Just a quick note...I went for another short hike with my friend this morning, and she called me later to say she found a tick on herself. Conventional wisdom is that you don't have to worry about ticks once there's been a solid freeze, but that is obviously not so! (at least not here in Delaware, where it doesn't stay below freezing in the winter). In fact, my friend is a veterinarian, and she says she's still seeing ticks on dogs, too.
So, be sure you and your family wear bug spray with DEET when you spend time outdoors!
My recent experience with Lyme disease may have left me a bit overcautious, but you know what they say - it's not paranoia if they're really out to get you (i.e. the ticks)!
I have had Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) since March 2002. Both of my sons also got ME/CFS at ages 6 and 10. Our younger son fully recovered after 10 years of mild illness. Our older son still has ME/CFS and also has Lyme disease plus two other tick infections. This blog is about how our family lives with chronic illness, with a focus on improving our conditions and enjoying our lives in spite of these challenges.
The army uses permethrin to repel ticks. I use this on my clothing - Repel Permanone - there may be other similar products, but this is the only one I've found. It's only safe on clothing.
ReplyDeleteSue
Yeah, thanks for the reminder, Sue. Ken and I used to treat our hiking clothes with permethrin, but we haven't done that recently. I was just thinking the other day that we'd do that again before our big road trip/camping trip next summer (which is when I think I picked up Lyme this year - probably in Wisconsin the day I showered at our campground and didn't want to apply bug spray because it hurts on freshly shaved legs!)
ReplyDeleteThanks -
Sue