Ticks

[Michael Greer]

With temperatures in the 60s we decided to wrap it up a little early. I don't like the look of the sap when it's 67 degrees and the sugar content down to 1%, there's not much left when the yeasts start doing their thing. Yesterday we dumped sap, gathered in the buckets, and pulled the taps. It was a beautiful day to be in the woods with the leeks popping up, the birds chattering, and that blue, blue sky. We brought home 250 buckets and three ticks, which by bath time, were well attached. Ticks have gotten worse each year, and now they want to spoil the end of sugar season too. I swear, the end-times are here, and it's gonna suck.

[Ghs57]

Ticks here too. Got one with my needle nose pliers before it got me.

[seclark]

I agree. I went to collect buckets last week and didn't see any but the next day I had one dug in on my shoulder. I had a Doctor appointment that morning so I let the Doctor take it out. So now I am staying out of the woods and more than likely will not sugar next year at all, after all I'm 79 and a one man show and it's not fun any more, just work. I was only a hobby guy anyway but it was fun to do and get out in the woods but as they say time has caught up with me and if it were not for the tick problem I might think twice, but I don't think I will.

[maple flats]

We've had ticks here for at least 3 weeks. My brother-in-law had 3 on him, each on a different day, that had not attached yet, then last Thursday he had another, still walking up from his wrist, pliers did that one in too.

[mountainvan]

I’ve had Lyme 3 times, not fun. Now I wear insectshield clothes when out in the woods.

[GeneralStark]

Second on the insect shield clothing though this year I need to get a couple pairs of insect shield socks....

[Mead Maple]

Second on the insect shield clothing though this year I need to get a couple pairs of insect shield socks....

Son ended up with an imbedded tick from yesterday after pulling taps and buckets. Had to pull it out this morning. First one I have ever dealt with personally and unfortunately it freaked him out. We will certainly be more cautious from here on out as well.


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[1arch]

Interesting thread. I have never seen ticks at this time of year and was surprised to be pulling them off the dog already.

[lew]

I've been sugaring for 30 years. Maybe 7 or 8 years ago we would pull the occasional tick off the dog never saw one on me or anyone else. 2 years ago we purchased 80 acres and started setting up the woods in October. One weekend (2 days) I pulled 82 ticks off of myself. Roughly 20 had attached. None for more than an hour or so. I went to the doctors and they gave me a dose of medicine just to be safe. Funny thing is that the guys that were working with me only got 3 or 4 ticks on each of them max. I guess I'm just a tick magnet. Last year in the same woods we worked weekends removing pine, hemlock and firewood and never got anymore than 2 or 3 ticks per day. This year I haven't had any on myself yet but I have pulled a few off of the cats and dogs starting in February.

[bigschuss]

Permethrin is your friend! Spray it well on a pair of your favorite field pants and wear them each time afield.

[Russell Lampron]

I pulled my taps yesterday morning and to my surprise no ticks. I'll be bringing up my woods tank and releaser next weekend and when I do that it's not uncommon to find some ticks. All it takes is one and I'm checking every little tickle to see if it's a tick. Not fun!

[Sunday Rock Maple]

I guess I'm just a tick magnet.

Very well played :)

[lew]

I guess I forgot to finish my tick ramblings. Yes, permethrin is awesome. After the infamous weekend of 82 ticks on me I purchased some permethrin. Sprayed it pants and shirt. I did not have a single tick on me until the afternoon. It was crawling across the back of my hand. So I picked it off my hand and placed it on the cuff of my shirt where I knew the permethrin had been applied. It was quite a show. When ever I see a tick it is always compressed right to what ever it is crawling on with all of its legs spread way out. When placed on the permethrin treated clothes, it couldn't keep itself far enough away. It actually was stand on just 2 legs pushing its body as far away from the permethrin as possible. Then it would switch those first 2 legs for 2 others then for 2 others. Probably danced like that for a total of 1 to maybe 2 seconds. It acted like its feet were on fire. It would have been comical actually, except it was a tick.

[Zucker Lager]

Years ago there was an article in Wisconsin magazine about using permetherin to rid an area of tics by spraying cotton batting with it, stuffing the treated cotton into waterproof tubes the size of toilet paper tubes and tossing them all around the area. If I remember correctly the rodent population would use the cotton for bedding that would kill the larval stage of the tic and after a bunch of years doing that it would break the breeding cycle of the tics. We have the really tiny ones that carry lyme here always a worry about getting that Jay

[regor0]

Years ago there was an article in Wisconsin magazine about using permetherin to rid an area of tics by spraying cotton batting with it, stuffing the treated cotton into waterproof tubes the size of toilet paper tubes and tossing them all around the area. If I remember correctly the rodent population would use the cotton for bedding that would kill the larval stage of the tic and after a bunch of years doing that it would break the breeding cycle of the tics. We have the really tiny ones that carry lyme here always a worry about getting that Jay

I have been doing this for the last couple years, we went from finding 100’s of ticks a year to only 1 dead one in the house. I also built a deer feeder that has paint rollers impregnated with permethrin. Deer and bear come eat corn and rub against the paint rollers for a tick treatment.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190416/6e9848acc112dca05b3175730e2b7ae9.jpg


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[seclark]

Reading about the Permethrin treatment for clothes. Do you use it full strength or mix with water and once mixed how long can you keep it to still be effective or is it always good?

[mountainvan]

Sawyer brand is what I use on my carhart pants and full strength. Last for 44 days or 6 Washings.

[DRoseum]

Sawyer is what I use as well. Works amazing.