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Post by greig on Mar 23, 2019 18:21:30 GMT -5
Here are a few things I have learned over time about the winged demons of the north: 1) Skitters are attracted to dark objects, so wear light coloured clothing. Camo is not light coloured. My poor dog is a chocolate lab. 2) Blackflies bite less when you are lying on the ground. It is pretty much impossible to metal detect or find rocks when lying down. 3) Blackflies will not bite in an enclosed space such as a tent or cab of a truck. Skitters will. In fact, they like to wait until nighttime and attack individually all night like fighter planes going after a bomber. 4) Deer flies go for your head. Horse flies for your legs. You can confuse a deer fly by adding a big feather to the top of your your hat (or a fern if you forgot a feather). If you have neither, hold up a big stick higher than your head and that will also work, but not great for getting anything else done. 5) There are deer fly double-sided stickers that you can add to the back of a dark coloured hat, which will catch deer flies by the dozens. You need to replace the sticker when full. It doesn't work on a light coloured hat (see #1). 6) All of these flying critters are attracted to movement. Another reason to slow down your metal detecting swing. More important, they will descend onto your buddy if he is constantly swatting and faning them away. 7) A smudge fire works a little bit. It is not a reason to start smoking, but if you got 'em, burn 'em. 8) Bug spray with deet works best. It will also melt anything plastic. 9) Taking along a bug jacket will ensure you don't need one. They don't make a bug jacket for dogs.
Can you add to this? Anything but recommending Skin So Soft. ;-)
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RWA3006
Cave Dweller
Member since March 2009
Posts: 4,168
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Post by RWA3006 on Mar 23, 2019 22:23:47 GMT -5
Ticks are no laughing matter being they carry some really bad diseases. They concern me the most. One of the things I like best about hounding in Wyoming is the wind is usually going enough to keep the winged varmints away.
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Kai
spending too much on rocks
Member since December 2018
Posts: 331
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Post by Kai on Mar 23, 2019 22:30:19 GMT -5
Would be funny if it wasn't tragic... Don't you get ticks? In this part of the world we don't get so many different flies, but LOADS of ticks. Nothing works against them apart from gallons of bug spray.
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Post by greig on Mar 24, 2019 9:38:14 GMT -5
I hate ticks. We don't have many but once in a while find a large on on my dog. Maybe once every couple of years. The big worry for lime disease around here are really tiny ones the size of a freckle. Pretty easy to miss seeing them. I have a medication for Daisy (my dog) which is supposed to kill the tick when it bites. I would also take it if it was for people.
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lookatthat
Cave Dweller
Whatever there is to be found.
Member since May 2017
Posts: 1,360
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Post by lookatthat on Mar 24, 2019 13:30:48 GMT -5
The tick is a curious creature She has an unusual feature She sticks her long snout --and you can't pull it out-- In a place where you can't hardly reach her.
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lookatthat
Cave Dweller
Whatever there is to be found.
Member since May 2017
Posts: 1,360
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Post by lookatthat on Mar 24, 2019 13:41:06 GMT -5
I am going to try bug netting. At least it will keep them off my head. I was collecting draavite in northern New York state and a small bumblebee kept flying around. I ignored it. He landed on my chin, walked up to my upper lip and stung me! Zap! I yelled and flailed, it flew off and went for the person I was digging with -- she nailed it with one swipe of her hammer. I was impressed.
My lip swelled way up and got an abscess. Really cute.
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Post by greig on Mar 27, 2019 15:47:57 GMT -5
The tick is a curious creature She has an unusual feature She sticks her long snout --and you can't pull it out-- In a place where you can't hardly reach her. It depends how long the tick has been on you. They really burrow into the skin if left alone for a while. I usually use rubbing alcohol on paper towel and soak the exposed part of the critter. Sometimes, they will just let go and back out. When I was younger, we would burn the large ones with the embers on a cigarette. Seemed like a good idea at the time, but I think alcohol or even acetone works better. Then you look for the next few days for a red ring to develop around the spot, indicating you have a big problem. I have recently heard that you can take the bug to a doctor and they will send it to a lab. I have not tried this because I have not seen any ticks for a while.
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Post by greig on Mar 27, 2019 15:52:51 GMT -5
I am going to try bug netting. At least it will keep them off my head. I was collecting draavite in northern New York state and a small bumblebee kept flying around. I ignored it. He landed on my chin, walked up to my upper lip and stung me! Zap! I yelled and flailed, it flew off and went for the person I was digging with -- she nailed it with one swipe of her hammer. I was impressed. My lip swelled way up and got an abscess. Really cute. Bug hats are good. I like the jackets better, for additional coverage. I seldom wear either, but it is nice to know it is packed. Bees and wasps can be pretty nasty. Who needs Restylane when you can train a bee to sting you on the lips? LOL
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jasperfanatic
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2019
Posts: 456
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Post by jasperfanatic on Mar 27, 2019 15:59:02 GMT -5
I'm on the "I hate ticks" bandwagon for sure. I've been able to avoid a bite, but have flicked countless number off myself. We're going into the worst time of year for them around these parts, at least from my experience. From the little I know, you don't want to kill them (the old burn wives tale) because that will definitely cause them to regurgitate and release any potential nasty bugs. Not sure if alcohol/acetone kills them, but if so, you might want to avoid that.
