UKC

Following the very informative item on UKC about ticks recently, I was very grateful for the knowledge shared and the raising of awareness, moreso as I managed to pick up a tick over the weekend in N.Wales...

I was able to remove it ASAP and in a manner that could potentially reduce any threat of contracting some of the horrible diseases that they carry...

I camped overnight in the Llanberis Pass (Midge heaven at the moment) and I spent Sunday in the slate mines. I picked it up in one of those locations, so keep your eyes peeled and check yourself over before you return home.

Lets just hope now that I dont actually contract anything!

Thankyou UKC!

In reply to Speedy_Gonzales:


Worse than you have already you mean

Saw the photos from the weekend they look great, tick incidents aside.

In reply to Speedy_Gonzales: bad year this year, we've had loads blame the farmers...

Midges are also bloody awful aren't they?

In reply to IainRUK:

Probably goes without saying, but check yourself if you've been out in Scotland recently as well. I pulled a grand total of 14 off myself when I returned from a weekend in Glencoe/Glen Etive this weekend!

K

In reply to magpie:

Moi? I am sweet and innocent

In reply to Speedy_Gonzales:

Sure you are J, sure you are.

Completely off topic;
You going to be in Wales at the weekend? Cliff and I thinking about Gogarth.

In reply to magpie:
If hes climbing on Sunday hes taking me whether he likes it or not!

In reply to magpie:

Yes, I think I may!

In reply to Speedy_Gonzales:

Excellent, would be good to see you and I might get to meet wee Will too, is there no end to the excitement?!

In reply to magpie:
In reply to Will Hunt:

Looks like Sunday it may be!

In reply to Will Hunt:

Gentle introduction to multipitch or balls out sea cliff multipitch?

The choice is yours

In reply to Speedy_Gonzales: Have any of you tried alcohol (eg meths) dabbed on the tick? It seems to help them let go easily so they come out easier, sometimes even without tweezers, just using fingernails. Got one down at the Count House earlier this year - not camping so no Trangia so no meths. Fortunately had a bottle of Tallisker. For those of an easily-shocked disposition I hasten to add it only needed a couple of dabs, and I swear I heard it sigh blissfully.

In reply to Rog Wilko: DO NOT use alcohol, insecticde or similar or try to burn ticks off. This makes them regurgitate their stomach contents into the wound and increases dramatically the risk of infection.

BTW Jamie & Lyndsday - Im working on Sat but prob in Wales by Sat eve or Sun morn so would be good to meet up.

Lighthouse Arete is a good seacliff intro if you fancy 3 on a rope Jamie

In reply to David Hooper:


Hi Dave, will be in touch on Saturday...

Jamie

In reply to Speedy_Gonzales:
I find wearing trousers with either elasticated leg bottoms or tucked in to socks helps keep the little blighters off.

In reply to Rog Wilko: We just pull them out with fingers. The main thing is pull slowly and steadily, allow them to release their jaws so nothing snaps off.

In reply to Speedy_Gonzales: Lighthouse Arete for Sunday sunset???

In reply to CurlyStevo: Trousers tucked into socks....hmmmm....not a good look.....do you wear Rockport footwear frrom Wade Smith as well kidda?

In reply to Speedy_Gonzales:

Gaiters are the best way to keep the ticks off I reckon.

Rich

In reply to Speedy_Gonzales: it was an excellent article and very good reading even if a little cringy!! I hate the little gits. Even more than normal right now after having some bizzare dream about pulling them out of my foot last night which woke me at 4am and was wide awake til about 6am then bloody alarm went off at 7am for work.

I guess i'm still recovering from having to get 2 out of me last weekend and then carefully checking for any rash. Getting to them quick is good and well worth having a full body check when getting back from a trip and even during.

In reply to tracy.m: Yup, that's what I do when I've been on a trip, check myself during and as soon as I get home I have a full body check with a mirror. Means if you do have any, they are still small and not engorged and easy enough to get out. I was up in Torridon at the beginning of April and came home with 2 wee ones on my thigh. Usually I get them out no probs and there is no mark or irritation etc, but this time one of them left a red lump and I got a bit concerned about it, eeeeek! Kept an eye on it tho and the lump didn't amount to anything (wasn't really a lump as such just a wee raised red bit like you'd get with most insect bites) and was all gone in a couple of days.

In reply to richiegarside:

Do you know where I can get chest gaiters

In reply to john 284: "Do you know where I can get chest gaiters" that's so funny!!

Someone told me they found one on their shoulder after a trip and i've had a few on my arms. Hell i think we even need full body gaiters!!

