WPinVA
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 33581
posted
I just found a very small tick on my shirt! I was wearing a white shirt and happened to walk by a mirror and see it. I am completely freaked out.
Here is what has me completely freaked out - the only time I was outside all day was walking from my car on a sidewalk into a building, and then walking to and from my daughter's school on a sidewalk all the way, not on the grass and being careful to avoid brushing leaves and bushes.
So how the heck did this thing get on me and how do I prevent any future bites???
Posts: 1737 | From Virginia | Registered: Aug 2011
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- Q: Can ticks blow in the wind?
Yes.
They can also fall from leaves.
And they can "quest" seemingly on their hind "tippy toes" reaching far out so as to increase the chance of hitching a ride.
Ticks also can be inside, having come in on someone or a pet, or crawl in. This is whey it's best to clear greenery near the building and keep bird feeders and bird baths away from patios and decks.
Treating the area around your home (as safely but also effectively as possible) is usually a good thing.
Birds, mice - just about any living, breathing person or critter - can be the transport system.
So can packages, I suppose, or items that may have been sitting on the ground for any amount of time.
I hope you can - somehow - find a Zen approach to this as you find safe ways to let them know this is not the place for them, either on you or in your home.
Chemicals are not an option for me but may be - on clothing rather than on skin (but then be careful about laundering any chemicals with other clothes, etc.
Some speak to certain essential oils as working.
Some do a combination approach.
I would save all ticks that are found crawling on anyone. Not in plastic bags, though, as they can eat their way out.
Lovely. Simply Loverly.
There are experts who speak to the specifics of all this. Your local lyme support group may know of local gardeners that are educated.
Your state university "home extension" offices can be a resource, too:
[ 05-22-2012, 06:57 PM: Message edited by: Keebler ]
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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Carol in PA
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 5338
posted
The White Footed Deermouse nests in trees, so ticks may drop off of branches and get caught in the wind.
Ticks are found in birds nests too. I don't know how often ticks drop off of birds while they're flying, but I'm sure it happens.
Posts: 6947 | From Lancaster, PA | Registered: Feb 2004
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posted
The same thing happened to my boyfriend the other night
he went out on his porch to smoke a cigarete for three minutes and he sat on a chair. it was all of 3 minutes and he came inside with a tick on his wrist . embedded
that was like the only time he was outside all day
its sooo creepy how easy it is to get ticks
whenever I tell people that I have lyme disease they tend to say "oh did you go camping" its annoying. Ive never been camping in my LIFE. ever!
Posts: 995 | From somewhere out there | Registered: Oct 2010
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WPinVA
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 33581
posted
I did walk under some tree branches, and now that I think about it, I may have brushed one. It rained earlier today so all the branches were heavy with rain and were hanging lower than usual. And I did walk across a small patch of grass when I picked up my daughter from school.
I'm trying not to be completely paranoid about ticks but boy is it hard. We take all reasonable precautions. We have the yard sprayed every three weeks. We keep the grass cut short and the bushes trimmed back. I don't let my kids crawl around in any bushes, trees, leaves, etc. If we are going to be doing anything considered high risk (like gardening) we spray with bug spray and even wear permethrin treated clothes. We hire a yard service to mow, rake leaves, etc. (I hate to outsource the risk but that's where we are right now - and it's not like I'm healthy enough to do it anyways).
But we had decided not to wear bug spray every day all over our bodies - it didn't seem like a good thing to put all these chemicals on little kids every single day. Maybe we should rethink that. Maybe we shouldn't walk to school. Ugh. I can't believe this is the world we live in now.
Posts: 1737 | From Virginia | Registered: Aug 2011
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canefan17
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 22149
posted
First thing that came to my mind was Bob Dylan lol
Wonder if he had Lyme. You'd think he'd have to to write some of those lyrics Posts: 5394 | From Houston, Tx | Registered: Aug 2009
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