A new danger in the Mountains? (Tick borne disease)

[Ed'n Lauky]

Is this something else that we need to watch out for now? Get out your tick repellant folks. http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/20/health/new-virus-discovered/

 

[sierra]

My dog who is vaccinated against Lyme contracted a new tick borne disease last year. I'm not at home and the name is long, but it is frustrating, when you treat for ticks and these new strains come out and catch you off guard. Luckely he is strong and healthy, one round of antibiotics for 30 days and he has never shown any symptoms. knock on wood. I never used much bug dope, many summers none, now I find myself using it a lot, better safe then sorry, some of these tick borne diseases can really be tough to deal with it if you catch it.

 

[Hillwalker]

In 1004 when I started volunteering as an Appalachian Trail Corridor Monitor I began treating my "woods" clothes with Permathrin. Every day I volunteering was spent bushwhacking along the AT boundary in tick infested brush and bracken. I recall seeing ticks in the "Questing Mode" clinging on to the tips of tall grasses as I walked through. Over the years I never found a tick embedded on my person, but a number on the dog I would bring for company. Anyway, I no longer spend that much time in the woods but will continue to treat my stuff with Permethrin. One hears that the long term effects of this stuff are unknown, but at 75 I'm not too concerned. How long did I spend on my volunteer job you may ask? One year I was awarded the NPS Master Volunteer Ranger Service award that means I spent more than 500 hours in the woods that year. And still avoided the ticks. I recommend this stuff, now as a possible life saver.

 

[dclynch]

In 1004 when I started volunteering as an Appalachian Trail Corridor Monitor I began treating my "woods" clothes with Permathrin. Every day I volunteering was spent bushwhacking along the AT boundary in tick infested brush and bracken. I recall seeing ticks in the "Questing Mode" clinging on to the tips of tall grasses as I walked through. Over the years I never found a tick embedded on my person, but a number on the dog I would bring for company. Anyway, I no longer spend that much time in the woods but will continue to treat my stuff with Permethrin. One hears that the long term effects of this stuff are unknown, but at 75 I'm not too concerned. How long did I spend on my volunteer job you may ask? One year I was awarded the NPS Master Volunteer Ranger Service award that means I spent more than 500 hours in the woods that year. And still avoided the ticks. I recommend this stuff, now as a possible life saver.

I know it was a typo, but your "1004" and "senior member" really made me laugh.

 

[Hillwalker]

I know it was a typo, but your "1004" and "senior member" really made me laugh.

OK, Then I won't correct it. I remember well when Thoreau got benighted on Lafayette. If you whack out to the left ridge you see when standing on Lincoln looking east. Under the big boulder at the end of the ridge there is a rock-built windbreak that is so old that the mosses and lichens have climbed nearly over it. That is where he sheltered, out of the westerly wind. Here is the spot. I found it at least 30 years ago.

 

[RichS]

In decades of hiking the Whites, I have never seen a tick on me... until today.
While lunching at the Mt Cube trailhead between hikes, there was a large American Dog tick http://www.tickencounter.org/tick_identification/tick_species on my long pants. After showering, I found a similar one crawling on the back of my head.
Is this a new development, or a more prevalent one?
FYI, I hiked Mt Cube from the north, and the entire Sunday Mtn trail.

 

[summitseeker]

Hi All,

I wear high gaiters year round, even in combination with shorts, and have yet to find a tick on me. Maybe I have been really lucky, maybe it has to do with the pace at which one travels, or maybe, just maybe Gore-Tex gaiters are slick enough to offer little for tick to grab on to.

I can't say that I am convinced that these factors are solely responsible for years of tick free hiking, but I thought it was worth bouncing the idea off some experienced hikers.

Thoughts?...


Thanks,

Z

 

[Amicus]

I wore permethrin brand-name long-sleeved shirt, hat and long pants, tucked into socks, on two hikes in the north end of Evans Notch today and still picked a couple of dog ticks off those pants. Not washed many times but I guess it wears off quickly. I thinks ticks are on the uptick throughout NH, and have been for a number of years now.

 

[Raven]

Hi All,

I wear high gaiters year round, even in combination with shorts, and have yet to find a tick on me. Maybe I have been really lucky, maybe it has to do with the pace at which one travels, or maybe, just maybe Gore-Tex gaiters are slick enough to offer little for tick to grab on to.

I can't say that I am convinced that these factors are solely responsible for years of tick free hiking, but I thought it was worth bouncing the idea off some experienced hikers.

