| Archive for countrytalkandtips.myfreeforum.org ........................ smallholding, crafts and country life ................................................... IN IRELAND ....................................................... |
| blowin |
removing ticksThe little b*ggers are out in force ! I think this is the worst time of year because they congregate on tall grass and rushes then grab anything that brushes against them . Fortunately they seem to have a distinct preference for animals rather than humans .
They have an unusual lie cycle http://images.google.ie/images?hl...life+cycle+&um=1&ie=UTF-8 http://frontline.us.merial.com/fleas/sub5_tick1.asp I believe you can get them to drop off if you cover them in something oily or gelatinous , which clogs up their breathing apparatus , but the link below says don't use petroleum jelly aka vasseline . Any idea why not ? How long does the process take , and is there anything which is particularly effective ? I tend to remove them by hand but wouldn't recommend that to everyone . It is important to twist as you pull , otherwise the mouthpart is likely to break off under the skin . However it does appear to be a myth that you have to twist in a particular direction eg anti or clockwise , so just do it whichever way comes naturally to you . I haven't come across this tick-removal gadget before : http://www.otom.com/technology.htm Has anyone tried it ? On an animal with a long and very dense coat ? |
| quarryman |
My oldest dog, Sally, has a long coat and picks them up on a regular basis. I still use my finger nails to pick them off. Most of the little feckers are still alive and kicking but not for long. I am off to the vet for the dogs' boosters so I will have them treated with Frontline as well. My vet did say to smear them with vaseline but I remember from a previous post on this forum, that some of you chicken owners use it for other reasons.......!
Blowin I would love to see you trying to use that tick hook on Nemo......You could put that up on Youtube 
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| blowin |
Hmmm , I tried coating one with barrier cream ( for hands ) but this seems to have dried it up and killed it while its head was still stuck in so that is not a good idea . |
| Graney |
I usually spot them when I realise I've been scratching an itch for a while - usually just above the trouser line. They're usually pretty small and I just pull the feckers off - no careful thoughts about twisting. They just get yanked off.
Maybe I've been lucky, but no mouthparts left behind so far. |
| blowin |
Me too . I don't think there is much else you can do with the very small ones if you just want them off in a hurry . The mouthparts can't be very long anyway .
A local farmer says he started feeding garlic to his animals a couple of weeks ago and all the ticks dropped off within a few days . That would be quite something as these mountain sheep are infested with the horrible things . No surprise to Camile , I am sure , who advocates garlic as the best wormer  .
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