TICKS!!!

[billyblazes]

I posted here as I did not want to further clutter Whiskey's great thread on the homebrew tick repellent.  

I'm currently staying at a beautiful cabin set on 40 acres in Spencer.  The setting and beautiful.  The ticks are unbelievable.  Just walking close to a tree line is finding us with several ticks crawling on our arms, legs and necks.  Yesterday morning after going a couple of miles down the road having come to car straight from the cabin after the night's rest, my traveling companion found a tick crawling on her arm.  The flying bugs are also proving to be skilled pests.  We are currently waving our hands as they buzz around our faces.

Is this a passing seasonal issue.  Obviously during the cool winter months the bugs are not an issue, but is being outside during the summer unenjoyable due to the insect activity?  I have made note of Whiskey's mix which I will certainly put to use when spending a day in the woods.  On this visit we are using Deep Woods Off as we do some very light hiking on well traveled paths.  It's ridiculous though that just a stroll on the lawn in the cleared back yard of our cabin has us picking up ticks whenever we get close to the tree line.

As a point of reference, I've lived in Florida for 30+ years.  I thought I was pretty adept at putting up with pests.  Certainly the mosquitoes can become unbearable.  We just finished up with a messy love bug season.  These Tennessee ticks though are really putting a damper on us enjoying the outdoors carefree at present.

[Shorty]

I read somewhere that years with a heavy mast crop (acorns) tend to be followed with an increased tick population. Dunno how true it is, but it kinda makes sense.  I soak all my clothes in Sawyers ahead of time if I have plans to be outdoors.  If you spend enough time at the cabin, you may consider some type of ground bird (guinea fowl, chicken) to help with the ticks.

For mosquitos, I would have never believed this works, but we got desperate for relief...mix 3 cups Epsom salt, 1 bottle of minterest mouthwash and 3 cheap beers.  I added some lavender oil, but eucalyptus oil works too.  Let the salt dissolve and spray everywhere including bushes.  I may see a random mosquito but nothing like before. Supposedly it will last for about 2 months. 

[E4 No More]

I don't live right next to the woods but I do live on some acreage that has a dry creek bed running along the side of the house by about 40 feet. I cleared out the scrub trees that were on the bank of the creek bed last year and put down lawn insecticide every year specifically to protect my dogs from fleas and ticks. Last Tuesday I was digging a trench with a trencher when I stepped into the grass on the bank for just a few seconds. Wednesday night I found two ticks in my hide even after having taken a shower right after finishing the trenching. Little suckers must know how to fight the current and a scrubber! 

My task for this weekend is to spray the  out of that grass with insecticide. 

Edited May 28, 2019 by E4 No More

[peejman]

Yep, one of the fun parts of life in the hills. Ducks, chickens, guineas, turkeys, possums, and frogs all eat ticks. Keeping the grass cut to less than ankle height helps a lot too. 

[Ronald_55]

@E4 No More any chance you have a lot of wildlife passing through there? They may be depositing the ticks as they pass. Not sure of the effectiveness period of the insecticide, but that might make it an uphill battle. 

[billyblazes]

3 hours ago, Ronald_55 said:

@E4 No More any chance you have a lot of wildlife passing through there? They may be depositing the ticks as they pass. Not sure of the effectiveness period of the insecticide, but that might make it an uphill battle. 

So far on this 40 acres we haven't seen so much as a squirrel.  

[Ski]

6 hours ago, Shorty said:

I read somewhere that years with a heavy mast crop (acorns) tend to be followed with an increased tick population.

The explanation I heard is that acorns are a prime food source for the host rodents for the ticks while in their nymph stage.

[E4 No More]

15 hours ago, Ronald_55 said:

@E4 No More any chance you have a lot of wildlife passing through there? They may be depositing the ticks as they pass. Not sure of the effectiveness period of the insecticide, but that might make it an uphill battle. 

Not in the area that I think got them. Oddly, they pass on the other side of the house between us and the neighbor's house They do pass through a lot in the back of my land. I have >200 yards from the back of my fenced-in back yard to the property line. I keep it cut for shooting.

[MrsMonkeyMan2500]

We live on the plateau and it is INFESTED this year. I actually had to have Monkey pull my very first tick off me. Orkin does yard treatment and that works great. But we also use granules and that makes a BIG difference. All of our dogs, including fosters are on Bravecto and that seems to keep anything from making it into the house. If you go the Bravecto route, get it at Sams Pharmacy. $25 bucks cheaper than the vet!