Thoughts?...


Thanks,

Z

Hi Zac,

It may be a long time before this one gets figured out. There are a lot of guesses/ideas out there and I have no knowledge that any are accurate to be clear. I have seen it suggested that one should wear light color clothing as ticks are easy to spot. I have heard wear dark colored clothing since ticks are attracted to lighter colors. I've read also, like may insects, they are attracted to carbon dioxide and ammonia and possibly fatty acids, so workout intensity plays a role. Some have suggested they may prefer certain sexes and age groups. Body chemistry in combination with external scents (clothing, perfume, deodorants, etc.) creates a unique scent for everyone that is influenced by the foods you eat, where you have been, the time of various physiological cycles going on, etc. Of course the factors that influence who a tick is attracted to may not be the same factors that influence who gets bit. Is Venus in retrograde? There are so many factors in this one, it may be worthy of a Nobel Prize if someone can actually isolate and study all these variables.

That said, my experience is that I rarely ever get a tick on me. They probably find me slightly acidic. I may pull one off every couple of years and that's with a substantial amount of time in the woods in NH (now the #1 state for Lyme disease). I see more in southern NH than the Whites. I eat a lot of garlic. I rarely wear gaiters in tick season (winter only) and hike in shorts and low hikers whenever possible. I've never tucked pants in socks, and I am really hesitant to use bug spray unless the mosquitoes are pretty bad (in which case I spray liberally, use 100% DEET, and use very little on my skin).

Ironically, I do have Lyme disease. For someone who rarely ever gets a tick one me, I must have got bit by a good one in about 2002. Raised red rash over much of my torso, Bell's Palsy, extreme achiness, pretty bad headache...a round of doxycycline took care of it, but at least one tick out there liked me enough to get close. I have not had a recurrence.

 

[Mike P.]

I get more ticks when fishing then I do hiking. I almost never get one hiking. I don't do much bushwhacking and make it a point of staying in the center of the trail, rarely touching any of the flora. When fishing however, I'm usually in tall grass and weeds, it may be time to join my brother surf-fishing, just sand and surf......

 

[Daniel Eagan]

Saw a mention of the following in the NY Times and a posting on limedisease org: http://www.lymedisease.org/claritin-lyme-balf-2/

Don't know if it works, but for now I am taking a Claritin after every hike.

For the record I've been bitten twice in the last twenty years. Did two cycles of antibiotics. No long-term effects.

 

[Sherby]

My hiking partner got two of them probably while we were bushwacking along the redrock brook in the Pemi last week. (we spotted them soon enough that they were easy to remove and she had no reaction).

I guess everyone here knows that the Blueberry ledge TH is infested with them.

 

[Hillwalker]

It seems that every spring is pretty bad for Tick exposure because the wintered over ticks are actively "questing" for new hosts. Once summer arrives, there are fewer bachelor and bachelorette ticks hanging around looking for rides. So far this spring I have removed two embedded ticks and brushed off around five. Strangely, my dog has not picked up any, and he is a 75% outside dog who is in the woods daily. He has been treated with Adv II so that may make the difference. My first tick of the season in early April was deeply embedded and the dreaded "bullseye rash" presented itself at the site. So my Doc put me on 10 days of Doxy and had a blood test done on me. The test came back negative, but these tests are well known for false negative results so we administered the entire regimen of antibiotics. My symptoms were intense headache, flu like symptoms, and strange muscle cramps. He is going to test me again in July/August to make sure that if I had Lyme it was now gone. If I have Lyme this time, it will be my third episode in the past 15 years. If you want to see what a "questing Tick" looks like, just take a hard look at some tall grass stalks in a field near the woods. You will probably see the Tick grasping the top of a stalk with its rear legs, and waving its front antenna around possibly in your direction. Here is a video on Questing Behavior.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDCrAT805NM

 

[summitseeker]

Hi Zac,

It may be a long time before this one gets figured out. There are a lot of guesses/ideas out there and I have no knowledge that any are accurate to be clear. I have seen it suggested that one should wear light color clothing as ticks are easy to spot. I have heard wear dark colored clothing since ticks are attracted to lighter colors. I've read also, like may insects, they are attracted to carbon dioxide and ammonia and possibly fatty acids, so workout intensity plays a role. Some have suggested they may prefer certain sexes and age groups. Body chemistry in combination with external scents (clothing, perfume, deodorants, etc.) creates a unique scent for everyone that is influenced by the foods you eat, where you have been, the time of various physiological cycles going on, etc. Of course the factors that influence who a tick is attracted to may not be the same factors that influence who gets bit. Is Venus in retrograde? There are so many factors in this one, it may be worthy of a Nobel Prize if someone can actually isolate and study all these variables.

