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This is the second one I've had in 6 weeks. How often are you outdoorsy types tweezering out the little shits, or have I just been unlucky as noone else I know has had one.
Neither had gorged themselves, so dont think they had been on fir that long. What's the usual protocol when you get one? Is it simply remove (with tick remover), clean with tcp and hope for the best. Or are antibiotics as a precaution advised?
I've had four this year - but all picked up on one run. I normally apply Smidge if I think I'm going to be at risk but, on this occasion, my planned route was way more overgrown than I'd expected.
I just pick them out and try to remember where they bit then keep an eye on that spot and on my general health for a few days. No need to go overboard with treatment unless you get symptoms.
FWIW my record is 22 ticks, acquired after a 3 day bikepacking trip, but I seem to get at least a couple every year.
These are great - always at hand, and needed more often than I'd like.
https://www.freewheel.co.uk/lifesystems-tick-remover-card-lv3402
Since end of March, I had at least 1 tick on me every ride (so a couple of times a week), managed to not have any the last 3 weeks.
Most haven't actually dug in so we're easy to remove, but still an annoyance!
It does seem to be getting worse. I and the family manage to get 2-4 or so each a year, with one being a real tick magnet and maybe having a few each time he has them...
As ever, there are some places which are much worse than others and I avoid...
I get a couple every year, but only when I have forgotten to use smidge. I pull them out with a tick twister type remover. Precautionary antibiotics are not a thing. You need some, but not all, symptoms. Ie you are showing actual signs of Lymes disease, not just a tick bite.
I had well over 20 after a single nights camped in an area I was not expecting them
I also had half a dozen after cutting a very neglected lawn. I use a tick hook to remove and then just keep a mind on lyme symptoms. Never had lyme
This is a useful recent thread on symptoms to look out for.
https://singletrackmag.com/forum/off-topic/possible-lyme-disease-deep-joy
and.... https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/lyme-disease/
I got one on my neck of the ferry to Shetland.
I get a couple every year, but only when I have forgotten to use smidge.
I'm forever plucking them out. But the above is a bit of a game changer. Forget about thinking of smidge as an anti midge thing for the evening and start thinking of it as a all day thing when you are potentially in the zone.
To summarise the NHS advice:
Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 if:
- you've been bitten by a tick or visited an area in the past 3 months where infected ticks could be
and you either:
- feel unwell with flu-like symptoms – such as feeling hot and shivery, headaches or aching muscles
- have a round or oval shape rash
Tell them if you have recently been in forests or grassy areas.
You can call 111 or get help from 111 online.
I spray my clothes with Lifesystems EX4 repellent, it lasts several washes and seems to be keeping me tick free (compared to one a month before I started using it).
Madame Edukator picked up a tic 12 days ago, removed within 20 minutes before it had eaten, no rash, redness or symptons since - no antibiotics.
I was bitten years back, only noticed after it had fed but cleanly removed. It went red after three days (IIRC) but not classic bullseye so I went to the docs. A couple of weeks of antibiotics. A few years later I had a swollen foot from a knock which hadn't broken the skin. They removed fluid from in the joint, tested, scratched their heads, suspected Lyme amongst other things and hit me with intravenous antibiotics then a long course of antibiotics.
Apparently there's now a test which is highly accurate on recent infections and pretty good on old ones but I didn't benefit from that.
I just got ticked in my effing flat! tiny nymph. Must have only just got me because they make me very itchy so I know within a short time I have one on me. Eff knows where it came from - its 2 weeks since I was out in the countryside. Must have been on my clothes I guess
I get them fairly often. I get more in the Highlands than in Wales but I get them here too. I have had over 30 in one day on Islay and Jura. I meet people (who have been out in the hills) who say they have never had any… but I am pretty sure they expect to find big peas sized things like they find on their dog, when most of the ones I get are poppy seed size… so they may had them and not noticed.