[CT Birds] TICKS

[Don Morgan via CTBirds]

If you read nothing else, read the last paragraph, because that's the real
point of this post.

Since I've been birding I have just accepted ticks of all kinds as just
one of the hazards of being outdoors. I was relatively easy for me, since
years ago when i was more of a hiker I had to cope with the same problems. I
don't like them but I live with them.
But this year is different.
My solution has always been simply to do frequent tick checks when ever in
the woods or brushy/grassy areas and again as soon as I get home and can
strip down. Even so, I've been bitten by 2 dog ticks this year. I will tell
you first hand that DEET does nothing to deter them, and other mosquito
type repellents even less. I've been told that some "natural" remedies work,
but I'll let others trust them.
If you get a tick on your pants watch it for a moment before you dispose
of it. You will be amazed at how fast they sometimes climb up your leg.
Within a minute or two they can be at your waist band, and if you have an
untucked shirt, that means on your upper body skin in another minute or so.
And of course, If your pants are untucked they may climb up under them as
well. That's even worse. I know.
They can even be up high enough in the brush that they can drop down on
your head, neck and shoulders too, but for me that has been rare. However I
just met someone the other day who had 2 on the back of her neck, inside her
shirt.

I am NOT trying scare everyone indoors for the summer. It's not pleasant
but I deal with it, and so can you.
Here's what I always do and what I am doing this year. Number one is
frequent tick checks, as above. If you are in a brushy or grassy area that means
at least every 5 minutes or so, particularly if you have been moving
around. While I do believe that most ticks jump from brush, etc, I think they
also jump from the ground, because I have found many while I was in a
completely open area with no vegetation more than 6 inches or so high. Usually they
are just a few inches above pants cuffs in that case.
This may also work for you, but I don't do it. Tuck your pants in your
socks. It is often recommended but I find it very uncomfortable and they
usually pull out quickly.

I travel a lot out west and chiggers are the biggest problem there, but
there is one solution that works for both. PERMETHRIN. You don't ever put it
on yourself. Treat your clothing and let it dry. I treat my pants and
socks. It's easy to find, Walmart sells it, but its a little cheaper and in
larger quantities online (Amazon, etc., brand name I use is Sawyer). I have
finally broken down and treated my clothes now for ticks and will continue this
year unless the problem abates. It's easy to use, sprays on, and will last
up to 6 weeks through 4 washings, or so they say. I've never had damage of
any kind to clothing and once dry, no smell either. Permethrin doesn't
just repel ticks. If they come in contact it will actually kill them. Good
stuff. If you plan to be out a lot, try it. If you can afford them, places
like LL Bean even sell clothing that is supposedly permanently treated.

Don Morgan
Coventry, Ct
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[James Sherwonit via CTBirds]

blockquote, div.yahoo_quoted { margin-left: 0 !important; border-left:1px #715FFA solid !important; padding-left:1ex !important; background-color:white !important; } Beware that PERMETHRIN is very toxic to cats. Read the label carefully!

Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone

[VITALI PETER E via CTBirds]

Thanks Don.
Pete Vitali

[Don Morgan via CTBirds]

This post was kicked back as being too long so I eliminated my original
post. But in the meantime I learned that Lesley Roy is in the clothing
business.

Don Morgan
Coventry, Ct



____________________________________
From: Mntnc...@aol.com
To: les...@lesleyroy.com
CC: ctb...@lists.ctbirding.org
Sent: 6/1/2017 8:56:16 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time
Subj: Re: [CT Birds] TICKS


I think you'll find that BugsAway and other "permanent" insect repelling
clothing use permethrin as the repellent. And your TWO posts look
suspiciously like advertisements to me.
Permethrin has been used by our armed forces for something like 30 years
now, and if there were adverse effects I'm sure they'd have stopped using it
and we'd have heard about it. It needs to be used as directed.

Don Morgan
Coventry, Ct


In a message dated 6/1/2017 8:05:51 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
les...@lesleyroy.com writes:

Ticks bug almost everyone...but not me!

I hesitated to weigh in, but it is far too important a subject. The
environmental impact of applying Permethrin onto your clothing is harmful to
humans and insects. I have used this on numerous trips in Central & South
America but have come to understand that it is truly a nasty solution to the
problem of ticks, and harms many other insects critical to our beloved birds
of CT.


As a avid bird photographer, I have been known to camp out, "in the thick
of it" buggy spots for hours, if not days on end...usually as close to, or
flat out on the ground to get the shot!


My solution: I rely on a line of clothing called BugsAway. Often I am
wearing a hat, shirt, tank top, pants or shorts, a bandana, fingerless gloves
& socks all BugsAway and I can tell you: I don't even think about ticks. I
know these items are a little more expensive (but often on sale online),
as the repellent is treated right into the fabric. I feel compelled to ask
everyone to weigh the environmental impact of applying a highly toxic powder
or liquid that can come off in the field as we are moving about; against
the cost of buying preventative clothing that is a more environmentally
friendly choice.



ExOffico® BugsAway®
Also, I recently heard that using a lint roller rubbed with: Oil of Spike
Lavender and used in the field is also a great solution to remove ticks and
repel new ones, if you don't mind giving yourself the once over every now
and again!
Enjoy the outdoors and thank you for reading.


Respectfully,


Lesley Roy
New Haven


_Www.QuantumWow.com_ (http://www.quantumwow.com/)

[Roy Harvey via CTBirds]

Don said: "I think you'll find that BugsAway and other "permanent" insect repelling clothing use permethrin as the repellent."

Correct. From Consumer Reports:

"We tested L.L.Bean’s permethrin-treated Crew shirt ($80, 100 percent polyester); and two similar ExOfficio shirts, the Bugsaway Breez’r ($85, 100 percent nylon) and the Talisman ($85, 60 percent cotton/40 percent polyester). All three products are treated with 0.52 percent permethrin, the industry standard. The manufacturers of all three shirts claim the permethrin will last for 70 washes. We tested them new, and after 25 washes."

IN THE SAME ARTICLE they make a point that DEET was more effective, and using BOTH works best. Read the entire article and draw your own conclusions.

"Plus, none of the permethrin-treated shirts were as effective against bites as an ordinary shirt that was sprayed with deet. And it’s worth noting: The shirts don’t eliminate the need for using an effective repellent on your skin. In fact, the manufacturers stress the importance of wearing the clothing along with a repellent.

http://www.consumerreports.org/insect-repellents/permethrin-treated-clothing-mosquito-bites/
Roy Harvey
Beacon Falls, CT

[John Weeks via CTBirds]

I take all the precautions mentioned by Don, plus one additional step. As soon as I get home from the field, I throw all my clothes in the dryer and spin them at HIGH heat for 20 minutes. This is probably overkill, as 10 minutes is supposed to be sufficient. I once spent six weeks in the hospital with severe Lyme disease, so I prefer to err on the side of caution...

Here's a link about killing the nasty things with dry heat:

http://www.outdoors.org/articles/amc-outdoors/like-to-kill-ticks-put-them-in-dryer/

John Weeks
North Granby

[Sarah Faulkner via CTBirds]

I'd like to thank everyone for alerting us about the danger to cats from permethrin. I was unaware of this, and did some research after hearing about it. While it seems as though it is safe once it is dry, if you have cats that like to lick things --as mine do sometimes -- you may want to either avoid permethrin altogether, or completely keep your clothes that were treated with it away from the cats. One article suggested keeping the clothes outside and changing before entering the house, and showering well after wearing them. Permethrin is very, very dangerous to cats.

Sarah Faulkner
Collinsville

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