Tick control

[SueT]

One study to see if guineas really ate more ticks than other fowl such as chickens, as part of an effort to control Lyme disease, found that guineas weren’t really any better tick eaters than chickens...

I am so glad to see this confirmed. I let my tick patrol out this morning, and watched them each carefully scan the grass as they walk along. They aren't digging. They are picking up bugs out of the grass, and hopefully any ticks....

 

[Unicornlife3316]

I'm on an acre in a development. Lot of big trees in the rear of the yard. The grass got rather long and my daughter used the old ride on to cut it. Later that eve she said she had a brown patch on her stomach. Then she says "Mom, it has legs!" It was a lone star tick that had its head stuck in. SO GROSS!!! I got it out but she still has a large red bump. Thankfully it wasn't filled with blood yet.

So we researched it and not only can lone stars carry various diseases, but they can also cause a person to become allergic to red meat! They pass this substance called "alpha-gal" to the blood which then causes the body to produce anti bodies to it. Well, red meat also has "alpha-gal" so when eaten it produces an allergic reaction which can be as severe as anaphylaxis. And the reaction doesn't occur until 2 - 6 hours after eating the meat.

I purchased a pyrethrin spray that is meant for clothes and gear. It says it kills ticks. I am going to spray her lawn cutting clothes with it. I wonder if you could spray pyrethrin around the windows and door where you see the ticks. I would almost prefer deer ticks since at least antibiotics will work against lyme disease. Nothing works against "alpha-gal" I would die if I couldn't eat red meat again. Thankfully my daughter hasn't shown any ill effects from her encounter. I got it off in time. Now I'm going to look into getting the property treated. We also have found out that deer have been jumping the fence and eating plants in the yard. I'm sure they have been bringing deer ticks in with them.
Here's one just before feasting on the big hosta.
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Just have to chime in real quick... I had Lyme disease as a child (9-10 yrs old) — I was the first case in Texas that hadn’t gotten it from out of state, so the first case to confirm Texas had Lyme disease. It took THREE MONTHS to have me diagnosed, my mom taking me to doctor after doctor, specialist after specialist and finally, my mom took me to my original pediatrician, friend of the family, in tears because she just didn’t know what to do anymore. I was sick, I had a huge target style rash on my thigh and she couldn’t get me any help. He called a Lyme specialist from Connecticut who flew down immediately and diagnosed me on the spot, they used me to teach students at our local children’s teaching hospital.

Anyways.. I’m 31 now and still deal with the effects of Lyme disease. I got psoriasis because of the medications used to treat it, I have psoriatic arthritis in my hands and knees because of the arthritis. When I was on those antibiotics, steroids and everything else I had to take, I lost 20+ lbs, wasn’t allowed in the sun, I was so sick.

So yes.. at least antibiotics work against Lyme but it’s a lifelong disease and has many repercussions down the road for those who have contracted it.

 

[Ginmary]

I stand corrected. I thought the antibiotics just cured it. I didn't realize it always remained an issue.

 

[CityslickerHomestead]

Just have to chime in real quick... I had Lyme disease as a child (9-10 yrs old) — I was the first case in Texas that hadn’t gotten it from out of state, so the first case to confirm Texas had Lyme disease. It took THREE MONTHS to have me diagnosed, my mom taking me to doctor after doctor, specialist after specialist and finally, my mom took me to my original pediatrician, friend of the family, in tears because she just didn’t know what to do anymore. I was sick, I had a huge target style rash on my thigh and she couldn’t get me any help. He called a Lyme specialist from Connecticut who flew down immediately and diagnosed me on the spot, they used me to teach students at our local children’s teaching hospital.

Anyways.. I’m 31 now and still deal with the effects of Lyme disease. I got psoriasis because of the medications used to treat it, I have psoriatic arthritis in my hands and knees because of the arthritis. When I was on those antibiotics, steroids and everything else I had to take, I lost 20+ lbs, wasn’t allowed in the sun, I was so sick.

So yes.. at least antibiotics work against Lyme but it’s a lifelong disease and has many repercussions down the road for those who have contracted it.

Oh my goodness! I think I remember your story making the news in SoCal. I was a teenager living in a concrete jungle so it was more of a blip on the radar to me. Now I’m just like “Why did I move to Montana?!?” Oh yeah, so I could actually afford a place with some land and get chickens.

 

[Ginmary]

I hear that chickens are good tick eaters but do they also get bitten by ticks?

 

[Unicornlife3316]

Oh my goodness! I think I remember your story making the news in SoCal. I was a teenager living in a concrete jungle so it was more of a blip on the radar to me. Now I’m just like “Why did I move to Montana?!?” Oh yeah, so I could actually afford a place with some land and get chickens.

That would be crazy, I don’t remember it being on the news but I was SO sick but it wouldn’t surprise me.

 

[RustyBucketFarmGirl]

I hear that chickens are good tick eaters but do they also get bitten by ticks?

That’s a good question!! I always focus so much on their abilities that i didn’t think about that.

 

[Sue Gremlin]

Yes, they are bitten by ticks.