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Post by MsAli on Mar 27, 2019 16:11:09 GMT -5
Lemon & ecalyptus oil Thyme & cinnamon oil Lavender, Lemon & eucalyptus oil Tea tree oil geranium with peppermint oil Cedarwood *REALLY GREAT FOR TICKS Sweetgrass Essential Oil
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Post by MsAli on Mar 27, 2019 16:13:02 GMT -5
Lavender Marigolds Geraniums Catnip Rosemary Basil
All planted help with repelling those dang skitters
Cedarwood chips as bedding help repel ticks
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,676
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Post by Fossilman on Mar 27, 2019 16:35:36 GMT -5
Lived in North Dakota for a very long time, I got use to the ticks - I would just pick them off me and go on.... Most of my favorite fishing spots were tick infested, not many guys would go with me... Usually have 30 or more on me before I got to my fishing hole and (or) trk... I would just strip down and start picking them off... (lived in the woods), so it didn't matter.. Hahahaha Montana was full of ticks too, have many tick stories as a kid growing up there..Hahaha Now freakin' skeeters and flies, I totally hate, especially horse flies! Since in Oregon, I have only seen very few skeeters and that's fine with me!
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Post by Jugglerguy on Mar 27, 2019 22:14:43 GMT -5
Here in Michigan, we have stable flies. In my experience, they only attack on the beach. They attack legs mostly. I bought a full mesh suit tat I carry with me in the summer. I’ve had to use it twice. Problem is, it’s hot even though it’s mesh, but it’s still better than having hundreds of biting flies on you. A few still get through where the mesh touches your skin. I’d love a better solution.
There are ticks here too. So far, I’ve caught them before they attached.
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lookatthat
Cave Dweller
Whatever there is to be found.
Member since May 2017
Posts: 1,360
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Post by lookatthat on Mar 28, 2019 13:41:07 GMT -5
Oh, those stable flies are enough to make me go bonkers! Sometimes they are bad at the local beach here; other years there are hardly any. Maybe the deer flies ate them? Or the horse flies? Or the giant mosquitos? Ticks are bad enough; now lots of them carry disease. As for the bull's eye rash -- don't count on it. In 40 percent of Lyme disease cases, there is no distinctive rash.
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agatemaggot
Cave Dweller
Member since August 2006
Posts: 2,195
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Post by agatemaggot on Mar 28, 2019 14:54:14 GMT -5
The generic Dollar store version of Listerine Mouth wash works well for repelling skitters,it costs fractions of the price of bug repellent and is not TOO bad smelling and non greasy to stain clothes. How long it lasts I don't know we pour it in a small spray bottle to keep in the boat but when we go Mushroom hunting to avoid Ticks I shoot up with the mouth wash and follow up with 1 or 2 pints of of the strongest Deet content bug spray I can find. Haven't been lost in the woods since I got Lyme Disease, I just follow the oily trail of droplets back to the vehicle. For removing Ticks you take a Q-Tip and paint the little Bastards with anti-bacterial dish soap or something like mineral or similar viscosity cooking oil. Ticks breath thru their abdomen and after a few minutes you can usually just wipe their sorry little A$$E$ off with the Q-Tip into the garbage without handling whatsoever. When my fishing buddies need entertainment in the evenings I open the door to my Boat House and spray the mouth wash liberally inside. It takes about an hour for me to knock out a stone knife blade and keep up with the conversations going on and as long as you stay inside you are safe even tho the Skeeters are swarming under the lights over the front door.
Bad case or rambling going on in Iowa today !
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Post by Rockindad on Mar 28, 2019 19:49:03 GMT -5
I hate ticks. We don't have many but once in a while find a large on on my dog. Maybe once every couple of years. The big worry for lime disease around here are really tiny ones the size of a freckle. Pretty easy to miss seeing them. I have a medication for Daisy (my dog) which is supposed to kill the tick when it bites. I would also take it if it was for people. Kramer would give it a shot Al
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Post by greig on Mar 29, 2019 14:59:14 GMT -5
Brad Paisley has a country song called Ticks: Lyrics 'Cause I'd like to see you out in the moonlight I'd like to kiss you way back in the sticks I'd like to walk you through a field of wildflowers And I'd like to check you for ticks…
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Post by MsAli on Mar 29, 2019 15:04:04 GMT -5
Brad Paisley has a country song called Ticks: Lyrics 'Cause I'd like to see you out in the moonlight I'd like to kiss you way back in the sticks I'd like to walk you through a field of wildflowers And I'd like to check you for ticks…
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victor1941
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since November 2011
Posts: 1,974
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Post by victor1941 on Mar 29, 2019 15:44:44 GMT -5
Ticks were a problem on our dogs at certain times of the year in Jacksonville, Fl. when we lived in the country. We removed ticks by using toothpaste rubbed on the tick and surrounding area. In a day or so the tick was gone. I suspect that pumice in the toothpaste somehow interrupted the feeding cycle.
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Post by fernwood on Mar 29, 2019 17:09:45 GMT -5
I use the item that cannot be mentioned, mixed with equal parts water and vinegar. Works great for people and animals.
Make an herbal neck scarf filled with dried rosemary, lemon grass, marigold, lemon thyme and catnip. Mix it with flax seed. Smaller versions can be made for ankles/wrists. If they become wet, it is not a problem.
Both of the above work well for: Ticks, deer flies, horse flies, black flies, chiggers and mosquitoes.
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