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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Remember to check for TICKS of another kind! (1 Viewer)

Youth

Youth

Well-known member
Hi all sorry if this isn't the right place to post this however as we are spending a lot of time outside birding at the moment I feel its only fair to post a little reminder just to check yourselves for Ticks after a days birding.

I found a tick on my dog yesterday (in Norfolk) the scary bit is although my doggy is very friendly he's never off the lead when walking (he's off lead in our secure garden and couple of times on beach only in winter but not this year so far) and when I'm birding he is tethered to me on a short lead in other words he goes where I go!

So yes its a brilliant time to be going off the beaten track in search of birds just be careful
thank you and sorry if this wasn't the place to post
 
Yes, I'd been to Tentsmuir Forest in Fife.

Ever since then I've always tucked my trouser legs into my socks when walking through long grass or heather. The one that got me crawled up to the top of my calf.
 
delia todd said:
Yes, I'd been to Tentsmuir Forest in Fife.

Ever since then I've always tucked my trouser legs into my socks when walking through long grass or heather. The one that got me crawled up to the top of my calf.
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wow defiantly scary stuff thanks again for your comments when birding out in USA I was very aware of Ticks think people in UK are less aware of dangers stay safe!
 

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Jos Stratford said:
And four months on, still not fully recovered!

And for ticks, it's been an excellent year - highest number I had crawling up my trousers, etc, was 48 in any one day. Fortunately only about five bites all season.
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48!!!! christ! where do you go birding? sorry to hear your not fully recovered I wish you a full recovery! :t:
 
I have a prescription for a prophylactic dose of doxycycline that I keep on hand for immediate treatment when needed. You don't want to find a deer tick on a Friday night, and have to wait until Monday to try to get an appointment with your doctor.

One weekend last year I had three different species of ticks crawling on me, a dog tick, a deer tick, and a Lone Star tick, luckily none were attached. A bite from a Lone Star tick can lead to alpha-gal syndrome. An immune response to the alpha-gal leaves you allergic to red meat.

The most I had in one day was 55. I had done a mile long loop through waist high grass/brush on a poorly maintained trail. I checked myself thoroughly afterwards, but was still finding ticks in my car for the next week or so.
 
So, why a serious birder knows pattern of moles on his own body!

Just an advice: it is often better to change clothing immediately when leaving the field. However, ticks can live on clothes for two days or so.

A tick needs biting you for ca 12 hours minimum to infect you - check Merck Medical Manual online for that. So inspecting yourself after every outing (using a mirror for your back, too!) is usually a good protection.

Medical doctors are often ignorant, for example prescribe a poorly working ELISA test for borreliosis. I personally every time after I find an attached tick tell the doctor that I developed a ring-shaped mark and ask for an antibiotic course.
 
jurek said:
A tick needs biting you for ca 12 hours minimum to infect you - check Merck Medical Manual online for that. So inspecting yourself after every outing (using a mirror for your back, too!) is usually a good protection.

I personally every time after I find an attached tick tell the doctor that I developed a ring-shaped mark and ask for an antibiotic course.
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This is not completely true - for Lyme disease, it is generally thought the tick needs to be biting for a considerable period of time, though there are cases less than 12 hours. However, for other diseases carried by ticks, the time is considerably less. My encephalitis was from a tick that had bitten me for max 6 hours, possibly much less.

Also the ring-shaped mark is again about Lyme's Disease. Encephalitis, which is the more serious of the two, does not present any such symptom. And antibiotics have no effect on encephalitis.

On the positive side, while Lyme Disease is the most widespread in Europe, it is readily treatable with antibiotics. Encephalitis is less widespread, its stronghold being central Europe and the Baltic States, and is not treatable, about 1 % of those infected will die from it, up to 30% will suffer long-term neurological consequences. Unlike Lyme's however, it is possible to vaccinate against it, giving about 95% chances of immunity for three years. If you are 'clever' like me and don't vaccinate, you then get lifelong immunity if yiu survive the first infection :)
 
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I stay well away from dead deer these days. I caught Lyme disease from a tic shortly after spending a few minutes sitting near to a deer skeleton.
 
Once got bitten by a tick on my private parts(yes, seriously!).
Well,you could imagine how that happened; caught short in the middle of nowhere with no loos for miles around.
Didn't understand why I was itchy down under, till I got home and found the culprit.
Take care, if you're ever in that predicament!
 
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