UKC

Where isnt bad for ticks in scotland. Counted 34 on my trousers last few times out.

In reply to Adam Lincoln: Toss up for Ticks or midges which is worse?

In reply to Adam Lincoln:

Aberdeen sea cliffs.

In reply to Removed User:


+1

In reply to Adam Lincoln: Any of the seas cliffs are less likely to have ticks and a sea breeze reduces the likelihood of midges (Reiff, Skye Sea Cliffs, Moray Coast, North of Inverness etc.).

In reply to AlH: dont think ive ever had ticks at the dunkeld crags, or limekilns....

In reply to CurlyStevo: I've had ticks at Dunkeld but not at Limekilns (only been twice though).

In reply to Adam Lincoln: Was at Creag Dubh at the weekend and haven't found any ticks on me yet. I often spray my ankles with insect repellent though and it seems to make a difference.

The worst crag I have been to for ticks was innverpollaidh (sp) rock gym near Ullapool way.

In reply to joan cooper:

Midges don't give you a potentially fatal disease

In reply to digby:

...although you might feel like killing yourself beset by midges

In reply to CurlyStevo:

I've found ticks almost every time I've climbed at Dunkeld. Ticks do seem to love me, though.

I don't think I've had any at Limekilns, but I have been savaged by harvest mites after a visit there.

I much prefer sea cliffs and high crags from Spring to Autumn!

Auchinstarry. Nae ticks. Nae danger

Had a bunch of ticks *and* got ravaged by midges last time I was at The Whangie. Glad it's a crap crag.

In reply to digby:


Having found a tick yesterday in one of those places where you really don't want to, I was reading up on TBE and Lyme last night. Is Lyme potentially fatal?! Because I don't think you get TBE in the UK do you?

In reply to Adam Lincoln:

No, you're right, but it is pretty bad for you left untreated, or unnoticed.

In reply to Milesy:
Starry can be bad for midge though.

In reply to Mike_Watson_99:

Rather that than ticks. I was on a course of treatment for possible Lymes last year after developing a flu in April not long after removing some ticks.

In reply to TobyA:

A mate of mine once answered a call of nature in what transpired to be Tick infested clumps of grass. Can't remember the exact figure but somewhere around 70 had to be removed from his nether regions at the local A&E!

In reply to AlH:
I used to climb at various dunkeld crags very regularly probably around 15+ times a year for nearly 6 years, don't think I ever got a tick from there (although I would check), maybe ticks don't like me as I've only ever found a handfull on me, that said I would commonly climb in trouses with elasticated ankles and socks. I'd be much more concerned somewhere like Glen Clova.

I've also never found a engorged tick on me they are always flat and not looking like they are feeding on me although their jaws are in! unlike the ones I find on my parents dog which are often quite round!

In reply to TobyA:

In rare cases, yes.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyme_disease#cite_note-fatal-cases-136

In reply to AlH:

Really... I've been to Dunkeld loads of times and never has a tick????

E

In reply to Adam Lincoln: used to climb a lot at aberdour (hawcraig) , traprain law , ben ann and dunkeld but I've never had any ticks on me. (dog used to mop them all up probably!)

Has there been an increase in ticks in recent years?...i have a farmer mate who reckons that the decrease in sheep has led to more people coming in contact with ticks....I don't see any difference myself.

In reply to AG: could be pure speculation and heresay but I heard that it was due to rising dear numbers and a drop in livestock treatments like sheep dipping.

The decrease in sheep "dipping" that is more of a reason, along side higher artificial dear numbers, less heather burning, and more people on the hils.

In reply to Loughan: *Deer (doh!)
Also, I grew up next to a Tentsmuir forest and spent my summers practically living in it and never had a tick. A few years ago I took my mountain bike round it invariably any sections with overhanging grass resulted in ticks. Such a shame

In reply to Euge: Its probably only twice in a couple of dozen visits and they do like me (I seem to get one every time I visit Polldubh at the moment).

In reply to Euge:


You're lucky, or maybe missed seeing them. Some of them are very small. Dunkeld is heaving with ticks, and deer. Memorably a lot of dead ones a couple of years ago.

Most of the ticks I have had, in particular the ones I removed last year before I got unwell was nymphs and you can barely even see them. They are practically invisible to the eye. Not even as big as a pin head.

In reply to Milesy:
yeah I've picked those off myself before they managed to bite before. Felt them moving on me believe it or not!

I am always paranoid about even sitting my rucksack down on the ground in many places now as I am then chucking the rucksack in my car with other stuff. I think a lot of bites happen afterwards when you have jumped in your car to goto work and a tick is then on the seat after transferring from other things. My stuff all goes in the garage now and not in the house.

In reply to TobyA:

I'd get a coarse of antibiotics from your doctor, just to be on the safe side.

