# what will not hurt my bees



## the kid (Nov 26, 2006)

what can I put down to kill woodtics ...but not hurt my bees .... the things are so bad if you walk out of the house ,,, you WILL find more then one tic on you in less then 5 min.... 
and dont say get chickens ........ 
we get them like this every year ...... 
kid


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## Moonshae (Jun 7, 2007)

wood ticks generally like to hang on plants that are at least 12 inches high. I would suggest mowing to keep them under control. They don't hang out in 3" lawn.


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## the kid (Nov 26, 2006)

I have it cut to 2 inches ,,, ticks still love it ...
after the back lot line about 3,000+ acers of swamp and open land .... lived here 33 years and one year it was like they were climbing the frount and back steps ,,,they were all over in the house ,,, so far it looks like that again ,, used dizion till outlawed. some years are worse then others ,,, then theres years that you can sit and watch them in the grass like this year
lot of wild life come in the yard ..
the kid


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## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

the kid said:


> lived here 33 years and one year it was like they were climbing the frount and back steps ,,,they were all over in the house ,,, so far it looks like that again ,, used dizion till outlawed. some years are worse then others ,,, then theres years that you can sit and watch them in the grass like this year


No question in my mind.....I'd find somewhere else to live. This time of year I find ticks on myself several times a week. That's about as bad as I'll tolerate.


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## Moonshae (Jun 7, 2007)

That's really nasty. Check out the description of "tick tubes" at the bottom of this page:

http://www.gardensalive.com/article.asp?ai=568


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## sds888 (May 26, 2008)

I know what you are talking about. I use to live in places with tics all over. When I was 5 or 6 I had to go and get 136 Ticks taken off of my body at one time. That was after a shower for washing them off. They were all seed ticks. We are at a place now with dog ticks but they are not bad. I would torch your yard. I am just kidding. lol


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>dont say get chickens ........ 

Guineas?


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## honeyshack (Jan 6, 2008)

burning in the spring helps. We burn fields of alfalfa to help stop the spread of lagus bugs, and it helps on getting rid of the ticks. We also burnt in our yard in the tree line. got a good fast burn so it would not damage the trees. Seemed to help....check if you need a permit before you burn.


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## stangardener (Mar 8, 2005)

Michael Bush said:


> >dont say get chickens ........
> 
> Guineas?


oh those things are irritating. i don't do well with chickens either. i've settled on runner ducks. nothing funnier than a young runner duck after a bug. they also lay as much or more than chickens.


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## notaclue (Jun 30, 2005)

Yeah I understand the ticks in Minnesota only too well. It's amazing looking out over a grazing area, not yet grazed, and see what you think are seeds only to find out they're ticks literally hanging out waiting to latch onto something.

Our neighbors in Appleton used guinea hens to keep them under some kind of control in their yards. Out in the deep stuff...forget it. Our ducklings and gooslings (-1sp?) did a good job also between barns and out buildings and the yard.


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## the kid (Nov 26, 2006)

a few years ago someone around here tryed the burning thing ,,,, a few tousand acers burnt ,,,,and some hefty fines later ... with this much open behind me they froun on burning ... but I have thought about it ... 
Years like this make you think Frontline, might be in line for a try .. I just asked the wife if I can try it ... she said I'm not insured heavy enough .. to try that.... 
the tubes ,,, I dont think would work as to much other wild life make use of my yard .... opened the frount door last week end only to find two rabbets sitting on the step

Quote from beemandan
No question in my mind.....I'd find somewhere else to live. This time of year I find ticks on myself several times a week. That's about as bad as I'll tolerate. 


I didn't grow up as a city boy ;; so knew about ticks before moving out here ..... my grand kids can spot a bald eagel thats a little black spot in the sky ,,,,, or they see one setting in the tree less then 200 feet from the house .... the nest a mile from the house that they see almost each day .... can tell you if its a young eagal or a older one ,,by the color ... also see hawks , pheasets ,geese (wild not tame ) ducks ( wild ) ,fox , cyouty , wild turkey , even have a bear around once or twice a year and other wild life each day ,,,, ticks are about the only thing I would like to change here ,,,, we just thought someone might know a way to get them more controled ....

and 
Originally Posted by Michael Bush 
>dont say get chickens ........ 

Guineas?

I still like your humor....
I had them as a kid ( in the 50s ) didn't care much for them eather ....
the kid


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## charmd2 (May 25, 2008)

The only thing we've found for the tick control in our area of Missouri, (which sounds darn near as bad as yours) Is to spray Off liberally knees down daily. 

Unfortunately. Haven't come up with anything better yet.


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## Jack Weston (Jan 13, 2008)

*Guineas Fowl*



Michael Bush said:


> >dont say get chickens ........
> 
> Guineas?


Guinea fowl will survive and breed outside without any care (housing or feeding) on your part and will spend every waking hour eating insects. They do a job on ticks. This might not solve your problem entirely, but it will help.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

I just pick the ticks off when I'm sitting in the living room cooling off and smash them in my "Letherman" pliers. But I used to put sulfur in my socks to keep them out.


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## Zane (Mar 28, 2008)

Do Guinneas eat bee's??? I've thought of getting some and some more turkeys but not sure if they enjoy a tasty bee once in a while?


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## Jon Powell (Jun 15, 2008)

I was very, very sick for two years from Lyme (17 years ago) and the woods that were home to me for so many years are lost to me now in temperatures above 45f. I ate more antibiotics than 1.000 hives of bees, continually for two years. Finally did the IV thing for a cure. Just got off another round of stuff for a tick bite. The headache and stiff neck were possible presentations of Lyme, not to dissimilayr from another time. Sometimes this country boy thinks fo living on pavement in the city, geeze. Runner ducks sound good. What about predators and runner ducks? I have been whittled to nothing for chickens, zero. Two years ago almost died from a seizure that the docs couldn't figure out. They treated me with the IV for Lyme and I pulled out of it, $40,000 later(good insurance.). I suspect that time it may have been a big clorox spill I cleaned up in a closed small space. I still march out to the bees, but check for ticks.


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## prscotty (May 13, 2008)

I would also like to know if Guinneas will eat bees and if not will they eat fire ants?


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

I have a beeyard in a place where they have Guinneas and have never seen them eating bees. They probably do now and then, knowing Guinneas, but so far it hasn't been a problem. The bees do well there.


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## Riki (Jan 31, 2007)

Michael Bush said:


> I have a beeyard in a place where they have Guinneas and have never seen them eating bees. They probably do now and then, knowing Guinneas, but so far it hasn't been a problem. The bees do well there.


I just wouldn't set a mating yard close to them


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