite her and get poisoned before coming into the house.
The cats had to make a choice to be either inside or outside cats, not both. We used to have a cat door, but the cats would come in with literally 10 ticks at a time and then climb on the couch and bed.
So, I crated the cats with a litter box, put frontline on them, waited the 3 days until the ticks "should" be dead and then let them out in the house. One cat kept running outside, so now he's an outside cat, I feed him outside.
Regarding the yard, we mow incessantly. I've also had CT Tick Control come to discuss spraying and rodent boxes to limit the tick population.
I am planning to spray the kids and myself this summer and tick check. Yeah, it's easy to say, but hard to do. Get them naked and look them up and down. Every freckle makes my heart jump. I also just buzzed my 8 yo's hair. Much easier to check. Of course, none of this is fool proof.
I also recommend getting a tick remover. They really help take out the ticks without pushing their fluids into you.
Alright, that's my thoughts on it. But, honestly, am I comfortable with it? No way. I am terrified to go out in my own yard!!! But I am trying to figure out how to live and go forward--not easy.
The other day, DH was begging me to pet the outside cat becaues he's so starved for affection. I had to say, "do you understand that I feel like if I touch the cat I could die???!!!" We definately are on different wavelengths here. If your DH feels like you do, making the necessary changes won't be so hard.
Posted by Robin123 (Member # 9197) on :
I have a question: are there any essential oils that can really work to keep ticks/bugs away? I spray TKO Orange on my clothes if I go into any tick country. A woman from New Hampshire reported that grapefruit oil extract on her, the dog, the house and the yard kept ticks away.
BTW, TKO Orange is a known bug killer/repellant. My thought is, for any camping, spray the ground and camping gear heavily with the stuff and it'll keep the bugs away for probably at least 24 hours. I believe it's not to be used if there are cats around.
[ 02. February 2008, 03:39 AM: Message edited by: Robin123 ]
Posted by mrs.scrappy (Member # 14520) on :
Aside from using Frontline on the cat and dog, we have never used insecticides of any kind.
I am rethinking that. I saw an organic tick repellant some time ago. I'll have to take a look at that.
I have sent an e-mail to the camp asking them what their policy is, just today.
I always check the family for ticks after hikes, but never thought about checking for ticks after rolling around the backyard. Sigh. What ignorance.
This winter I am seeing deer tracks everywhere in our yard, so I will be much more on the ball from now on.
Posted by just don (Member # 1129) on :
Scappy or cats mala,,,
You can use Tempo on your yards,,,its made out of Geraium flowers I guess.
It is labeled for inside and outside your home AND inside of resturants,,,so its really benign.
Smells like you are spraying PURE water. NO odor at all!!
Comes in a SMALL bottle and you mix it with water and spray away. Dont think I would spray it directly ON food, but after that your good to go!!
made to order IF you have a riding mower to pull a portable cart/sprayer behind. Doesnt get any easier than that!! Cover your whole yard,,,doesnt cost THAT much!! mostly--just don--
Posted by catskillmamala (Member # 12536) on :
Just Don--
Looks like Tempo is not available for sale in or to be shipped to my state (NY). Also, when I looked at bugs for which it is indicated--it did not specify ticks.
Have you had tick success with it? I could have it mailed to a friend in another state.
Posted by Just Julie (Member # 1119) on :
Listen to Just Don. I also thought I could not get Tempo shipped to CA, but somehow, via the internet, I did.
I used this pesticide (Tempo) for the infestation of fleas that I had in my screened porch room. If you do a search, you'll see several of my posts on this topic.
But, I can attest to the kiling factor of Tempo. I mixed it up myself (I'm a middle aged woman), put it in my handheld sprayer, and sprayed away. Within days, my fleas were gone. For at least a month, too.
I can't say whether Tempo works on ticks, I have not used it as that application---but I do believe it says it does on the bottle. I also have "Talstar" ready to go in my garage for this coming season. We have had loads of ticks this season (Northern CA) and I anticipate a brutal flea season due to our weather this winter.
