Seriously, keep a sharp eye out for the critters. We've seen a lot more out on our daily hikes here.
Pulled one off my dog the other day. It was dug in just below his eye. I despise ticks.
They’re nasty blod-sucking critters. They usually feed on deer but have decided Fido makes a more appetizing and easily accessible blood meal.
Our home is surrounded by woods, and they are TERRIBLE here. Hoping the bad Winter might have froze them permanently. Already noticing a reduction in ‘bugs’ from this time during other years.
I’m kinda’ anonymous here. So I’ll say what I wouldn’t say aloud:
If you’re dealing with someone with “Lyme Disease”, you’re probably dealing with a hypochondriac.
There. I said it!
More buggery ....oh....wait...
Look for the “Bull’s Eye” signature of Lyme. If you get it and quickly respond, then some antibiotics will take care of it. If you don’t quickly respond, you will have Lyme for LIFE.
Buy clothes treated with Permethrin or treat your woods clothes with it yourself. You can buy it in the sporting goods dept at Walmart and other stores under the brand name of Sawyer.
Very effective at repelling insects (primarily ticks for my own purposes). And considerably more benign than repellents applied to the skin. Military has been using it for over 20 years.
I shoot on a friend’s private range out in the country and ticks are very bad. I treat my socks, pants, underwear and shirts with it (good for about 6 washes) and the protection from ticks is impressive. I spray my shoes with deet to round out the protection.
I still strip and make my wife check me for ticks when I come home. So it’s not all bad /grin.