Phil from Maine

Hi I will be heading to the Island of Vinalhaven on Monday morning and was wondering what you use to help prevent deer ticks from getting on you. The island has an over population of whitetails and I have heard deer ticks are pretty bad out there. I do not want to get Lyme Disease from them. Up here where I normally hunt deer ticks are not much of a problem. Let me know what you all like to use please..

shrewbeer

not much you can do to keep them off of you. just check yourself really well. If you do get bit, as long as you get to a doctor within a few days you will be fine.

Phil from Maine

Thanks for the info on them..I am not sure about a doctor out there asI will be 18 miles out to sea there.

shrewbeer

FYI,
the classic sign is the "bullseye" around the bite. However, this does not always appear. A fever that breaks on its own without tylenol, then goes back up, etc.. is pretty much a surety that you have it. Also, you can get bit by twenty deer ticks and not get lyme. They must first bite a deer that has it, which is a toss up if the deer has it, and then they must bite you once they are infected. I've had it twice, and both times caught it within a week so I got it cured. And I've found countless deer ticks on me.

whitetailbowhunter

Another thing, the tick has to be attached to you for 24 hours before you get the disease.

GTD

From what I understand, it takes 48 hours to transfer the disease after the tick bites, even if it is infected.

GTD

Maybe 24, I'm not sure. I better do a refresher course.

Phil from Maine

Wow That's good news whether it is 24 or 48 I will be checking myself for them every evening when I get back to the cabin..
Thanks for all the info guys, cause up here with our cold winters they are not much of a problem. The coastal areas do have a
problem as well as the island I will be on.

GTD

Once you find your first tick it sure is hard to sit still. Every time I feel something on my skin I have to investigate.

SuperRedHawk

Phil, get some permethrin. Spray your clothes down, let dry outside. It's odorless and they will not touch you. I don't go in the woods without it!