Beware of ticks and other biteing critters. Something got me on the leg the other day and has turned into a big mess. I thought I had been stung by ants but did find one tick on my sock and one on my leg and promptly removed them. About a week later one of the bites got really nasty. I have had flu like symptoms with chills and sweats along with joint aches and stiffness. The doctor seems to think it's from an ant and not a tick but is treating me with an antibiotic that will cover both lyme disease and staph. This is no fun, so be careful this time of the year in the woods. Drew

my dad is fighting Rocky Mtn tick fever (which he got from a tick in Oklahoma) so don't leave those tick bites unchecked by the doc if you get any rash with 'em.
he didn't go for a long time and he is knocked out pretty good right now.

When you pull a tick out make sure you get out thr pinchers. You'll notice little black dots if you didn't I usually grab them with tweezers up by the head and pull straight not wiggling and never had a problem. Best of luck to ya!

Sometimes you gotta wonder...Why are these critters here? Hope you feel better.

Noah really screwed up when he invited two of them critters along. That and the two skeeters. And the two chiggers.

Spider bites can get pretty nasty!

Man, your symptoms sound like Lyme disease. There are specific blood tests that can identify what's going on.  If your doctor isn't familiar with that disease, you need to find one that is. With Lyme disease, it's curable if caught early on.  If you wait, or if the treatment doesn't last long enough, there are some very serious long-term effects.

hey dc you wouldn't happen to know charlie ladner from down there would ya .
i got a dog off of him many moons ago but haven't been able to find him on any of the sites to talk with him .

Scott

looper,My symptoms seem like lyme disease to me too. The only thing is the tick wasn't on long enought to feed. From what I have read the antibiotic that I am now taking is prescribed to treat lyme disease. The Dr. prescribed 15 days worth and from what I've read treatment is 3-4 wks. I'll question the duration near the end of this prescription. Drew

DC,
I have had bad reactions to ticks too with a lot of swelling and generally feeling bad. It has happened to me more than once, I have talked to my doctor about it but haven't gotten a good answer besides being allergic. I have been told that ticks need to be attached for at least 24 ours in order to transmit diseases, they are never on me more than an hour or so before the the swelling and itching makes me find them. Kinda rambling here but what I am saying is maybe you are just having an allergic reaction. Chris

DC,
right now I've got 101 fever and every joint in my body aches. Luckily (right!) I've been here before I know the sympthoms. Got a blood test at work (hospital) to look for Ehrlichiosis and now a 10 day course of Doxyclcline. Not something to fool around with.

Tom

non-typical, I don't think my temp has been that high but I have had some big-time sweats and chills at night while trying to sleep. Good luck with your recovery. I hope I don't go through this again. Drew

diagnosed yesterday with lymes, on the doxy too.

Permethrin! Don't leave home without it.

I caught about twenty or thirty bloody grass / 'roo / seed ticks on my trousers on the weekend. I ventured back to a place I call Tick Spring, not having been there for a couple of years, to see if there were still ticks (and pigs) there. I can roam for miles through the bush without so much as one, but at this place, they seem to be thick. They don't seem to burrow-in, but just crawl around biting as much as possible. Luckily I saw them in time to spray (smother) them in Aeroguard, which killed them.

All the best, DC, Tom and Pete.

I have used this tool for years.  IMHO it is a much better, easier and safer way to remove ticks off you, your kids and your pets .  Go to this website  [http://www.ticktwister.com] I have at least a dozen; one in each vehicle, tackle box, hunting pack, 1st aid boxes, atv box and other places.

Sometimes those ticks get past all your tick prevention sprays and dope.

http://www.ticktwister.com/

If you dust your boots,pant cuffs and around your waist with powdered sulfur which you can get at the drug store, nothing will crawl on you, I work outside in chigger/tick country and have been doing it for years and as long as I use it no bites from anything. Just put it in an old sock and dust with it.

In Texas, the tick population has just about been eliminated. The fire ants killed them off and this year's severe drought and high temperatures didn't help the tick population either.

I haven't seen a tick on a deer in Texas during the last 4 years.