What to do about tick (blood sucking kind)

Idiotic is being scared to use your main form of transportation because of something that you have a .009% chance of catching.

 

It’s an insecticide active chemical is bifentrhin it’s a pyrethroid and has about a 3 week residual effect. Works very well I bought the gallon for 64 dollars off eBay.

 

Is it safe for pets/kids?

 

can I just say..... please stop.

antibiotic ointment on the bite, fine.

taking antibiotics, no. Antibiotics are for bacterial infections that your body is unable to or having difficulty fighting off. That’s it. Not for viruses. Not for fungal infections. Not for colds. Not for bug bites.

You shouldn’t have antibiotics laying around either. If you are prescribed antibiotics, you finish them all. That’s the way you take them! You don’t save them for next time.

 

Not looking to get into a whole argument about this really but unless someone close to you has almost died of Lyme disease you don't really understand. I also don't think anyone is panicking, either. As has been stated numerous times if you get bit by a tick you have a full 36 hours before there is risk of Lyme disease. So the key is check yourself, find any tick and remove. And you will be completely fine. After 36 hours, if you notice a tick or that infamous ring you go to the doctor and get antibiotics. The most recent CDC recommendation is below. I know more than a dozen people who have followed this protocol. Not in a panic, mind you, but as sensible medical advice based on what we know.

I don't think anyone was talking about having antibiotics laying around and saving them for the next time ... unless I missed a post. That would be terrible and should not be done.

From the CDC:

In areas that are highly endemic for Lyme disease, a single prophylactic dose of doxycycline (200 mg for adults or 4.4 mg/kg for children of any age weighing less than 45 kg) may be used to reduce the risk of acquiring Lyme disease after the bite of a high risk tick bite. Benefits of prophylaxis may outweigh risks when all of the following circumstances are present:

Doxycycline is not contraindicated.
The attached tick can be identified as an adult or nymphal I. scapularis tick.
The estimated time of attachment is ≥36 h based on the degree of tick engorgement with blood or likely time of exposure to the tick.
Prophylaxis can be started within 72 h of tick removal.
Lyme disease is common in the county or state where the tick bite occurred (i.e., CT, DE, DC, MA, MD, ME, MN, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VA, VT, WI, WV).

 

that's telling him !

 

Ha! I didn't mean to be so strident in my response. Apologies for that. That was not my intent. Only point I was making is that this is not a big deal if you follow the protocol and simply check yourself, pull ticks early and you will be fine. But do take it seriously. F-ing ticks. Was out on the river today and they are everywhere !

 

Like others have said I wouldn’t worry about it too much. A few years ago my cat walked by me and I saw something weird. I yelled to my wife “hey Albert has something sticking out of his butt”!! Upon closer investigation I saw that it was a tick that had latched on to his butt hole and it was eating away. Now if that had happened to you it really would make you realize it could be way worse. On a statistical note, pound for pound a tick is the #1 blood consuming creature on earth. The amount of blood a tick consumes in 1 feeding is the equivalent to a person drinking the entire contents of a swimming pool. I hope you find it before it finds you.

 

I hate ticks and I take tick-borne diseases seriously.

 

So I used to work for a company where this is what I did for work tick/mosquito control. I did it for 5 years and me nor my company never had an issue. Would not recommend if you have outdoor cats unless they can be brought in. Once everything dries which is like 15-30 minutes it’s safe to go in the area. Where I live it was very worth it as I couldn’t even go outside without getting bit or hundreds of ticks on the dogs.

 

sure, you can say it. you can also consult with any doctor in the region where lyme disease is common if you're still confused on the protocol. the issue isn't bug bites. the dose isn't what you have lying around. it's a prescribed, single dose of doxycycline. but i have been known to keep full courses of antibiotics "laying around" for other purposes, and i do take the full course as needed.

 

Permethrin is the way to go if you will be in the woods any time at all. You spray clothing and camping gear with it, or just buy clothing that has already been treated. Should be able to treat the seats and carpet in your truck if you are worried enough. When I feel the need to wear something with permethrin it's usually a treated bandanna tied loosely around the neck and some treated socks. I'm not buying a whole wardrobe of treated clothes.

 

Has anyone tried the ultrasonic Tickless product?

 

I thought the course of antibiotics was 30+ days of doxycycline. I have not had to take any thankfully. I acquired an auto-immune disease after the 1st of the year and the symptoms were similar to Lyme or leptospirosis. My doc wanted me to take those tests too-both negative.

 

Ticks can enter a dormant state for up to 20 years and reactivate when they detect co2. That tick will outlive your truck.

 

I didn't know that.

 

Saw it on discovery channel when i was a teenager lol

 

typically the prophylactic dose is a single tablet. if there's a positive diagnosis or other significant reason to suspect infection is when i believe you'd expect to do a full course. the problem, as you're probably aware, is that the diagnostic tests, as well as diagnosis more generally, for a number of tick-borne diseases are unreliable. it's a fairly controversial subject, or has been in the past, with many people unable to find an informed or properly attentive doctor. to some extent i suspect the protocol for the prophylactic is a bit of a sop and/or some CYA. when i've received that dose the doc pretty much told me it was entirely up to me if i wanted it or not.

did you ever get a diagnosis for your auto-immune illness?

 

This is so true. I knew several people who have tested negative for Lyme on more than one occasions who eventually manifested. This is why here in NY doctors probably over prescribe the tablet. But again the absolute best thing to do is check yourself throughly after each time you are out. If you do that you have a huge probability of being fine.

Poor, OP, sorry ... you were just trying to find a tick in your truck and we stirred up a whole tick's nest.