Moose Droppings

What’s Bugging Ya?

May 06, 2007 @ 10:30 pm by Moose

I was reading the Hunting Life Blog and his warning about a scam that is going around right now.

If someone comes to your front door saying they are checking for ticks due to the warm weather and asks you to take your clothes off and dance around with your arms up.

DO NOT DO IT!! THIS IS A SCAM!!

No telling how many times Kevin has fallen for this but after the third time I suspected it was a scam of some sort.

A funny story like this got me thinking about a very serious issue all of us who enjoy the outdoors share and that’s the danger from Ticks. With turkey season winding down I consider myself lucky not because I got a nice gobbler but more that so far the ticks have not gotten me. Avoiding ticks is not easy and you must be diligent to avoid getting bit. Tick bites can lead to some serious diseases like Lyme Disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever to name a few that can have devastating lifetime effects. NC Dept of Health Info on Ticks

The last few years I’ve gotten pretty serious about combating these bugs and attempting to prevent the from biting me in the first place. I use two types of bug spray, permethrin that I apply to my clothing and deet that I apply to exposed skin.

Permethrin can be purchased at most outdoor type stores that carry insect repellent. Permethrin is dangerous to apply directly to your skin so spray it on your hunting clothing (outside) the day before you plan to wear it and let it dry. Once you’ve treated your clothing it will be effective for two weeks even if you wash it.

Deet is the other product I use, it is the active ingredient in OFF, and this can be picked up at any store that carries insect repellent.
Now I have found a couple crawling on me but so far none have bitten me this year. When I come in from hunting I remove my hunting stuff and shower. I then check myself for ticks looking carefully around the waistline, armpits and hairline as these seem to be the most likely spot to find them. If you find one attached follow this procedure to remove them, clean the bite area and save the tick. I use old 35 mm film canisters to put the tick in and preserve it in case I develop symptoms. I never have but if I do I’ll have the tick for the doctors to have tested at the lab.

When not hunting I wear light colored clothing because the ticks stand out better if they get on you so you can kill them before they attached themselves. Tick borne disease are nothing to mess with so be proactive to avoid getting ill.