UKC

Have climbed and walked for years in North Wales and have never managed to pick up a tick (have had a couple in Scotland). However, this weekend at Lech Drws y Coed, we got literally mobbed. We noticed a few crawling on our hands at the foot of the slab. During an inspection there, a second one when we got down to the road and a third when we got back to the car; we must have taken around 50 off of us. They ranged from tiny brown ones to mid-sized black ones to black ones bigger than I have ever seen before, getting on for the size of my small finger-nail. It was a bit like the bug scene from Temple of Doom. Luckily none were attached when we checked ourselves out thoroughly (twice) at the campsite later.

The next day at Moel y Gest, we had another five or so and two others in our party also picked some up. Again there were some bigger ones (though not the giants of the day before) and some smaller ones.

I was wondering whether we were just unlucky or if other people have had the same experience. Has some aspect of our crazy "summer" led to an epidemic of the blighters?

Still feeling my skin crawl *shudder*.

In reply to TRNovice:

It's scary up here, never seen them as bad as I've seen them this year. Was camping in Glen Etive, and if you put your hand on the grass the little fekkers would hop onto your hand in seconds!

In reply to TRNovice:

i got quite a few on the weekend up there....including my first E4 tick ;o

In reply to TRNovice: When they are full they are described as being like a baked bean. The dog managed to get some that big that were hidden in his nether regions fur.

In reply to Morgan Woods:

Predictable - recovered from you Right Wall tumble I see :-p

In reply to blueshound & Al:

So I guess it's a country-wide phenomenon. What is to blame - the "summer" weather, SUVs, Chinese toy manufacturers, Starbucks, top-roping groups, or Tony Blair?

In reply to TRNovice:
Hope you had a good time when not inspecting body parts (or was that the good time?)
I was up on the Carneddau ridge - not a tick to be seen up there. But that was after camping next to a sheep fold! maybe I'll just go and have a shower.

In reply to TRNovice:
I blame the sheep. They shouldn't be so careless with their pets.

In reply to Andy Say:

Hi and thanks for your help over the weekend .

Something must be different this year vis a vis the ticks - never seen anything like it before!

In reply to blueshound:

Yeah, I was there a couple of months ago. I was brushing them off my hands and arms all weekend, and when I got back I still found 14 that had bitten and had to be removed!

K

In reply to kathrync:

The only one I have ever come across was picked up following a short walk around the Wren's Nest park in Dudley!

Got a leach on my boot in North wales last year though.

Fex.

In reply to Fex Wazner:

None at all prior to this year - are we being invaded?

In reply to TRNovice:

See also http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?n=259059

Hmm...

In reply to TRNovice:
I should think that there is a direct connection with mandatory sheep dipping with a limited number of 'licensed' organophosphate based preparations become optional for farmers. There's simply a lot less dipping going on and that that does tends to be done with rather less lethal chemicals than in the past. Sheep farmers are a bit healthier I believe!

In reply to Andy Say:

Maybe I should spray myself with organophosphate next time?

In reply to TRNovice:


Tell us more? Was it the big one from the top?

The Ent ™

In reply to TRNovice:
I wouldn't - nerve agents are not good news!