Ticks

[martin1909]

Hi all,

I'm starting out hiking and walking this year and I've read quite a bit about Ticks and the potential risks to health that they can cause.

Are ticks something I should be overly concerned about after a hike/walk and how useful is a DEET insect repellent.

Cheers all!

[mrssanta]

Ticks can bite all year round but if you get them off within 24 hours shouldn't be too much of a problem. They are reputed to be most active in the spring. Tuck trousers into socks, check yourself all over ( they like the hidden places) after a hill day, avoid wading through long bracken. Deet is effective, but they can crawl up your clothes. Smidge is effective too. Use a proper tick remover to get them off. There are lots of different ones but I have found the o'tom twister the best I have tried. You can get one online or at veterinary surgeries - the vet and human ones are the same just different colours!
Lots of useful info on the Lyme Disease Action website

[jmarkb]

Yes, they need to be taken seriously: Lyme disease has potentially serious long term effects. But don’t let that deter you: there are several things you can do to minimise the risks: wear long trousers (and maybe gaiters), don’t sit in or on vegetation, check your arms and legs over after walking through bracken or long grass, check yourself thoroughly at the end of the day (or even better, get a very good friend to do it). Remove any embedded ticks carefully with tick tweezers. Be aware of the symptoms, don’t hesitate to go the doctor if you have any, and be insistent about getting antibiotics prescribed. DEET has been shown to reduce the number of ticks bites, but it does not completely prevent them.

[fhaggis]

Don’t let them stop you!

Horrible little gets, but follow the advice and enjoy the outdoors!

[Marty_JG]

Only a small % ticks have Lyme's and they need 24, 48, even 72 hours of attachment to infect.

So proper tick tweezers (usually called tick twisters) and getting to them at the end of the day will be good.

https://smile.amazon.co.uk/OTom-02-3785-Otom-Tick-Twister/dp/B0089BOK12/

If you get some permethrin spray that's something that sprays on your clothes (not body) and is effective at repelling them.

[ChrisButch]

There are now permethrin-impegrated clothes available. Not many of these are suitable for Scottish hill conditions (their target market is trekking) but for a few years now I've worn Rohan permethrin socks over my normal boot socks. They're very light and stretchy, so don't affect the fit. I always spray my rucksack with permethrin every few trips. (If you put your rucksack down ticks can be drawn to the residual body heat, then hop on to you after you've put it back on). For the same reason, be very careful what you do with your clothes if you need to 'go behind a bush' while in tick territory.

[jacob]

I'm sorry, but permethrin is really nasty stuff, toxic for all insects (including bees f.e) and aquatic life.
Smidge will prevent, DEET (which is nasty as well in fact) will prevent, gaiters will prevent, etc.
And simply do the tick check every evening, especially armpits, kneepits, crutch & crack, etc.

Only a small percentage is carrying Lymes' , but with global warming, this percentage will grow.

[Giant Stoneater]

Ticks are something to be concerned about if you are prone to them as every person is different,my wife does not have any problems with them,but myself I am a magnet for them.
I think my wife has collected about 6 in 20 years of hillwalking as I collected just over 30 on one walk,little buggers just love me.

Although US sites,makes interesting reading,i wouldn't get to bogged down with it just go out and enjoy yourself.

https://tickencounter.org/prevention/permethrin

https://www.epa.gov/insect-repellents/deet

[KatTai]

I use my dogs neem spray to repel ticks, it stinks but works well I haven't had a tick attach since I started using it and I don't react to it. Dogs get the odd couple but I check and remove. Tick Twisters I would say are an essential part of kit. They don't usually put me off, though I did turn around and give up on a walk at Loch Leven because there were ticks everywhere and I could see them cramming on the tips of grass stems!

[Cairngorm creeper]

I'm sorry, but permethrin is really nasty stuff, toxic for all insects (including bees f.e) and aquatic life.

I agree it best to avoid the use of chemicals whenever possible. By adapting the following routine we went from picking up 5+ ticks every walk to only a couple all year. We make sure we cover up our skin when it is in contact with the undergrowth, including long sleeve tee -shirts, gaiters (you can get short gaiters for summer) and a head covering when going through overhanging branches, plus brushing ourselves and ruck sacks well before getting in the car.

[Ben More]

I have yet to get a tick - after 25 years of walking/backpacking in Scotland, including over 200 Munros and a few TGOC crossings. I know I have been lucky - given I'm not always that disciplined to check each evening.

All the advice about long trousers etc is good. In the last couple of years I have been using permitherin - sprayed on my clothing AND pack and lower shelter inner. In case of ticks I always carry a Tick Twister and a small mirror to check hard to see areas. I TRY to check each evening - if backpacking. I can imagine it would be hard to find/remove a tick if solo. Easier in company

[jacob]

Removing is quite easy using a card instead of a twister. There's cards the size of a bankcard, with a slot in it you can run over the tick. It will stick in it automatically. I've had numerous ticks during my life, never caught Lymes' though, thank God. Be quick but careful to remove and you'll be fine.

[LoveWalking]

There's some info about repellents on the Lyme Disease UK website

https://lymediseaseuk.com/2016/03/27/literature-review-of-tick-repellents-nicola-seal/

https://lymediseaseuk.com/prevention/

[Raynor]

Ticks are something to be aware of but I wouldn't be losing any sleep over them. Trying to deter them with chemicals and layers of clothing is pointless. I have been fishing where I had on full rubber waders from feet to chest and a tick still managed to crawl all the way up and get inside to bite me.

Best advice is to periodically check your trousers and knock any off, especially if walking through bracken or heather. Then at the end of the day and next morning check yourself in the shower.

When you do get bitten (and you will), the best way to remove is with a pair of very fine tipped tweezers which can slide between the body and head and pull straight out. Never twist when removing or apply pressure to the body. Pretty simple really. It all sounds worse than it is

[Outnabout]

Never thought or knew much of them until a few months after starting hill walking.
Went on holiday to Spain had a big bullseye rash appear a few weeks prior to this, never thought much of it as it wasnt sore or bothering me, last day on holiday I was floored, sitting in the sun with trousers and a Hoodie on, and I usually cut about in the winter with shorts on as I run that hot.

Flew home on the Fri night and couldn't move out of bed till Monday, got an appointment at doctors who said it might be lymes disease, was given a course of antibiotics. I had a feeling of being run down for a few weeks after this then slowly felt better, more energy. Hopefully that was the worst of it. Horrible experience but I now know of cases a lot more severe.