In reply to tracy.m:

I've had a few on my stomach and chest, wearing a loose tee-shirt.

In reply to john 284: yip, i kinda forget quickly how bad they and the midge can get and never quite wrap up enough. Just not sure how far to go on that one!! From my last onslaught from both i'm convinced i'll wear long sleaved tight fitting top tucked in, long trousers, gaiters and boots (hmmm forgetting about the down stuff with rock boots!!!).

On a bright sunny day it's difficult but i'm gonna try to do better. The tick is a sneaky little git though and crawl around for quite a while looking for a nice bit of flesh! I think one time i was very well wrapped and got one under a watch strap - yuck!!!

In reply to Speedy_Gonzales:
To be honest Id prefer something like Idwal but if you already had plans then I dont want to hinder them. Forecast is rain for Sunday all over so we may need a bad weather plan

In reply to Will Hunt: Dont worry too much about forcasts Will - its rare that you cant climb somewhere in N Wales.

In reply to IainRUK:


Oh good grief, even ticks are the farmers' fault, now! Get a grip, Iain!

Sxx

In reply to Will Hunt:
Pussy, get yourself to Gogarth, if I can do my first multi pitch there then so can you kiddo!! :oP

In reply to IainRUK:

You might want to see my post on your 'Farmers' thread.

In reply to David Hooper: How do you know this? Is this a scientific fact? Can anyone else confirm? I like my alcohol method, so don't want to give it up if this is another old wives' tale. No offence meant, btw, I just want to know. Cheers.

In reply to Rog Wilko:

There are some academic studies on the subject which deter the use of chemicals

See below extract from www.ilads.org

HOW TO REMOVE AN ATTACHED TICK

Using a tweezer (not fingers!), grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible and pull straight out. Then apply an antiseptic. Do not try to irritate them with heat or chemicals, or grasp them by the body, as this may cause the tick to inject more germs into your skin. Tape the tick to a card and record the date and location of the bite. Remember, the sooner the tick is removed, the less likely an infection will result.

In reply to Sarah G: Quite clearly taking the piss you silly woman.

xx

In reply to magpie:

PUSSY! Love this, it made me laugh out loud!

You can tell this came from a Scot, no holds barred here!

In reply to David Hooper:


No disrespect but do you know this for a fact? I have heard others say this but is it supported by medical evidence or is it an urban myth?

I ask because in Africa I always used to smear them with vaseline which induces them to let go, and never became infected. It certainly used to be what was advised, but it may have changed if what you say is now medically backed up.

In reply to Trangia:

there does seem to be a medical consensus, available at the ilads link i posted above, to support not using chemicals to remove ticks...

the choice is yours

In reply to ste_d: Since I own several dogs and walk them in woodland infested with deer ticks, tick removal is an art at which I get a lot of practice. It is quite definitely best practice not to burn them, smear them in vaseline or alcohol because they are then liable to inject their infected stomach contents back into you. The easiest way to remove them is using little plastic fork gadgets which can be purchased at any pet shop. Failing that, use fingers or tweezers with a slow and steady pull as close to your skin as you can get.

In reply to Speedy_Gonzales:

Obviously I meant in a kind and encouraging way

In reply to ste_d: Thanks for the reference. There's just an organisation for everything, isn't there? But you'd have thought that if anything would make them regurgitate their stomach contents it would be grasping them with a pair of tweezers. And just how big is a tick's stomach anyway? Just silly musings......

In reply to Rog Wilko: I know what you mean, quite.

The tweezers you need are best designed to grasp the tick around the head and pincers, not the body, thus best eliminating any body crushing manouvers.

In reply to Speedy_Gonzales:

I just did a first aid course and the book I got (yes, I read it!!) actually has a section advising how one should remove ticks. I was quite surprised to see that in there.

In reply to ste_d:

I'm having visions of having to find somewhere to put a whole box of ticks taped to index cards...

In reply to Dogwatch:
I agree. i remove dozens daily at the moment. If you leave bits behind in a dog, or they scratch them off you let a lump come up. the right amount of pull brings the little buggers out intact. Watch them make a move on you though. Good fun squashing them or better still chuck them on the fire and listen to them pop

In reply to mattsccm:


Sounds good to me, orrible little sh!ts they are..

In reply to ste_d: with my eyesight I'm lucky if I can see the tick at all, let alone distinguish its head or pincers.

In reply to Speedy_Gonzales:
My vet did give me some little green plastic hooks, a bit like a micro jemmy. The idea is you hook them out like a nail but to be honest pulling works well.