Ticks, chiggers.... HELP!!!!!!

[farrier!]

My daughter and I had to walk and fix a fence line to a rented pasture. Unluckily we were so thrilled with getting the use of the pasture we spent the whole day fixing fence without thinking about those little hideous bugs until they reminded us.
Getting the ones off that were still moving is not a problem. Both my daughter and I are now having pretty drastic local reactions where we pulled ticks off. We have tried soaking a cotton ball with alcohol to try to get them to back out and still end up pulling them. When we get them out they seem to still have their heads. So....

What is the fastest way to get one off that is attached? What can we do to lessen the huge swelling and itching we are getting from them?

I have a couple spots that are so swollen that I do not want to ride...

One reason we forget how prevalent these nasty things are is that we ride with helmets and have very few ticks. The other day we were walking and the nasty suckers crawled up our pants for the most part. Also no hats....

 

[Bluemoon420]

I've had years of experience with ticks, including lyme disease

This method also works on my dogs....


Fastest way to get a tick out, is use vaseline. Cover entire tick with vaseline ( use a good amount) , and the tick will back out. The vaseline suffocates them. Grab the nasty bugger once he's backed out of skin with tweezers, and light the darn thing on fire.


I hate ticks.


Bluemoon

 

[English Chick]

ohh sounds nasty!! having never had a tick... don't know what to tell you, but am sure smeone here will have a good "potion"...

 

[purr]

if you free range your chickens, you won't have a tick problem anymore.
but free ranging is a personal choice. And scary sometimes.

 

[Bluemoon420]

Quote:
Aside from wanting fresh eggs, that was my other reason for getting chickens. We a lot of pines, ticks love pines.

Once they are big enough, I shall unleash my chicken army on the ticks

Bluemoon

 

[farrier!]

I am happily waiting for my tick eating chickens. The only problem is the pasture and the chickens will be 6 miles apart....

 

[Bluemoon420]

Use bug spray. Deep woods off or cutter. Spray mostly around your feet and ankles.

I'm not a huge fan of using too much chemicals, but I would rather use that stuff then come home with a bunch of blood sucking ticks. Lyme disease is no joke either, and if that stuff helps keep them off me, I'll use it no problem.


Bluemoon

 

[Guinea Goonie]

GEEZZ, I hate ticks. You really need to spray yourselves with a really good tick spray as this will keep them down.

As far as getting them to back out, you have to suffocate them with whatever method you choose. alcohol is not real effective.

Get some Guinea fowl and let them free range your property if you can swing it.

 

[scarter]

I've also heard the light a match blow it out and while it's still hot touch the ticks butt. I think they back off real quick. Never tried it. I don't know if it's illegal to feed wild turkeys but we have them roosting in our woods and they occasionally come up to our house to forage the extra wild bird seed under our feeders. We had ticks the first year we lived here then I'm assuming our chickens are taking care of them because last year was great and hopefully this spring will be also. I see that your field is way to far for that.

 

[b.hromada]

Ticks have been bad this year, all over the country! My poor dogs get them all the time. After they bite, they leave bumps on the poor things.
My chickens are kept on the oposite side of the yard from the dogs, so they didn't get their benefit of eating them! Just thinking about the darn things make you itch.

Even advantix is having a hard time keeping them away.