Lyme Disease

[wlatrout]

Prior to last spring I knew several people who had been mis-diagnosed with Lyme. One friend went two years before they diagnosed here with Lyme. She hasen't been able to work since.
So I was aware of some of the symptoms. A few weeks after making syrup I woke up with a rash on my foot. I went to the doctor and had them look at it,they didn't think it was anything to worry about. So some time later I started to have symptoms of Lyme. I took to the internet and started to research Lyme Disease.There I found pages of information. I also found a survey with 10 questions. It said if you answer 2 of the 10 questions positive you should see a doctor. I had 8 of the
10 symptoms, I went in and had a blood test, the Elisea test, it came back negative, I continued to look for answers. In November we went grouse hunting in Northern Mi. the last evening Gabe my English Setter, wouldn't walk on his left front leg. We got holm the next day and I got an appt. for Gabe. They took blood and came back 15 min. later and said he had Lyme and started him on doxycycline . I had an appt. that afternoon with a NaturalPath he also took blood and put it under the microscope and found that I had lyme also. I went to my regular doctor and got doxycycline also.
All this is to say I have found many doctors that know very little about Lyme or how to treat it. The reason my test came back negative is that the two test available test for antibodies and in the early stages of Lyme the body hasn't started making antibodies yet. Gabe's Lyme was farther along so the antibodies were there. I am on my second round of antibodies hoping this knocks it out. Gabe may need another round also.
Much of the Lyme is spread by the nymph stage of the blacklegged tick, They are the size of the period at the end of this sentence. I intend to apply deet to my pant legs when in the woods. Lyme is in all 50 states now so beware THERE OUT TO GET YOU.

[Sugar Bear]

Doxy has worked wonders for me on several classic bulls eye rashes.

Wondering where you are located or got the tick bite.

My findings were that the deer tick count was way way way down here in Southwestern Connecticut this summer as well as inland New Jersey and the Southern Hudson Valley of New York State.

I have not really heard much about the other regions of the Northeast. I suspect the 4 or 5 day period of temperatures never getting above 15 degrees in the end of December 2017 and beginning of January 2018 is responsible for the significant drop in tick counts in the regions I have mentioned. Tick count was low during last sugaring season.

I have noticed for certain that deer ticks will not survive high temperatures such as those created on the surface of sun exposed concrete on a warm summer day. They will die on it quickly.

I also suspect that their anti-freeze system will fail given a firm and long enough cold spell.

I wonder if any simple research has been done on that front.

[Wannabe]

I also suspect that their anti-freeze system will fail given a firm and long enough cold spell.

I wonder if any simple research has been done on that front.

Some winters here it'll be double digits below zero at night for days on end and unfortunately it doesn't seem to hurt the tic 'population' the next summer.
I try and keep Doxy on hand for my dogs, when they start limping on a front leg or gimping in general (for seemingly no reason), they get started on it. No need to pay the vet to diagnose it for me.

[wlatrout]

When I was collecting sap at the end of the season I was finding ticks on Gabe. I suspect that is when we picked it up. I am in northern Indiana.

[JoeJ]

My first run in with ticks was in 2013 when I added 2,100 taps on some land leased from a friend in the next town over. After finding a couple ticks on myself and the 2 workers, we started spraying our legs and boots with all sorts of OFF spray with 29 -100 % DEET. Still got ticks on ourselves. The three of us got tick bites once or twice.Then my wife heard about Insect Shield clothing. impregnated with Permethrin. Kind of pricey, but we bought socks ($20. a pair) and pants ($80). Those socks and pants combination keep the ticks away and off. Now, no matter what, when the ground is not completely covered with snow, I wear that clothing and it is VERY effective.

Joe

[Sugar Bear]

Some winters here it'll be double digits below zero at night for days on end and unfortunately it doesn't seem to hurt the tic 'population' the next summer.
I try and keep Doxy on hand for my dogs, when they start limping on a front leg or gimping in general (for seemingly no reason), they get started on it. No need to pay the vet to diagnose it for me.

The interesting thing about Last years, Upper Wisconsin like cold snap, across the North Eastern US is that the that the areas that had reduced tick count also had no snow on the ground at the time of the snap.

I would surmise that ticks exposed to snow cover are covered by 32 degree insulation which is much more effective for self preservation then 0 degree F air.

So my question to you would be do you also have snow on the ground ... even a little .... when you have your bitter cold weather?

Sugar Bear.

[Chickenman]

I'm like a tick magnet. All my hunting clothes, wood cutting gear and out door clothing have been sprayed with permethrin. It has really helped. Only time I find them now is when I'm not wearing the right clothing.

[Wannabe]

So my question to you would be do you also have snow on the ground ... even a little .... when you have your bitter cold weather?

Sugar Bear.

Yes usually there is snow cover (though not much this winter). I wish something would kill the little parasites..

[Muddy Bottoms]

Similar story but been about 10 years for me and my cousin. Dogs get it all the tme.