Malcolm Posted April 14, 2011 Report Share Posted April 14, 2011 A lot of us will be exposed to the risk of tick bites and, therefore, infection by Lyme Disease. I came across the Tick Bite Prevention Week website earlier today and it provides lots of useful information, including removal of ticks and avoiding commonly used techniques that actually can make matters worse. Definately worth a look. Incidently, I can recommend the O'Tom Tick Tister removal tool that the site mentions. I have had cause to use one on a friend and it is simple, quick and painless, as well as being relatively cheap http://www.tickbitepreventionweek.org/tick-bite-prevention-week.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khitajrah Posted April 14, 2011 Report Share Posted April 14, 2011 There are ticks on Shetland? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GypsyScy Posted April 14, 2011 Report Share Posted April 14, 2011 ^^ I wondered the same Khit?? No seen any since I've been here...had loads of them in Ireland! Had to take one out of my daughter's head when she was just a couple of weeks old...horrible things!! Glenveigh National Park in Donegal had a giant scale model of a tick...ugh.....the stuff nightmares are made of!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khitajrah Posted April 14, 2011 Report Share Posted April 14, 2011 Ergh! ~squeam~ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Njugle Posted April 14, 2011 Report Share Posted April 14, 2011 I've never seen a burrowing tick in Shetland and that's in a lifetime of playing, walking, lying and sometimes even sleeping in the hills. If they've not got me yet, I don't think they're a problem here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Girzie Posted April 14, 2011 Report Share Posted April 14, 2011 No ticks but sometimes keds on sheep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolm Posted April 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 14, 2011 Before attempting to TTP please remember that sheep carry ticks as do people that walk in other areas of the uk. And yes I had three people tell me that they got ticks last year whils walking on Shetland. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJ Posted April 14, 2011 Report Share Posted April 14, 2011 there are ticks in shetland, just not as common as south, no deer for a start. But I've seen the damage done tae a dog who'd been through the heather and picked up a tick. have vague memories of one of the cats having one too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Njugle Posted April 15, 2011 Report Share Posted April 15, 2011 Before attempting to TTPDon't think anyone was TTP-ing Malcolm. Sorry if you thought that. It is right to be aware about them and warn others. It's just not as common here as in the Highlands, for instance. I, for one, was just passing on personal experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khitajrah Posted April 15, 2011 Report Share Posted April 15, 2011 TTP-ing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GypsyScy Posted April 15, 2011 Report Share Posted April 15, 2011 We always just removed them ourselves, successfully, no tools involved - by pinching at the very point of contact to the skin and twisting... this always seemed to do the job! Living in very rural environments and having horses, dogs and goats meant we were guaranteed our fair share of ticks through the summer, never seen anyone have any trouble..........unless for one lad who had an absolute panic attack after apparently finding one firmly attached to his nether regions Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crofter Posted April 15, 2011 Report Share Posted April 15, 2011 I never knew there were ticks in Shetland either, but now I'm wondering if keds = ticks? Do the shetland ticks carry Lyme disease? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khitajrah Posted April 15, 2011 Report Share Posted April 15, 2011 It'd be interesting to learn exactly which species are here. A quick Google and all I found was a seabird tick. The info out there indicates Shetland isn't prone to more serious tick-spread infections (such as encephalopathies) but I can't seem to find any info about Lyme disease and Shetland. Have there been any known incidences? This person says so. :/ And thank you Malcolm, for letting us know about this potential problem. I honestly had never given ticks a second thought. Tweezers have now been added to the hill-walking first aid kit! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulb Posted April 15, 2011 Report Share Posted April 15, 2011 as the sheep tick is the bad guy its alway possible. thanks for getting me looking im itching like mad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momo Posted April 15, 2011 Report Share Posted April 15, 2011 Never came across anything here other than keds on sheep till our dog got a large tick last summer. Googled how to get it off & found one guy who said if you rub it anti-clockwise with a cotton bud dipped in chilli sauce they just fall off. Worked a treat. You apparently aren't meant to take them off with tweezers in case you leave the head in and it gets infected or squeeze them so hard they regurgitate which can cause disease in whatever animal they are attached to. That said the shock of chilli sauce might have the same effect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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