Tick population

hilltopper · 06-05-2013, 10:04 AM

Just wondering what everyone else thinks about the tick population this year? At my place I must say it is as bad as I've ever seen it in my six years here. I am hoping their population cycles but I must say it seems to be getting progressively worse. Opinions? I've pulled three out of me (not off me...out of me) this year already and have had to pull one out of my daughter.

PaugusBayFireFighter · 06-05-2013, 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hilltopper

Just wondering what everyone else thinks about the tick population this year? At my place I must say it is as bad as I've ever seen it in my six years here. I am hoping their population cycles but I must say it seems to be getting progressively worse. Opinions? I've pulled three out of me (not off me...out of me) this year already and have had to pull one out of my daughter.

Last year was supposed to be a bad season for humans and ticks. It wasn't that there were more ticks, but less rodents like mice. The acorn crop was really bad following a very good year of acorn harvest. The thought was that many of the rodents would not survive because of the lack of food. This meant less mammals for the ticks to latch on to. Humans would become higher on the list of victims by the mere fact that the population of mammals had decreased.
I'm not sure if any of the hypothesis panned out and I'm not sure if this year is worse because of the same "cause and effect" with the acorn harvest.

Chaselady · 06-05-2013, 02:42 PM

Someone told us to get chickens...they eat ticks, apparently..but then you have chickens to take care of. We have a lot of ticks, since April. Been using insect repellent to work in the yard.

jrc · 06-05-2013, 03:03 PM

Stay inside or gallons of DEET, no other choice.

Lyme disease is no joke, be careful.

tis · 06-05-2013, 03:55 PM

I think this year has been terrible. I had three in one day weeding a garden but have had none sense. I did hear a cousin went for a walk and had 17 though. So I guess it is a terrible year for ticks.

hilltopper · 06-06-2013, 06:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jrc

Stay inside or gallons of DEET, no other choice.

Lyme disease is no joke, be careful.

I've designated a set of work clothes I work in outside and I spray them with Permethrin. That and frequent tick checks is all I can really do (unless you hide inside all day).

06-05-2013, 10:04 AM	#1
hilltopper Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Meredith Posts: 722 Thanks: 25 Thanked 106 Times in 67 Posts	Tick population Just wondering what everyone else thinks about the tick population this year? At my place I must say it is as bad as I've ever seen it in my six years here. I am hoping their population cycles but I must say it seems to be getting progressively worse. Opinions? I've pulled three out of me (not off me...out of me) this year already and have had to pull one out of my daughter.

06-05-2013, 02:42 PM	#3
Chaselady Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Melvin Village Posts: 309 Thanks: 150 Thanked 105 Times in 73 Posts	Someone told us to get chickens...they eat ticks, apparently..but then you have chickens to take care of. We have a lot of ticks, since April. Been using insect repellent to work in the yard.

06-05-2013, 03:03 PM	#4
jrc Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: NH Posts: 2,689 Thanks: 33 Thanked 439 Times in 249 Posts	Stay inside or gallons of DEET, no other choice. Lyme disease is no joke, be careful.

06-05-2013, 03:55 PM	#5
tis Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 6,643 Thanks: 746 Thanked 1,439 Times in 1,000 Posts	I think this year has been terrible. I had three in one day weeding a garden but have had none sense. I did hear a cousin went for a walk and had 17 though. So I guess it is a terrible year for ticks.