Bushpilot Loc: Minnesota

It's that time of year. Here is a quick shot of a nymph Blacklegged Tick (Deer Tick) that was crawling on me after a short dog walk
today. The dark object on the right is the tip of a round toothpick. These are the major carrier of Lyme disease in these parts.

(Download)

mborn Loc: Massachusetts

I have had my outdoor clothing treated by Insect shield https://www.insectshield.com/ISYOC.aspx Costs $10/item and has discounts for numerous items

G Brown Loc: Sunny Bognor Regis West Sussex UK

The intermittent warn sunshine is bringing out the Adders down on the south coast UK too!.

SteveR Loc: Michigan

Lyme disease is serious. It can affect your brain, the way you think and your ability to work or even to drive.

boberic Loc: Quiet Corner, Connecticut. Ex long Islander

If you even suspect that you might have lime diease--go to your Doc amd ask for a Lyme Titre. It's the blood test for the lime antibodies.

dpullum Loc: Tampa Florida

Not that easy. According to American Chem Soc 2013, ACS, C&E News, the Biological Guys say the best soonest test is the Bull's Eye Rash at the bite site. I had that, perhaps 1990, went to Dr. was told NO NONE in Florida... so went to another, he took blood samples... they were clear. looking back at it, it was too soon to have antibodies. The ACS articles are blocked except to members... I am, but where is my ID card??
http://cen.acs.org/articles/91/i25/Accelerating-Lyme-Disease-Diagnostics.html?type=paidArticleContent
Best I can give you is
https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/diagnosistesting/
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Don't fret it just may be Syphilis, or Yaws !!!

"Lyme disease and Syphilis are both spirochetes, the two most commonly associated with human disease in that family. Borellia burgdorferii and Treponema palladium are the species names of these two organisms, respectively. Now, you might expect there to be some similarities in their infectious symptoms, and there are. Both are spiral, “corkscrew” shaped organisms. Other diseases caused by spirochetes are: leptospirosis, tick-born relapsing fever and a few substrains of T. palladium, which cause yaws, bejel and pinta."
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/5/19/977411/-

OK now you know more than you wanted to know.... sleep well.

Macro guys, do be careful when you lay down to take that shot of some insect or plant...Yikes.

pelha Loc: middlle of nowhere NY

and here in the (near) Hudson Valley, our ticks carry not only borrelia burgdorferi, but also b. miyamotoi (for which there apparently is no accurate test), a virus that kills, and a bunch of other nasty diseases! i know people who have been crippled by one of more of these, plus my daughter is presently undergoing i.v. antibiotcs & i.v.i.g. treatments to try to subdue her decades long infections (from when I would drag her down to Kentucky so I could go caving & we got covered by all sorts of tick forms.)

Jerrin1 Loc: Wolverhampton, England

Thanks for the reminder; we have them in the UK. I always wear long trousers and at this time of the year use a wide piece of elastic over the top of each boot. I then tuck the bottoms of my trousers into the elastic. It stops the creepy crawlies from climbing up inside my trousers.

piaffe_passage Loc: Westport, MA

Here too - hate those things! I caught a shot of a tick on a flower I was photographing. It was so small I didn't even see it until I downloaded it off my camera! Double YUCK!

Grnway Loc: Manchester, NH

Timely post, Bushpilot!

You'd think we wouldn't have to worry about this now, neither in New Hampshire nor Minnesota, but my dog picked up a tick in January, during our unusually warm weather. It engorged itself, despite the regular and proper application of monthly spot treatment.

Had her tested for Lyme disease, and came back positive. Vet indicated that it's not as critical in dogs unless they show symptoms. Apparently, only about 15% of those tested positively ever do. One week later, she pulled up lame in right fore paw. We went back to the vet and she was diagnosed with a Lyme flare up. Good news is that doxycyclene, the prescribed antibiotic, worked virtually overnight. Have a 30 day course to run, but she's all better. As in humans, it'll remain in her system for her life.

Keep vigilant, BIFers and anyone else roaming afield!

Stash Loc: South Central Massachusetts

I had a tick embedded in my upper thigh about a week and a half ago.
They are so disgusting. So far I've seen no sign of a rash. I hadn't gone
for a walk in the woods or fields. Those little buggers are everywhere.

CookieRahll Loc: Brasher Falls,NY

I have a 105 lb. St Bernard named Sasha she has Lyme disease for two years....for the past year I 've had her on Bravecto a pill taken orally every 90 days what a pleasure no ticks at all! And is the very safest for your animal....My vet has her on Lyme Formula thats given for a month, her weight she gets 3/4 TBSP twice daily(but she doesn't like it in her food) soooo I fill at least 10-12 capsules a day(approx 300 for one month). Her first reading from blood drawn was 24,000...not good after one month on Lyme formula went down to 11,000.....today is the day we do another blood test since I had her on another month of Lyme formula(every 2 months with Lyme formula).

We live in the middle of 100 acres and walk our property and hunt often. We use a spray that contains "permethrin", to be sprayed on clothing ONLY, not skin! It works......I buy it by the case because it usually sells out by the fall....both my husband and I have had ticks on us and have been tested several times. Our Doc is an expert on Lyme disease.....and fortunatly neither one of us has Lyme disease....Yeah!

hope this helps

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Yes, and this will be a good year for ticks but a bad year for other creatures - lots of ticks, carrying various diseases.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Two of my dogs had Lyme, and the vet gave them pills. Cleared it right up.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

It always amazes me to see outdoors people on TV wearing shorts.