Tick Talk, A Comprehensive Guide to Preventing and Responding to Tick Bites
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- Опубліковано 3 тра 2024
- A Comprehensive Guide to Dealing with Ticks
Tick borne diseases
Lyme
Anaplasmosis and ehrlichiosis
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
Babesiosis
Rick Management Approach
Risk Assessment
Ticks are becoming more common with tick-borne diseases on the rise in all areas
40% of ticks carry Lyme in Nova Scotia. Can vary by location
Ticks must be attached for 24-hours or more to transmit the virus
Tick Myths
Ticks are arachnids (spiders) but cannot spin webs
Ticks cannot fly and do not jump. They remain on vegetation with legs extended until an animal brushes them
Prevention / Mitigation
Use a tick repellent that contains at least 20% DEET, 0.5%, Permethrin, or 20% IR3535 (icaridin / picaridin)
Permethrin treated clothes
Permethrin in Canada
OnGuard Pro-Perm Insect Killer 0.35%
UltraShield 0.50%
Wear long-sleeve shirts and long pants
Tuck pant legs into socks
Light colours help to see the ticks
Moving through vegetation increases risk of picking up a tick
Complete a thorough tick-check at least once a day
Response
If you find a tick attached to your body, don’t panic and pull it out
Use some type of tick-removal tool and slowly remove the tick in the opposite direction from the tick’s head
Clean the bite with antiseptic
Place the tick in a sealed, clear bag or container for identification
In Nova Scotia you can go to most drug stores for assessment and treatment by a pharmacist
Emergency treatment includes a single high-dose of Doxycycline
Do not use petroleum jelly, nail polish or a hot match as they may not work and delay the removal of the tick
Diagnosis of Lyme
Symptoms for Lyme disease typically appear 3 to 30 days
Bullseye or other rash does not happen with all Lyme infections
Symptoms include fever, headaches, joint and muscle pain, intense fatigue
In Nova Scotia treatment is dependent on positive signs and symptoms
Blood test known as the ELISA test requires two positive samples. It is not always accurate as the disease must be active when the sample is taken
Long term infection
Can much more difficult to diagnose
Symptoms can be transitory and move from area to area or be attributed to other causes
Long-term symptoms similar to those of fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome, Depression, Stress, and Anxiety. Dizziness and Lightheadedness. Memory and Concentration Problems. Pain and body aches
Recovery
Understand that you do not build immunity. You can be reinfected
Circle back to prevention and learn what you can do to prevent another infection
Look for Lyme Support Groups if you develop long term infection
Resources
www.canada.ca/en/public-healt...
www.niaid.nih.gov/diseases-co...
www.cdc.gov/lyme/faq/index.html
www.aldf.com/myths-about-lyme...
www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng95
www.nshealth.ca/clinics-progr...
Brilliant exposition, Mark. Thanks for this.
Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for commenting
I went down the tick prevention rabbit hole myself and also discovered Permethrin was what was being used in the states. I got stymied when it came to finding anything in Canada. Thank you for going the distance and finding out all that information Mark. I will be looking into Ultrashield.The tree was Tamarack I think. Thank you for covering this topic. Very helpful. Thank you for your continued support too Mark, I really am so grateful.
Hi Steve. Worth getting some Permethrin. It is really the best way to avoid picking up a tick. Thanks for commenting
Tree is Tamarack
The plant is trailing arbutus, flowers leave quickly but the leaves are evergreen, I find the all winter long in Ontario, according to lore the natives used the leaves for kidney problems
Right, both accounts. Had not heard about the medicinal use. Thanks for commenting
I didn't realize that there were other conifers besides larches that shed their leaves for the winter. Cool :)
To prevent ticks, I turn 4" of my pant legs up and spray deet on the underside of my pants, on my socks, and the top of my boots. I don't spray it on my skin. I have used this method for over 40 years, and have never gotten a tick. When I don't spray deet on my pants, I almost always get ticks.
Good tip. DEET works well for ticks. Thanks for commenting
It seems to work, it is hazardous to humans as well though, so always wash :)
I have used the same method.
Great discussion, Mark. I think discussions like this one are very important. You placed appropriate emphasis on an important health matter with complete and accurate information. Thanks for all of your efforts.
Glad you enjoyed the video. I tried to keep it real. Thanks for commenting
Hi Mark, thanks a million for your brilliant piece on ticks and Lyme disease... followed you now for years, love your content... keep up the good work, best wishes from Ireland.
Thanks you for your kind words. Question, are there any bushcraft groups or gatherings in Ireland. I may be visiting my son and his wife next year.
