I have.

I recently was diagnosed with lyme after being bitten by a deer tick about a month ago. We just moved here 2 years ago. Nice neighborhood...about 60 homes with lots of mature trees, woods and white tail deer. Our development is right near the highway so I am not sure why they still like it here.

In the fall, the deer roam in the front yard, sleep in our back yard under the pine trees, etc. There are about 12 that roam together every day and have there routine.

In the summer, they must go elsewhere...deeper into the woods b/c of the heat b/c we don't see much of them when its hot. But, they are around.

Our yard is mostly grass and lots of sun. Except the perimeter on one side has some brush and the back section (down a steep hil) is woods along the back side. So its a nice place for critters.

We moved here two years ago. Its an older home. We remodeled every single room in the house except the basement including gutting out entire kitchen. We made it our home.

After two years of being here...I was bitten by a deer tick and have lyme.

I am devastated! I want to move. It would be a financial mess to move now but I have been looking just in case something comes up. The housing market is going crazing and houses are so darn expensive. So, it is going to be hard to match what we currently have b/c of all of the work that we have done.

I think about this daily. My family thinks that I am nuts!

My main concern is my one year old daughter. I am not going to let her play out back. No way. Maybe out front, in our cul de sac and drive way. I don't want it to be this way, but it how I feel at the moment.

I understand that I can be bitten anywhere..parks, hiking, someone elses yard, etc. However, the fact remains that we have deer in our yards, thus deer ticks and obviously lyme disease (b/c I have it and so do some neighbor). I would think that I am more likely to get it (or my family) b/c we are living here. Living in a yard with ticks and lyme. So, my chances are higher than someone who doesn't. Does this make sense.

I've called several companies to spray for ticks. It can be done but I am not sure what it best and if it really works.

Thoughts? Anyone else feel the same. Its been on my mind 24/7.

Thanks. Stacy

[This message has been edited by stacypa (edited 12 July 2005).]

[This message has been edited by stacypa (edited 12 July 2005).]

How about making the yard less deer friendly. Perhaps cleaning out some of the undergrowth. I have wire fence around my yard with bushes on both sides, kind of a living fence, planted years ago, PERFECT for ticks and animals. I didn't plan it that way. It does keep the large animals out of the yard and I spray under, in and around the bushes once or twice a season for ticks. I don't spray the grass, but I do spray around the plantings by the house. Who knows how much it helps but I feel better.

So, perhaps some kind of fence to keep most of the deer out. A dog inside the fence would encourage the deer to go somewhere else.

I have several cats and haven't seen a mouse, rabbit or other small creature in years.

My pets have Frontline and the dog and people take garlic as an insect repellent, don't know if it works, but nothing seems to be biting me and we don't have a flea problem.

It sounds like you have put alot of TLC into your house and yard, a few changes could make all the differnce. Perhaps your local county extention service will have some ideas.

Seriously though probably no place is safe and tho deer are the most public tick host, ticks don't read the newspaper and are happy with different hosts-rodents. dogs,cats, birds, whatever.

I have Ehlich Pest Company treat my yard and dog fenced area. I also had them put Max Force boxes around my home. I still don't go off hard surfaces.

Frontline is not 100% effective on dogs and cats and pets that go in and out may be a danger.

Do you have a deck? A little sand box (covered when not in use like the green plastic turtle one) and a small plastic pool (dumped when not in use-supervised of course) may be fun for your toddler.

Check her every night, head to toe, genitals too. And between fingers and toes. As she grows up teach her to check herself.

I live in an area where we don't have deer...only the smaller mamals...Rodents act as the reservoirs for the diseases that plague us...Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but the deer aren't the source of the blood meal that give the ticks their supply of bugs, right?

In either case, whether by small mamal or deer, they are eveywhere...so moving is of limited value, unless you are considering a polar region.

My last bite was while walking the dog two blocks from my house...we both became infected. I've been battling lyme for over eight years....This past November my daughter was diagnosed. My son was diagnosed last month...My other dog last week.

I suspect their source of infection was a mouse infestation last year in our old house. They were suddenly everywhere...kitchen, bedrooms...it was nasty. I was unprepared.

We moved eight blocks away to a larger house last December, not because of the mice. I have the property monitored by a pest control company every month, placing bait stations and traps everywhere. There is a new poison bait that will not harm pets or children, but will kill rodents.

I have the yard treated with chemicals, diazinon, even though I was and am a proponent of organic gardening.

I would import California Fence Lizards if I could find a supplier.

In short, I can't control nature, but I can influence it on my property. That's all I can do.

It sounds like you have lovingly remodelled your home...It's still your home....Look into the electric fence idea, spread human hair around the perimeter of your yard (the beauty parlor will sweep up a supply for you gladly, deer hate it), prevent rodents from coming near by, treat the yard, use DEET bug repellants, do all that you can do....

But, short of a drastic relocation to the frozen tundra, you can't do much more to protect your family. Pennsylvania is a lyme state....so are most of the states now....We really can't escape the possibility of encountering a lyme carrying tick..but we can influence how frequently we do so on our own turf.

I am so sorry that you are having to face this reality...particularly with small children. You aren't alone and there are steps that you can take to keep your family safe without a financial loss on your home.

Carol Ann

I know how you feel; i just told my hubby I want to move back to Pittsburgh/row house/innercity/lots of pavement.

I know, though, that I could get infected on in-laws PA properties or anywhere.

I am not a yard person and here I got infected/bit in February. Must have brought the tick to bed with me. My youngest son got infected draggin' our Christmas tree curbside for pick-up. The tree sat overnight in our side yard.

Here I live in a northern VA suburb and every neighbor with manicured lawns are getting rashes or symptoms.

I don't even let my family mow anymore......pay to have it done. I feel nutsy, yes.

I like everyone's advice above. I know I just wish I didn't have to be so responsible.........heavy guilt when something happens.

Mind you......... This is the first year we've had a real lawn and it was looking good........ until........

You guessed it. When he put the tick killer on the lawn we got alot of dead patches and brown spots.

Oh well, at least the ticks are dead. that's all that matters to me.

So sorry!

Don't know if it works, but my dad bought some after hubby was diagnosed.

Dad lives on a farm in central West Virginia and raises Charolais cattle. He puts up hay in the summer and logs in the winter. My youngest brother does the same.

They are both outside working yearround and neither has ever been bitten by a tick. And you had better believe there are plenty of deer in West Virginia.

Mom is always outside as well in the garden or working with her flowers.

I have wondered sometimes if ticks are attracted to certain people by smell or something.

I remember one time while hubby and I were in Florida trying to get him diagnosed. We went to a small zoo in Naples, Florida. It rained while we were there as it does just about every other summer day in Florida -- we hated the weather as it was too predictable. Anyway while watching them feeding the alligators hubby got many mosquito bites and I only got 1 or 2. Just an interesting observation.