On Frontline: I used Frontline Plus, which supposedly kills the tick eggs too. I have done my own research/testing on this product. I have outside only cats, which do go up our back hillside where deer roam. Both cats come in the yard with attached ticks. I have noted that if I remove a tick that has only been attached FOR ONE DAY, and put that tick in my alcohol filled Mason jar, it is STILL ALIVE!!
If I remove the attached tick after 2 days on my cat, IT IS DEAD.
I have not confirmed this finding with anyone else I know, or called Frontline 800# to confirm, but I have seen it time and time again on both my cats. Frontline Plus does not kill a tick unless it has been attached on my cat for 2 DAYS.
Believe it folks. It's not the wonder drug you'd hope for, but it does do it's job.
If you pet your outside only cat with just your hands, not letting it rub all over you, or let your clothes rub on the cats fur, you can give your cat attention this way. It's kind of hard to do, if you are an animal lover, but it does convey some love, somehow. It's how we do it in our family. No lap sitting, no leg rubbing, no touching of the cat unless it's with hands only, and then we look at our hands after we're done petting.
And don't forget, wash your hands with soap/water after you pet your animals that have been Frontlined! It does say to do this on the instructions on the box . . . it is a pesticide, after all. Posted by MysteryGirl44 (Member # 10201) on :
He'll probably be okay. Since he knows how sick someone can be with Lyme, he'll probably be so cautious and put loads of bug spray on. I know that whenever I know I'll be in the woods I obsessively put on 500 layers of bug spray and stay covered up. Even if he did get bitten, you guys will also recognise symptoms and get treated right away. Good luck!
[ 06. February 2008, 10:07 PM: Message edited by: MysteryGirl44 ]
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
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a note if you use a hand held garden sprayer attached to garden hose from water supply of your house.
be sure that no one in the house turns on the water while you have the canister attached to garden hose. May sure the washing machine won't kick in, either.
I don't know if the hot water tanks filling up would matter.
Here's what can happen. If a canister is attached to water line from the outside and water is turned on INSIDE, a vacuum effect can draw some of the lawn treatment into the drinking water inside.
I don't know if they tell you this on the instructions for sprayers or not. I saw it on a garden program a few years ago.
Some homes may have separate lines, but most don't. As long as the water inside is not turned on while canister is attached, I understood it to be no problem.
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Posted by just don (Member # 1129) on :
Keebler, I am not taking issue with what you said,,,catestprohic plumbing failure could happen at any moment.
Keeping THAT in mind,,,NO outside faucet should be used WITHOUT a back flow prevention device on it,,,just like lawn sprinkler are required to have.
IF your on a city water system they will require that anyway!!
Its a small device that screws on faucet,BEFORE the hose gets screwed on,,,the hose NOW goes on this device. NOT real expensive and ALL people SHOULD have one!!
But JUST turning on an inside faucet to say get a drink wouldnt do THAT unless you had terrible bad water pressure.
ONLY if you are running a hose and it stopped flow entirely IF something inside turned on,,,do you lose ALL pressure to lawn sprinler IF inside faucet used??even SLIGHT pressure outside and it wont suck back.
Real problem is IF you leave sprayer attached to hose, lay it down,forget to shut off and a water main BROKE down the street,etc. OR a major fire occured when they opened ALOT of fire hydrants,,,then it WILL suck backwards and endanger YOU!!(hence the need for the backflow device!!)
BIGGER problem is JUST a hose laying in a yucky mud puddle,,,maybe lawn spray included in runoff,,,right scenario and it could suck back in your system
Water softeners and lawn sprinklers, etc are all considered cross connections for THIS purpose!!AND laundry sinks with hoses attached into the tub part!!
Dont have to get paranoid over spraying insect killers,,,just use your head and do it safely!!always--just don--
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