Thank you very much for this video Mark! I've enjoyed many of your videos through the years.
Yes, it's the same with the winters where I live, in the south of Sweden. I'm 49, and remember much colder winters as a child. And my parents, who were born in the late 1940s say it was even colder and more snow when they grew up. In Swedish ticks, Lyme disease is common too, unfortunately. Very sorry about your friend who died.
There is also TBE in Swedish ticks, which is even more dangerous than Lyme disease. I am vaccinated against TBE, and will renew my vaccin this year. My whole family and many other Swedish people take the TBE-vaccin. Unfortunately ticks spit TBE in your blood without delay as they bite. Thankfully TBE in ticks are less prevalent than Lyme disease.
There is research in progress about developing a vaccin against Lyme desease too, which I'm hoping for. That would really ease my mind when I'm out in the woods. Or just walking through grass, for that matter. My mother walked through the grass in my parents' garden some weeks ago and got a tick, and last week she got Lyme disease and is now eating antibiotics. There are sometimes deer eating in their garden, and they are probably dropping infected ticks there. A friend of mine had her lifes' first tick some years ago. She didn't get the rash on her skin, and she was ill with Lyme disease for a year, since they discovered it too late.
But one cannot sit inside because of it all! Be aware but not afraid, as you say. Now is the most beautiful time of the year, when all the trees are full of pink and white blossom, new fresh leaves, and the forest floor is covered with "vitsippor", Anemone Nemorosa. Do you have that flower in Nova Scotia?
Best regards
Anna
Hi Anna, was not aware of TBA. Fortunate there is a vaccine for it. Wish there was for Lyme. No, we don't have this flower but it is very pretty. Our spring is only just beginning here. Thanks for commenting
Excellent! Thanks for a thorough explanation and instructions regarding Ticks. I’ve had several, and had to be treated once. I will really consider using Permethrin on my clothes too.
Permethrin is the way to go. Keeps everything off you. Thanks for commenting
Thank you, Mark. Very informative. Ticks are the number one reason I don’t go camping, or even hiking. Lyme is very high in my area, & I have enough health issues, to deal with Lyme. It’s unfortunate.
The risk is real but with a few precautions it is greatly reduced. Thanks for commenting
Thank goodness i keep tick removers (two sizes) in my home and walkabout first aid kits, removed a tick from a family member's arm. We found it still small but it was quite distressing for them.
Thanks for bringing awareness of this increasing health risk!
Most welcome. Thanks for commenting
Thank you so much Mark for sharing all this information!!
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for commenting
Great informative talk about ticks Mark. I am a long-term subscriber to your channel, and I must say your reviews of outdoor items are the best out there. I particularly enjoy your stove reviews. Well done and thanks for your content.
Thank you for your kind words
Scary Lil Critter That Will Cause A Lot Of Pain ! Many Thanks For This Post Mark ! Stay Safe Brother ! ATB T God Bless
So true. Thanks for commenting
As usual. Good information well delivered. Thank you. I went and bought a set of those tweezers.
Hopefully, you won't need to use them. Thanks for commenting
Your title says it all, Mark! Very good information.
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for commenting
Mark, I really love following you as you walk through the bush. The Nova Scotian "Bush" has always held a special Place for me (1) it is a reminder of home (2) I have yet to see any similarity with that of either Ontario or Alberta bush (3) the rock cover is also different than either Ontario or ALberta. I wish I could move back, every time I see one of you video where you show any of the actual bush in the back ground.
I understand how hard it is to be away from home. Thanks for commenting
Alot of great information, thanks 👍
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for commenting Alex
I've been very lucky to have never encountered or even seen a tick during all the time I've spent in the bush, but I still take precautions for them anyway. 👍Thanks for this excellent video, you gave some really great advice and I appreciate the information provided. 😊Take care my friend and Cheers!
That is the thing. When you least expect it, you find one buried in you ???😳. Take care
"One of life's little pleasures" . Cup of Rampage while watching a very informative and appreciated video Mark. ++
Thank you kindly
My whole family has Lyme. I went through a year of antibiotics and am at a better place, but I honestly don't know when I contracted it. For me, symptoms didn't start showing until puberty. Great video, Mark! I hope more research is funded on this disease.
I have hear there is some research suggesting Lyme can be passed congenitally but no one is claiming it anymore. I have had a friend suffer chronic Lyme for years with no resolve. congenitally
The Tamarack is the only conifer I know of that looses its needles in the fall.
