General Discussion
Warning. Ticks are out.
I have spent a lot of time in the woods this spring scouting, and turkey hunting. I have only found two ticks on me. One was walking in small circles, and the other one was very wobbly and easily brushed off. I'm sure, both would have fallen off in a short while, so I remain confident the treated clothing works as it should.
Just found this site, that will treat your own clothing with Permethrin and have it last for up to 70 washings instead of just 6 washings like when you do it yourself. Somewhat reasonably priced also.
https://www.insectshield.com/PDF/IS%20Your%20Own%20Clothes%20-%20U.S.%20form.pdf
I got the info off of this site, which is an article about doing the soaking method of treating your cloths with permethrin.
https://sectionhiker.com/permethrin-soak-method-guide/
The lowly deer tick has changed my habits and outdoor activities.
You wont catch me walking through knee high shrubbery - I do my best to steer clear of areas that they frequent.
It really isn’t worth it. The little devils inflict more harm than you could possibly imagine!
The best cure for Lyme disease is prevention.
I pulled one off my dog that was obviously on her quite awhile, and put it in a clear plastic case one year, and it was still alive and well as the day I put it in, two months later. The only place on this continent that there aren't any is Antarctica. They are taking over the world. Were doomed! Really though, the CDC needs to be taking them more seriously. It's estimated that about 400,000 new cases of Lyme is contracted every year. Thats more than breast cancer. More research dollars needs to go towards the diseases these little armadillos spread.
I've learned quite a bit after being bit by one of the little devils and contracting Lyme.
Also, many times deer ticks have not had the time to bite you prior to you returning home (but they are on your cloths.) When you get home and take your cloths off, they can live quite comfortably in your cloths hamper, and live to bite you or someone else in your family another day.
Interestingly, spinning around in the wash machine will not kill a deer tick. If you are out in deer tick country, along with inspecting yourself, remove your cloths and place them in the dryer for 15 minutes. The dry heat knocks em' dead in minutes. After the dryer, put your cloths in the washer, and wash them normally.
Here is link about their winter habits: Vile little creatures
Although most ticks go dormant in the winter, deer ticks do not. You can find these nasty little creatures crawling around on any winter day when there is no snow, or the ground is above freezing.
It is quite common to find them crawling around during a January thaw. The worst part is 30 to 40% of deer ticks carry Lyme disease - and that can turn your life upside down in a hurry!