Ray mears had lymes diesease for 14 years without it being diagnosed, nearly forced him to go indoors, now has no effects at all

In reply to xplorer: TBE is more of a problem where I live, people are vaccinated who live in the high risk areas. You just have to keep an eye on the bite area looking for the ring rash, and only then go to the doctors. It's hard not to get bitten by ticks if you climb, or hike or similar around here in the summer so people don't go to the doctor every time!

In reply to Adam Lincoln:

Personally I find Dunkeld (especially upper cave) really bad for ticks, although they do seem to love me. Never seen them at Limekilns before and definitely not at Aberdour. They seem par for the course at Glen Nevis, always removing loads after a day cragging at Polldubh ...

In reply to Adam Lincoln:

Pass of Ballater, climbed there alot, no ticks at all.
Maybe the ants keep them away?

Cambus and Vat Burn just down the road from the Pass were teeming with the damn things this time last year.

In reply to TobyA:

I guess I'm fairly lucky then, as I have never had any ticks attach themselves to me.

In ten years of Scotland, lakes and Peak District trips.

In reply to xplorer:

a bit like those folk who don't get hot aches?

In reply to xplorer:

Thank god someone is the same as me. Been watching this thread and thinking I'm overdue about 1000 of the blighters!

In reply to Euge:

Hi Euge.

People vary massively in their attractiveness to ticks. I'm lucky, they don't like me. After one weekend in Knoydart, I found a tick embedded in my calf a few days later. I rang my mate who'd been with me to tell him about it, he said he'd stopped counting after 50. And he was all gaiters and long trousers, I'd worn shorts and trainers. I don't think I've had more than about 10 ticks in 25 years of grubbing about in the Highlands, though one of the wee shites did give me Lymes.

All the best, Stuart

In reply to Adam Lincoln:

North face of Ben Nevis, ticks are never a problem.

In reply to xplorer:


Not in places that you've noticed anyway...

In reply to Adam Lincoln: I`m just back from Wester Ross - Gruinard bay area crawling with the wee buggers

In reply to Adam Lincoln:

Whats Sheigra like for them, never been before.

In reply to Removed User:

Me too. I've stopped taking any precautions and I've only ever found about 5 on me over the years. I do check mt legs though and try not to get complacent!

In reply to Robert Durran:
Yeah I'm pretty much the same as you......

In reply to CurlyStevo:

I'm a tick magnet
Even got a couple after a very wet day, wearing boots, long socks, long trousers, over trousers, gaiters, and didn't stop to sit down all day.

Worst ever crag for them was Creah Dubh, hundreds of the bastards crawling all over our trousers.

In reply to Toreador: Only been to Creag Dubh once but it was tick season, didn't get any.

In reply to Adam Lincoln:
It looks like I am another tick magnet. I hardly every wear shorts or t-shirt and from March to October I am constantly removing them after walking or climbing. I don't remember having this problem around 5 years ago. I now have tick remover tools in my first aid kit, tick tweezers in my car, a tick card in my wallet and tick tweezers in my handbag. The latter because I have even found them on my legs on a Monday morning and that's after two/three showers, all over body check and change of clothes.
Already removed the first ones for this year.

In reply to Adam Lincoln: The reintroduction of wolves cannot come soon enough.

In reply to Mark Collins:

How will that much much difference except killing deer.

In reply to Euge:
Aye Aye Euge Hows it going?

I've been ticked a couple of times at Dunkeld, but not at the Polney crag, area. More when trying to get to upper cave etc

That said, given how often I've climbed there, its a pretty low success rate for the ticks!

Went for a 2 day walk in Lochs on Lewis with the Mrs earlier in the year and we had 50+ ticks between us after the first day! Horrible little beasties!

Stu

PS Have to try and catch up over the summer!

To the OP - sea cliffs are the safest bet to avoid ticks. Though never had them at Ballater, Clach na Beinn

In reply to Milesy: eh?

In reply to Adam Lincoln: I was at totem pole near Kyleakin tonight and the place was teeming with ticks. I drooped my can of smidge on the ground and in the time it took me to pick it up it had acquired 12+ ticks.

The same thing happened with my bottle but with even more ticks this time.

Found it astonishing how quick the were on the bottle and the sheer number of them!

In reply to Adam Lincoln: west coast is horrendous these days..I blame the bracken which is pretty much out of control. I think the safest bets now are in areas of tick control i.e. grouse moors

In reply to Adam Lincoln:
All the Angus crags are pretty much tick free whereas nearly everything in Perthshire moves with them especially Weem. Upper Cave the exception never had a problem with them there thankfully

In reply to Dangerous Dave: I'll second that...though its probably the walk in rather than the crag itself. I think two of us had a total of about 19 attached after our summer evening there

In reply to andrew ogilvie: Come to think of it the midges were ferocious there too.

In reply to Joak: That's an ugly story.

In reply to andrew ogilvie: Another bad tick place was Ross Point slate quarry on Loch Lomond-side