Right on. Thanks for commenting
Well done Mark. It is always good to review the basic tick avoidance procedures. One addition to the discussion is the use of WWI military putters as a lower leg wrap. A few years ago, this was recommended to me and, lo and behold, it has greatly reduced my encounters with tics to zero. Because of the folks who participate in military war re-enactments, the putter is easily available on line. There are modern day knockoffs, but they are too short and of inferior quality. So, at the start of each season, I give the putters a good drenching in permethrin and let them thoroughly dry. Then, they a good for a long time since I don’t regularly wash them unless they get muddy. Once you learn how to securely put them on so they don’t fall off, you can walk the trails with confidence. Even if you have to ford a stream and they get wet, the permethrin still provides a tick-free barrier. Also, you mentioned warmer winters and climate change as the reasons for increased prevalence of ticks. Climate change may certainly be a contributing factor, but a bigger factor is the massive increase in deer herds and other woodland varmits too. This increase is partly due to the decrease in hunting and gun ownership and, increase of people and houses into woodland areas which increases the contact of deer with people. Here in Pennsylvania, deer encroach into peoples yards and eat the vegetation in their gardens. While the deer are in your yards, ticks will fall off and populate your grass and gardens…just waiting for you or your family pet to walk on by. And don’t forget about the raccoons, possums, rabbits, and groundhogs that sneak around your house and camp sites at night. They are all carrying ticks too. It could make a fella paranoid if you think about it too much. Thank God for permethrin.
I was thinking about "putties" while making this video. Would serve as a tick barrier as well as keep stick and other stuff out of my shoes. Only issue would be how hot they would get during summer.Thanks for commenting
@@MarkYoungBushcraft you are quite right about heat retention. But, if you are already wearing long pants and long socks in the summer, you’ve already accepted a large degree of discomfort,so I just convince myself that I am tolerating this discomfort for my personal safety. Another factor is convenience. Once the puttee is charged with permethrin, it’s good to go for multiple hiking trips if you don’t wash them frequently. The literature says permethrin lasts for about 6 washes before you have to respray it on your clothes. That’s fine I guess, but I worry about diminishing effectiveness after each wash. By not washing the puttee after each use, I get a greater degree of confidence that I’m protected from those evil blood suckers. They really creep me out, so I wear the puttees. It a choice.
The tree was the Tamarack Eastern Larch.
Right on. Thanks for commenting
Just finished a 100 mile hike northern Michigan, 6 tics on my scalp , 3 on my back and all over my rucksack . Worst year I've ever seen them.
Oh man. No fun at all. Hope no left you with a gift you didn't want. Thanks for commenting
Good informational video Mark , thanks for sharing YAH bless !
Thanks for commenting
Canadians can purchase Permethrin saturated clothes but not Permethrin to specifically spray on clothes - our regulations are weird! We can also legally purchase Permethrin SFR (36.8% - yikes!) and Permethrin concentrate (1.25%) for insects in gardens and dilute it to 0.5% for use on clothes, just don't tell the regulators. We can't purchase Sawyer Permethrin anymore in Canada. You can buy Horse Spray which is .05% or 1/10th the recommended dosage for clothes.
Do not spray on your clothes and then go wading through streams as it can kill fish in very low concentration. It can kill bees/hornets but if its a choice between getting a bee sting and Permethrin - I will take Permethrin. Cats will react badly to it so the max. concentration is the Horse Spray above. Dogs can handle it better than cats so about 0.1% Permethrin is OK for tick collars and dog beds. The point is we have to consider other species around us if we decide to treat our clothing. Permethrin is a synthetic chemical derived from the chrysanthemum flower so if you want to keep stray cats away, plant chrysanthemums in your garden!
Good information. Thanks for commenting
Venessa Blank of Wild woman bushcraft got Lyme disease and it affected her very badly, partial paralysis being one symptom that left her with changed facial expression when she smiles.
I was shocked at how ill she became and of course as with Marks friend it can be fatal although that’s rare.
Lyme should not be feared but should definitely be taken seriously. Thanks for commenting
Tamarac tree. Thanks for the tip on permethrin. I keep forgetting to pick it up when I go to the states, and especially thanks for not doing a live demo on how to remove them with the one you had. 😂
Proper army surplus pants have a double cuff. You can tuck the inner layer into you socks, and since they will try and crawl up, they’ll get caught there. Too warm for summer, but good for spring/fall.
