Ticks

Webguy · Post by **Webguy** » 25 July 04 8:09 pm

Had our first encounters with ticks today after paying a visit to "boyhood memories". My son had a monster one crawling over him, but had not yet dug in, I noticed a small one on me dug in, just had it removed by the doc. Ugly suckers.

Watch out for them!

dak's Emu Mob · Post by **dak's Emu Mob** » 26 July 04 12:55 am

Coincidentally, there is an article in the July issue of Today's Cacher.

Check out this article for some advice on removing the little blighters.

Cheers,

dak

ian-and-penny · Post by **ian-and-penny** » 26 July 04 10:16 am

If you put a bit of spirit based alcohol on them they come out and drop off by themselves.

In the past I have had success with Shellite, metho & even very old scotch. Just put it on a cotton bud & dab the area.

I have been told NEVER to try and pull them off, if you squeeze too hard they can put more toxins into your wound.

riblit · Post by **riblit** » 26 July 04 11:15 am

ian-and-penny wrote:If you put a bit of spirit based alcohol on them they come out and drop off by themselves.

In the past I have had success with Shellite, metho & even very old scotch. Just put it on a cotton bud & dab the area.

I have been told NEVER to try and pull them off, if you squeeze too hard they can put more toxins into your wound.

Late last year when I was ticked I used the metho method that I remembered from my childhood. I was chastised and told that the lastest tests show the tick will inject poison when attacked with metho and other spirits. The recommended method now is to grasp as close to the head as possible with tweezers and pull.

The same person asked if would still put butter on a burn as that was the accepted method of treating burns in my youth.

The Rats · Post by **The Rats** » 26 July 04 11:54 am

I must be from the old school as well. Whilst the article was very imformative I still use 2 of the methods that are supposedly outlawed. I've used metho successfully on a number of occasions, the other being the vaso method (a bit more of an old wives tale, but it does work). Place a large blob of vaso over the tick and it actually starts to suffercate causing the tick to back itself out.

ToolkiT · Post by **ToolkiT** » 26 July 04 12:37 pm

We used metho/gin on our dog when I was a kid, the dog survived numerous ticks that way...

ian-and-penny · Post by **ian-and-penny** » 26 July 04 1:05 pm

riblit wrote:I was chastised and told that the lastest tests show the tick will inject poison when attacked with metho and other spirits.

I guess the little suckers will inject their poison whichever way you attack the problem.

I have a scar on the back of my neck from where someone pulled one off using the tweezer method. They didn't do the job properly & I had to have the resulting abscess surgically removed.

I have had others that have been "spirited" away without problem.

I guess the best advice is to heed the latest medical advice, whichever way it is.

Webguy · Post by **Webguy** » 26 July 04 1:51 pm

Nearly every site i rtead, before I wen5t to the doc, was, put antiseptic over the area, get a pair of fine noce tweesers, grip the little sucker by the head, and pull it out in one smooth action, then, put more antiseptic on the spot, check that you got it all out like a splinter etc. Then, take a nice big hammer, and apply numerous, firm, taps to the thing from a great height.

Then, over the next 3 days, watch for a widening red rash from the bite mark, if you get that, off to the doc asap.

If tweesers are not available, then, they also say, you can tie a single knot of cotton over it's head, and use that to pull it out. It is also said that ticks "usually" do not inject any venom till 24 hours or later, so, it is preferrable to get them out ASAP.

According to another website, vasso on a tick will do bugger all, they have more than enough air to last them for an entire feeding etc.

Burning them off with matches, is not recommended, especially after applying metho.

Moral of the story, going to be checking ourselves over a bit better after doing bush-based caches.

SNIFTER · Post by **SNIFTER** » 27 July 04 9:10 am

Hounddog and I have both had our fair share of ticks. I have always removed them by the tweezer and metho method if the long fingernails fail. Our geodog had one and as she was on a prevention medication did not suffer too much from the effects of it. As soon as we found it and removed it , it was like an instant relief for her.The vets do not rely on that stuff but I won't stop using it.
The worst place for ticks seems to be anywhere there is a cache on the north shore.

Phlosten · Post by **Phlosten** » 27 July 04 9:28 am

Time to drop in to the St John Ambulance mob and get our First Aid Certificates re-certified or gained in the first place. This is probably the best way to keep up to date with current medical first aid.

*ponders* wonder if we can get a geocaching members discount?

Dingbats · Post by **Dingbats** » 27 July 04 12:01 pm

Phlosten wrote:Time to drop in to the St John Ambulance mob and get our First Aid Certificates re-certified or gained in the first place.

I don't recall tick treatment being covered by the NSW Workcover senior first aid accreditation.

ToolkiT · Post by **ToolkiT** » 27 July 04 12:56 pm

Dingbats wrote:
Phlosten wrote:Time to drop in to the St John Ambulance mob and get our First Aid Certificates re-certified or gained in the first place.
I don't recall tick treatment being covered by the NSW Workcover senior first aid accreditation.

me neither...

Phlosten · Post by **Phlosten** » 27 July 04 3:35 pm

When I last did my first aid accred. it was in Vic. That was 3-4 years ago (yes, it needs updating). Back then there was mention of ticks, and also the old use of butter on burns treatment (not the thing to do btw).

Dunno if NSW has a set standard that doesnt cover it.

Surely there is info on the net anyway.

cheerio

ToolkiT · Post by **ToolkiT** » 27 July 04 3:39 pm

Phlosten wrote:When I last did my first aid accred. it was in Vic. That was 3-4 years ago (yes, it needs updating). Back then there was mention of ticks, and also the old use of butter on burns treatment (not the thing to do btw).

Dunno if NSW has a set standard that doesnt cover it.

Surely there is info on the net anyway.

cheerio

I'll have a look into my First Aid book..

teamkittens · Post by **teamkittens** » 27 July 04 8:08 pm

My tick story:

After hiking up Federation Peak (well, nearly hiking up Federation Peak), we'd made our way to Mt. Field National Park. After camping there for the night, I wandered out to the toilet block in the morning. While there, I went to tuck my hair behind my ear and felt a weird lump on the rim of my ear. I was fairly alarmed, and tried to work out what it was in the mirrors - I couldn't really see it, and ended up tugging on it and it came free, and dropped almost straight down the plughole. It sent shivers down my spine at the time, but that was nothing to when I put 2 and 2 together and worked out it might have been a tick, and after browsing around on the internet, found out it was an adult Australian Paralysis Tick - and a mighty fat one too!

The area became mildly infected - slightly pink, and swollen glands. It still sends shivers down my spine to think about it

- Megan -