Ticks

My husband has a minor from college in chemistry. So, unlike many people, he wasn't willing nor can we afford to through out everything, furniture and clothing, we own because of bed bugs, and many people do just that. He is one of those people who has a high physical heat index, and mine is below average. I didn't get even one bite from the bed bugs, but they absolutely ate him. Other than the fact the bugs are attacked to heat, the only other explanation for me not being bitten by either the bed bugs or fleas, has to be garlic. I started taking garlic years ago because of its healing properties but also because of mosquitoes. Mosquitoes love me but with the use of garlic, they leave me alone. We have outbreaks of West Nile virus from mosquitoes every year so I'm glad I use garlic like I do. lol..... I use the odorless pills, but when I run out if I have garlic around I use a teaspoonful of it daily. I've been told that many insects don't like the smell of it because the odor seems to permeate through your skin, so other than mosquitoes, I don't know exactly which bugs might be affected. I've read many articles on the web about the use of garlic as an insect repellent and as a mosquito repellent there is scientific evidence that supports it use either eaten or used in a liquid spray. It does seem to work for me with a variety of insects. I have used it in a spray for my outside plants along with cayenne pepper and the spray concoction repels aphids and many other insects. Check out the information about garlic on the web. There is a lot of information available.

Very interesting stuff. Thanks. I'd heard of garlic being used as an anti aphid spray for plants, so it all seems to fit together. I'll look into it further.

Garlic helps to repel bed bugs you think? I wonder if it is effective against other insect parasites. I had heard about the bed bug epidemic. It makes me itch just to think about it!

Hmmmm ... brewers yeast is easy to find as a dietary supplement. It may be worth a try. I get bitten by anything going actually. How do you feed it to the dogs? Do they take it if you just hide it in their food dish? I wonder if I could buy it in powder form. I've six dogs, and making sure each had a pill might be a struggle. I have so much practice at tick removal that my finger nails do a pretty fine job! You must twist rather than pull if you have no dish soap available.

Taking B6 tablets also repels most insects most of the time. Last year toward the end of summer though we developed a mosquito that I could not repel and I would get big welts where they bit me. This is really unusual for me as generally even when bitten by a mosquito I do not have a bit of swelling or anything. They were vicious zombie mosquitoes or something. The reason I mentioned the insect repellant on the outside of clothes is that I dislike putting it on my skin. It accumulates in your fatty tissues. And boy do I have my share of fatty tissues. I think I am going to get some brewer's yeast for my cat food that I make. I have tried diatomaceous earth but they still get fleas. I know it will take care of worms, though and it is generally safe.

You seem to be cursed with more horrible beasties in Australia than anywhere else I think! Our ticks do carry nasty disease which is dangerous to humans and dogs, but thankfully it's pretty rare. My partner had it, but it was caught before it did him permanent damage. The trick, if you have to remove a tick by hand, is to twist rather than pull. You are more likely to remove the head too. If you end up with a head stuck, cut it slightly so that it forms a scab, then the head should come off with the scab.

Hmmm we have quite a few nasties here. Snakes, spiders, bugs. We have had deadly snakes go through our back yard and we live in a town. It is a rural town but even so I nearly bumped into a deadly snake when I went out to feed the chickens one day and I had to rush the dogs back inside before they saw it. Then I watched out the window as it slowly crossed our lawn on its way to somewhere. Never saw it again. We have to be very careful especially at the start of the snake season because they could be sleeping in the wood pile and you just won't know til they wake up. We are not the only country that has such deadly beasties but we do seem to have a lot. That is one thing in favour of cities as they do not have this problem. But I love living in the country despite the risks. Oh my partner was told by the vet to pull the tick out with a loop of thread. He says you make a loop and place the loop over the tick as close to the head as possible and slowly draw it tight. When it is tight you give it a firm pull together and out. Firm and steady not sharp as sharp can take the head off. Apparently this will pull the tick out completely.

My dogs would never sit still whilst I faffed around with a piece of thread, but a good tip if I get another on myself. I'd read somewhere that Australia housed 10 of the most poisonous beasts on earth. Nice to know, though I've no idea how true it is. We had an Australian volunteer recently who worked in one of the National Parks. She wouldn't do a thing without gloves on. We all laughed at her here, but I can understand her concern back home.

Same thing, I check my youngest at bedtime to be safe. He'd old enough now that he finds them and flags them up to me himself though. Yuk! They make me cringe. I wouldn't like to use DEET either. I think if you can find them before they attach there should be no need? It seems a drastic chemical to use on one so young.

I agree GreenMoo. Our pediatrician actually suggested we use something with DEET in it. She said that there are a few brands with very little DEET in them that should work. I cringe at the thought.

I don't even know what a chigger is. Perhaps I don't WANT to know! It amazes me too how a tick can find it's way through clothing.

Ewwwwwww. I wish you'd not told me. I don't *think* we get those around here. Being as attractive to anything bloodsucking as I seem to be, I'm sure I'd know about them if they were.

Chiggers are microscopic bugs that like to feed on the skin fluids. When they bite, they inject some kind of enzyme that causes tiny red bumps and this absolutely incessant itching! Worse than mosquito bites! They like dark damp places so they usually bite around the ankles or groin area -- sock or underwear line. You can get bit in tall grass and high-vegetative areas. I have taken a body scrubbie and rubbed my skin raw, they itch so bad.

Thankyou. The Avon stuff is good for mozzies, I know.

Yuk! I don't like the idea of insect repellent on my clothes, but I do go with the long trousers when working out. I get bitten by everything going actually, so I'd wear long trousers whether we had ticks or not. I think the milder winter has increased our ticks this year too. they do seem to be worse than normal.

I think you're fairly safe from ticks unless your're walking in long grass or brush, which is where they lie in wait.

I think you're fairly safe unless you're walking in long grass and brush. They like areas where deer graze, and oak trees.

Ticks are horrible and indeed carry Lyme disease, but I prefer to check them regularly to caging them.