I remember pouring rain on new years, and plenty of warm winters in the past. Especially with El Niño winters like this one, and just a few years ago we had a freezing one. It’s cyclical, and though there is some warming, I don’t believe we "aren’t getting winters anymore" from 0.1deg warming. Just my opinion. This was a particularly helpful video, thanks
First Jim, again, Maybe it is just El Niño but I sure recall much colder temps in years past. Thanks for commenting
@@MarkYoungBushcraft Of course Mark! But if you think about it, there has been some pretty warm ones too. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying there isn’t some sort of global warming, and that the climate is changing a bit. It’s these people freaking out, blocking traffic because the world will end nonsense sort of stuff that gets to me. That and politicians using it to further their agendas……if you think back, say 30yrs, remember how they said an ice age was coming? And do you think our puny little 60 or so years on this planet can testify to a planet of 4.5 billion years? This could just be cyclical…..or not, but throwing half the world into abject poverty is not the way. It would cost less to keep on our path and spend on infrastructure. After all, plants are almost at a starvation lever when it comes to CO2. The earth has been getting greener by huge amounts, when back 30 yrs ago, it was all about deserts expanding etc…., right?……anyway, I do go on a bit sometimes. 😊
But really, thanks again about the the advice for the bug repellent on Amazon. I’ll be buying some soon, because it’s been since before the shutdowns that I wanted to go to the US to buy some.
Ill try a couple local farm stores for the ultra shield and sawyer up here in northern mn. Great info. Keep enjoying those little lifes pleasures!
If not, Amazon. Thanks for commenting
Hi Mark. Great Vid as always. I finished a full course of Doxycycline a month ago - had a big star shaped rash - never found the tick so was more of a precaution. And can confirm Doxy really messes your body up. But better that than Lymes. Working to restore my gut biomes and natural defenses. Expect it to take a few months.
But deffo better than Lymes 🤓
Oh man. Unfortunate. Hopefully you won't have to do that again. Thanks for commenting
Thanks we have a lot ticks down here in Illinois very helpful
Guy
Glad it was helpful. Thanks for commenting
I feed Pileated Woodpeckers in the winter. One year I had a pair doing their mating dance in my back yard. If you ever get a chance to see it, you will be in for a real treat.
We don't see them often here and only in the deeper woods. Love watching them. Hope to see that dance some day. Thanks for commenting
@@MarkYoungBushcraft I have only seen it once and I am 75, and have been bird watching since I was 8 years old.
I Always carry a tick remover in my wallet. Its a creditcard with some kind of notches. I always recommend Everyone to carry one. In the Netherlands the Lyme infected ticks is Very high. in any case, too high to take the risk....
Really enjoying your videos, subscribed. Greetz from the Netherlands 🇳🇱
edit: i fully agree to keep them alive to check.
Good advise. Lyme knows no border. Stay safe
I have a tick removal tool that is used on pets but has worked on me to remove ticks. The tool looks like pointed spoon sliced in halve that you squeeze around the tick and apply pressure to let the tick release itself. It works really good on pets and people. Excellent video thanks for sharing.
Glad it was helpful. Thanks for commenting
G'day Mark, extremely valuable chat and aligns exactly with what I know + a bit more, many thanks for filling in the blanks mate.
Another myth I've heard is metho, I believe same end result, just irritates it to the point of regurgitation.
Btw, with DEET, I'm sure you're aware it comes in various strengths. Last time I looked a few years back, 40% was quoted as the "minimum" strength to have any "significant" effect on ticks. Also, I do wonder whether they're gradually developing a resistance to it; certainly seems to be that way with flies and mozzies ; )
I'm with ya, not sure about those specific tools. Fine tip tweezers are the go, and yep good for splinters and other applications. I haven't seen those sickle shaped jobs before, for negligible size/weight, reckon I'll get me a pair of those too.
Q. of the day; no idea, first time I've heard of a conifer being deciduous, .... is that unique ?
Cheers Duke.
P.S.. Fun fact. I read somewhere, that at the current rate of population growth, insects will take over the entire earth at some point. One would assume then ........ there's currently not enough spiders, (and other insect eating creatures), to stop it ; )
There is a booming market in edible insects. Not likely to become endangered. The Larch is the only one we have but there are a few like that. Thanks for commenting Duke
Thanks for the video! And lots of thanks for the links to permethrin to buy in Canada(l still have some left overs from what l had brought from the states but once they are gone l will pretend to be a horse and buy that 0.5% from amazon)
As for the tick removal, what l have been using for the last 9 years to pull out tons of ticks from my dog, myself and family members is the veterinarian twist tool exactly as you showed. They come in different quality of the V notch implementation though. The good thing about this tool the only thing you have to remember is to get the V under ticks head and twist whatever direction you prefer, and it will let go like magic.
