Tick Season in full force

My friends husband found a tick on the back of his leg, in his house last night. He was not outside that day other than going to and from work in his car. Thankfully he got it off before it latched on him. I was shocked to hear this seeing as he had not even been out in the woods or even outside for any length of time.

We are having unseasonably warm weather here in southern british columbia, so maybe that is why. I am hoping he will be okay, my friend, who very much believes in chronic lyme now that shes learned about it, is worried. He tried to squish it and it was very hard, he flushed it down the toliet. Are they always hard? Or only when they are engorged?

It was April when I was bit and I was on a concrete patio. I did not get off the patio. However there was a cat and a small dog that were wandering all over the place in the grass and into the house and back and forth. After the luncheon I collected the tablecloths (about 7 of them) and carted them of to the laundry room bunched up in my arms. I never saw the tick but I saw the bite mark and just thought it was a spider bite.

Now is the time for all of us to be super careful and it is not just outdoors. Pets help distribute ticks.

Then I hope it keeps snowing here where I am ....till the rest of the year! Major snow falling here as I type.

Permethrin is the one that I know of. However, if a mosquito carries lyme then I am going with the DEET.

www.lymeneteurope.org/info/deet-versus-permethrin-as-a-tick-repellent

permethrin is dangerous to cats.

If mosquitoes are carrying lyme now, then people in the great lakes region are skrewed!

Skeeters can carry away small children around here.

I've been putting drops of rose geranium essential oil on our dogs. Still picking ticks but one every day or two instead of 4 or 5 at one time. Ugh.

Tick tubes are going out this month! Those are a great idea that seem to work from everything I've been reading about them.

Also think our guinea hens are keeping the ticks down in our yard but the dogs run in the back acreage where the guineas (so far) don't seem to go very much. That's where the tick tubes will be placed.

One vacation I had a cold and took Eucalyptus essential oil with me so I could breath easier. Before going to bed in our cheap funky hotel room I put on the oil.

The next morning when we woke up hubby was covered in flea bites and I had none. We take it on every vacation now, even in high priced hotels - because nowdays many hotels are pet friendly.

Naw, he was fine. We went to the nearest health food store and the lady had him put something on it. I think it was similar to calamine lotion.

Permethrin is used to treat clothing and gear.

Buhner has a recipe for a tick repellent in his new Lyme book that is 99% effective.

It incorporates grain alcohol and 8 different essential oils - one of which is very expensive yet he says vital to the level of effectiveness.

Insect Shield sells permethrin-treated clothing that is effective through the life of the garment (70 washings):

www.insectshield.com/

I use all of the above and joke that, when I go out to garden, I'm dressed in my hazmat attire ;)