UKC

It is easy to think that ticks can only be found in tall green fully grown bracken. In the last few days, following a brief encounter with an area of dead, dry bracken I found 2 ticks on my body. Please check yourself regularly when visiting problem areas.

There is good information on this potentially very serious condition to be found at:

http://www.lymediseaseaction.org.uk
and
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Lyme-disease/Pages/Introduction.aspx

In reply to navigator:

I posted the same link yesterday on my FB page!

I found my first of the year yesterday attached to my leg

I had Lyme disease a couple of years ago, but thankfully got it sorted early on, it can be really a really grim and tenacious disease.

In reply to navigator:

I know, I had 72 on me including 2 in me after a visit to Boathouse Crag, Glenfinnan the weekend before last. The OH (had 7 in her,) had tick twisters which were essential as they were tiny, tweezers would never have worked!

In reply to jonnie3430:

I brushed a similar amount off my legs at the Etive slabs a few weeks ago, luckily only one had managed to bite. They seem much smaller at this time of year (size of pinheads) so worth doing quite a thorough check when you get home! As lame as it looks, I find tucking trousers into socks helps quite a lot, as does wearing a L/S top.

In reply to CMcBain:

I had 8 in me after an afternoon at Diabaig. Several other days, none.

In reply to navigator:

A timely warning.

We were canoeing on Lochs Shiel, Moidart and Ailort the week before last. Many ticks found. I got lucky and had no bites, but some of our group had many. Wild camping, so pretty much inevitable that we encountered them these days, especially with kids running around too. All fully equipped with Tick Tools, (O'Tom Tick Twisters mostly) which make it SOOO much easier. All of us now keeping an eye out for any of the Lyme warning signs, just in case.

Most found were just tiny nymphs, pin head sized. Mostly on shortish grass, probably where deer lie up.

One of our group left his drysuit turned inside out to dry on infested grass. Oh, how we laughed as he kept getting bitten from that day onwards...

In reply to navigator:

Yes indeed, it's tick time. I wore shorts for both days of last weekend's Highlander Mountain Marathon above Glenfinnan. I don't think I'll wear shorts again as I've been removing ticks since Sunday (it's now Wednesday).

Not 72, more like 30 or 40. Grim.

In reply to navigator:

After having a read of the website, this quote caught my eye "UK studies have shown that around 1 in 3 of people do not see a rash" (In relation to being infected by Lyme's disease from a tick). I get bitten by ticks fairly regularly, as others above also appear to be, I always remove them relatively quickly and then keep an eye on where the bite was to see if the 'bullseye' rash appears. If the above quote is true, is there any 'protocol' to follow after a tickbite? If I get no rash, I usually assume its fine but with the above quote in mind, is there anything else to look out for (the symptoms page is a bit general ...)

In reply to navigator:
I understand that the "bull's eye" discoloration is frequently not present in an infected bite. As far as I am aware the best thing you can do is if you have any bite that looks odd or appears infected go and see your GP. Your doctor may well prescribe antibiotics to be on the safe side but, in its early stages, I think they are unable to diagnose Lyme disease.

This is an increasing problem and our mild winter may well cause an epidemic of ticks.

http://johndburns.wordpress.com/

In reply to John Burns:


Yes - I think that's the case. This old article is worth a re-read.
http://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/page.php?id=398

PS - Re. the signature at the end of your post - it's OK - we can all see the link to your blog on your header. (You'll be glad to hear that I clicked on it, thinking it might have contained a link to something related to Lyme disease.)