Need help with tick problem

hoyt919 · 05-15-2009, 09:13 AM

Hey guys I was out these past few weeks hunting spring gobbler in PA. I got my first gobbler with my bow but I have a slight problem. I got home today and realized i had a tick in my arm. I have had ticks on me before but never where they burried their head in. I pulled him out with tweasers, is there anything i need to do or what is the best way to handle this problem?

Western MA Hunter · 05-15-2009, 09:18 AM

wash w/ antibacterial soap and peroxide / rubbing alcohal. I had one burried in my back the other day too.
try and make sure you get the head out. Watch for the "bullseye" mark around it... if it doesen't heal up quick, go see your Dr...

GreatHunterWannabe · 05-15-2009, 11:51 AM

You did right by using tweezers, just clean the area now.

Don't believe all the "old wives tales" of using matches and petroluem jelly to suffocated them...the worst thing that can happen is for the tick to regurgitate infectious material into your blood stream, and suffocating the tick may do this.

fatsbucknut · 05-15-2009, 03:31 PM

Get yourself a bottle of tick spray that has Permathrin as the active ingredient, not deet. I use the namebrand "Sawyer". Works great.

hoyt919 · 05-16-2009, 07:51 PM

Thank you for the suggestions. I did wash with dawn dishwashing soap then scrubbed with hydrogine peroxide. Hope it does the trick.

JW · 05-17-2009, 02:40 AM

For 30 some years I worked in this type of industry - Consumer Insecticides

1. Put your socks over you pants legs - helps prevent entry - wearing a long sleeved under shirt with a tight collar helps the upper body
2. those green smooth rubber boots ticks can't crawl on them to good and do get knocked off
3. treating clothes with Permanone (permthrin based topical spray or even a repellent) works. Treat after each time wet or washed -READ ALL PRODUCT LABEL DIRECTIONS!!!! DO NOT USE PERRMANONE ON SKIN!!!
4. At camp never put your field clothes on your bed but hang in a different area - completely change all clothes and inspect for ticks - one could place all in a plastic bag and spray lightly with any House and Garden aerosol and then seall the bag.
5. clothes placed in a clothes dryer at a high setting also works good to kill ticks p make sure you empty all pockets
6. is tough for us turkey hunters as we wear camo - but light clothing for other field trips helps on spot ticks quicker.
7.Using a match or vaseline or any other type of removal other than listed by others and what I have listed is a very poor choice. Remember once attached that Tick is like a hypodermic needle. Squeeze the body and can inject into you.
8. Ticks do not bury therwhole body into you but do attach to you with their piercing sucjing mouth parts. Again grabing a bit of skinslightly forward of where the tick is attached is a good idea. It may hrut a bit but you leave nothing behind. Treatby washing your hands and a small dab of antispetic cream is a must. I also carry a bottle of that hand antispetic wash in my truck at all times. Comes in handy for lots of things.

Ticks on you

Constant inspection is a must - any tick found should be promply removed with a forceps (tweezers) With forceps grab your skin at the point of attachement. DO NOT GRAB THE TICK'S BODY - SQUEEZING THIS MAY CAUSE THE TICK TO INJECT BACK IN WHAT IT HAS TAKEN!!!!
Treat as others have prescribed above and do the following
1. Attach the tick removed to a 3x5 file card with clear scoth tape. this will secure the tick if you need a reference for some other type of medical condition that may result later
2. mark date/time/location you think the tick came from on the card for future reference
3. Place card in a clear plastic bag and seal.

Lymes
A red bullseye around a ticks bite sight can appear but on others it does not. Be aware of any unexplained symptons such as fatigue/chills/achey feeling/swollen joints. Seek medical attention.

There are other diseases ticks also carry - such as Rocky MNT Spotted Fever and a few others. It has been reported all ticks can carry Lymes.

Ticks "Quest" to find you. They crawl to the top of long grass or small bush limbs and stick out their fore legs. This is where their so called "Nose" is. A passerby they just attach to and crawl to find a place to feed.

CO2 can attract ticks.

Do not worry much if a tick is remvoed promptly in 24 to 36 hrs. This is why constant inspection is a MUST!
Ticks are the only Arthopod I know of that causes one to get naked with someone else as you can't see wevery where!

JW