That said, my experience is that I rarely ever get a tick on me. They probably find me slightly acidic. I may pull one off every couple of years and that's with a substantial amount of time in the woods in NH (now the #1 state for Lyme disease). I see more in southern NH than the Whites. I eat a lot of garlic. I rarely wear gaiters in tick season (winter only) and hike in shorts and low hikers whenever possible. I've never tucked pants in socks, and I am really hesitant to use bug spray unless the mosquitoes are pretty bad (in which case I spray liberally, use 100% DEET, and use very little on my skin).

Ironically, I do have Lyme disease. For someone who rarely ever gets a tick one me, I must have got bit by a good one in about 2002. Raised red rash over much of my torso, Bell's Palsy, extreme achiness, pretty bad headache...a round of doxycycline took care of it, but at least one tick out there liked me enough to get close. I have not had a recurrence.

Hi Scott,

There are a myriad of variables to consider, but it is intriguing to consider the precipitating factors that result in a tick free versus tick-laden hike. Thank you for reaching out and replying. I hope you continue to have many more tick free outings.

Z

 

[Gremlin]

Amicvs (sorry, Classical education), I read your assessment of Permethrin. Burlington Mills make a fabric impregnated with Permethrin, but like you I found it to be ineffective. I sprayed my clothes with Permethrin just before hiking to Ward Brook lean-to 3 years ago. It is supposed to repel all insects, but was useless. Fortunately I have acquired immunity to mosquitoes and black flies, but they were a bother getting into my ears and nose and just generally, well you know.

I now rely on Thermacell that will keep insects away from the lean-to or camping spot; it is truly magic. I was introduced to it by friends who hunt bear every spring near bait of rotten meat and in the height of black fly and mosquito season. I think you could find it at Gander Mountain, BassPro, or Cabela's.

Good luck.

 

[jniehof]

I sprayed my clothes with Permethrin just before hiking to Ward Brook lean-to 3 years ago. It is supposed to repel all insects, but was useless.

Permethrin is not a repellant. It is an insecticide. I know it's claimed to be fairly broad spectrum, but it's really effective against ticks: I treated my pants before a Boundary Waters trip and watch the little @#$s fall off dead when they tried to climb up.

 

[DougPaul]

Permethrin is not a repellant. It is an insecticide. I know it's claimed to be fairly broad spectrum, but it's really effective against ticks: I treated my pants before a Boundary Waters trip and watch the little @#$s fall off dead when they tried to climb up.

We should also note that it is a contact insecticide. The ticks/bugs have to touch/walk on your clothing for it to do anything.

Doug

 

[summitseeker]

Hi All,

I am generally wary of chemicals or insecticides contacting my skin and have avoided pre-treated Permethrin clothing. Last week I received an ExOfficio "Bugsaway" treated handkerchief as a gift and decided to do a little investigating.

http://www.exofficio.com/technology/bugsaway-anti-insect

To save you all some time my search results were inconclusive but according to National Pesticide Information Center the EPA said this regarding the ingestion of Permethrin: "The U.S. EPA decided that permethrin was "likely to be carcinogenic to humans" if it was eaten."
http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/PermGen.html

The NPIC is linked to the EPA, so as far as I am concerned, they are a reliable source.

I am going to try this garment out tomorrow and see how it works around lower areas of stagnant water and see if it deters the mosquitos. I wish that I had worn it last night while grilling dinner.

I hope this helps,

Z

 

[Hillwalker]

summitseeker: Please note that it is not an insect repellant. It is a contact insecticide, it will not keep bugs away. It kills on contact, but after a short delay.

 

[DougPaul]

To save you all some time my search results were inconclusive but according to National Pesticide Information Center the EPA said this regarding the ingestion of Permethrin: "The U.S. EPA decided that permethrin was "likely to be carcinogenic to humans" if it was eaten."
http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/PermGen.html

You don't ingest permethrin (for hiking use)--you put it on clothing. (There are cautions on the packaging about inhalation, skin contact, and ingestion.) As it dries, it binds to the fabric fibers. Once dry, your exposure is minimal.

Doug