You are the first person who I have heard from that uses this style of tick remover. I was a bit reluctant to use it for fear of pulling it apart, leaving the head in the skin. I will try it next time if I am that unfortunate to miss another one. Thanks for commenting
@@MarkYoungBushcraft Yep, so far so good. I keep one of them at home and another one in my car. When using just twist it (whatever number of turns it takes) , don't pull. But make sure that the tick is being spun as well with the tool. That's why I said the quality of the V notch matters, which basically means it just has to be narrow enough to grip the tick and spin it with the tool. Sometimes they come in a set of two - for bigger species like wood ticks and smaller ones like deer ticks. From my experience though the bigger one sold as one item is good enough for both types but I dealt mostly with wood ticks and just a few deer ticks
The South Shore of Nova Scotia is really bad for ticks. Many of my neighbours have had variations of Lyme disease some with serious health effects. Something that should be mentioned is that DOGS and CATS can also get it. My dog has had it twice and two of my neighbours cats came down with it last winter.
Yes, good point about pets. I know there are drops that the Vet can give them that kills the ticks. Thanks for commenting
I believe the Woodpeckers were working on the tree but do not overlook that Porcupines were also a cause for the damage as well. I believe the Larch tree drops their needles. Woodpeckers make holes in trees and store acorns and nuts in dead trees. They also do it to live ones too. I watched two Pileated woodpeckers do it to a live wild cherry tree out my window. The gray squirrels then stole the nuts stored by the woodpeckers. The woodpeckers chased off the squirrels but failed to win the battle and move somewhere else. It is easy to hear them still hammering away this spring too.
Getting a tick on you is near impossible to prevent. Pets like cat and dogs bring them in your house. Then can transfer to you or anyone they contact. Spider bites also cause similar rashes as some other insect bites will. I think, it is overlooked more often that makes testing for it a good idea to ask for. If a tick has Lyme disease and it bites you likely, you are infected. They will also attach under tight fitting clothing or under a wristwatch band. I found them there on me. Some areas in swamps have so many ticks you can see them crawling on the ground, in southern climates they never die from cold.😣
Yes, wood peckers. I have also seen porcupine eating the bark on trees. Good info on ticks as well. Thanks for commenting
Getting bit by one of those suckers would really tick me off…….sorry, couldn’t control myself. There’s one UA-camr that I’m subscribed to that got bit by a tick, and it messed her up. I’ve treated my clothes, tents, and other stuff for ticks. I was also thinking that tucking your pants into your socks or boots would help. Excellent information, Mark. ✌️🇺🇸🇨🇦✌️
Right on. I have had friends who went for years undiagnosed and suffered unreal amounts. Thanks for commenting
I have a Coghlan’s tick remover, which is a springloaded, diamond shape tweezer/claw. The instructions are to grab the tick as close to skin as possible, don’t pull, but turn counterclockwise until tick releases. I would like to know why they say counterclockwise, what’s wrong with clockwise?
Good question. Sounds a lot like the little green one I showed. I would concerned about damaging the tick during removal. Thanks for commenting
Larix decidua, larch.
Right on. Thanks for commenting
Permethrin and panty hose!!!
I have heard about the panty hose trick but have not tried it myself. Thanks for commenting
I have a quart of 33.3% Permethrin. I can dilute it to 5%, but how do I apply it to my cloths?
I was not aware you could buy permethrin that high a strength. I use a spray bottle to apply it to my clothes. Thanks for commenting
@@MarkYoungBushcraft This one is called Country Vet, manufactured for Amrep, Inc. 990 Industrial Park Drive, Marietta, GA 30062
Dilute to 0.5% not 5%. That is way too high a concentration. You can hang up your clothes and spray them to saturation point completely inside and out. Let dry completely before wearing. Ticks like to gravitate to warm spots so treat socks, pants, gaiters, and headgear OR like Mark commented - your underwear too! Always handle with gloves and wash up afterwards.
@@Roarmeister2 Thank you for that correction. I would have gotten it way to strong. If you have to handle it with gloves, do you really want to put it on clothes next to your skin?
@@terrysincheff6682 Gloves are precautionary with that strength of Permethrin. Its far more active when wet than it is diluted and dry. Never put on clothes that are still wet from the application. Cheers and have fun in the outdoors!
Tamarack tree
Yes, you are correct. Thanks for commenting
Larch
Yes, Thanks for commenting
Permethrin is toxic to cats 🙀
Good to know. Thanks for commenting