# Ticks-can't take it any longer. What to do/



## challenger (May 27, 2009)

I have a terrible tick problem in my yard.Literally every time I go to the back of my lot where my bees are I get one or more ticks on me and about 50% of the time I get one biting that I've got to remove.
I have tried spraying with cedar oil which turned out to be a very expensive waste of time & money.
Can anyone offer a solution? Our nectar flow is on full bore now so I don't think there is anything I can do to kill these insects but I figured I'd ask. After the flow I plan on covering the bees one night and fogging theyard & woods with an insecticide. I have no choice. Last year my wife got Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and it wasn't joyful to say the least.
Thanks
Howard


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## Birdman (May 8, 2009)

Chickens


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## tommyt (Aug 7, 2010)

There is permethrin in an arasol made to spray on your 
Clothing sold in the camping area of dep.stores 
You spray it on and let the cloths dry 
The tics will die when they get on your pants or shirt 
I used it for bow hunting when the tics a around 
The spray lasts a couple wash's
You may want to wear the same pants and not,wash them often to last longer
You'll be able to read al about it on the can
I would also look into chickens and ask around for a spray and do it 
At night


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## whiskers (Aug 28, 2011)

Guinea fowl are said to find ticks to be a tasty snack. Noisy though if others live close by.
Bill


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## Lazer128 (Dec 15, 2012)

I agree with Bill. Guinea fowl. I have heard that they may eat bees though.


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## Broadside (Mar 29, 2012)

Use Gardstar, same stuff people drench around hives for small hive beetles and that you can buy through bee supply stores. It's been around a long time for livestock, it's Permethirn. I've also heard on the radio that putting cotton balls with permethrin in a toilet paper tube where mice frequent will help as they will use the cotton for nesting material, any ticks feeding on them will die.


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## UTvolshype (Nov 26, 2012)

Gas powered yard blower. Blast the leaves and vegetation before working the bees hives.


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## jeffnmo (Mar 16, 2013)

Lazer you and Bill are right on, We've had Guineas and they clean out ticks in noyjing flat. They can be noisy though.


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## challenger (May 27, 2009)

Birdman said:


> Chickens



My subdivision does not allow "farm anilmals" so any birds mentioned are out. I am lucky the HOA doesn't try and make me get rid if my bees. I am perpetually on their sh!t list.



tommyt said:


> There is permethrin in an arasol made to spray on your
> Clothing sold in the camping area of dep.stores
> You spray it on and let the cloths dry
> The tics will die when they get on your pants or shirt
> ...


I do this-read it in a few forums. I understand the military does this as well when required. The problem is remembering to wear the treated clothing AND the fact that when it gets hot, which is very soon, it is nuts. Thanks



Broadside said:


> Use Gardstar, same stuff people drench around hives for small hive beetles and that you can buy through bee supply stores. It's been around a long time for livestock, it's Permethirn. I've also heard on the radio that putting cotton balls with permethrin in a toilet paper tube where mice frequent will help as they will use the cotton for nesting material, any ticks feeding on them will die.


OK but if I spray the area it will have to be after the flow yes? I mean permethrin hangs around for a while and the bees will be all over the plants nearby???
Thanks



UTvolshype said:


> Gas powered yard blower. Blast the leaves and vegetation before working the bees hives.


Don't take this as me being unappreciative but this seems like it would make beekeeping way too much work. I also would be suspicious about the effectiveness. Tick can cling on to about anything and I really doubt the blower would get to very many in a manner that would dislodge them??

Please keep the ideas coming. This situation is out of control to say the least.

Thanks
Howard


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## Birdman (May 8, 2009)

Sound like time to get some flea and tick collars, strap around your ankles.


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## Birdman (May 8, 2009)

Put some bird feeders out, get the birds hanging around.


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## rweakley (Jul 2, 2004)

I would be more inclined to use the permethrin granules than the spray, less chance of causing a problem with your bees.


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## Saltybee (Feb 9, 2012)

Get a cat if you can't have farm animals. Get rid of the rodents, reduce the ticks.
Ticks are on the high stuff. Grass, flowers on the path? But then, some people just taste good to ticks.


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## Harley Craig (Sep 18, 2012)

I do taxidermy, and when people bring in deer heads, my place is crawling with ticks they leave their host in droves because it's no longer living, It's noting for me to find 10 -20 ticks on me on a good night of skinning out heads, the best thing I have found for constant use that doesn't irritate your skin is to take a shower in puppy flea and tick shampoo before you go out. They will crawl still crawl on you, but they wont imbed, the puppy stuff is gentle enough to not irritate your skin.


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## rniles (Oct 10, 2012)

rweakley said:


> I would be more inclined to use the permethrin granules than the spray, less chance of causing a problem with your bees.


If you don't have chickens granules might be good ...I'm thinking I would prefer the spray ..spraying at dusk. Should be dry by dawn. Especially if you mow any flowers first. Just a thought.


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## Bush_84 (Jan 9, 2011)

I believe permethrin will kill bees. So give some consideration to using those pants around the hives.


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## Roland (Dec 14, 2008)

Cut all brush and mow. Then see what else has to be done.

Crazy Roland


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## BackYardPhenomena (Jul 11, 2012)

An HOA? time to move if you ask me.


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## birdie (Feb 11, 2013)

What about using this, http://www.lowes.com/pd_125810-446-...=1&currentURL=?Ntt=yard+bug+killer&facetInfo=

It's in granular form so you spread it on the area and when it rains it is dissolved into the ground and treatment lasts for three months. Have a tick problem in my back yard and have to spread this every spring great for getting rid of moles in the yard as well.


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## Beeboy01 (May 20, 2008)

Cut the brush down around the hives, ticks will craw up grass and hang waiting to latch onto you as you go by. Tuck your pants into your socks before going out to the hives to keep them off your legs. A quick way to pick them off your pants is with packing or masking tape, just press the sticky side against them and pull them off. Luck with them


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## Bee Bliss (Jun 9, 2010)

Try eating garlic or take garlic capsules daily. Supposed to work for dogs for fleas, etc. (biting insects) My guess is it would help humans too. Mint/peppermint is also supposed to repel mice.


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## smith (Mar 7, 2009)

Move up north! Ticks happen, but not so much you worry about it. Also no hive beetles, little foul brood, lots of alfalfa. Only drawback is that winter thingy...


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## TheBuzz (Feb 8, 2012)

Permethrin is dangerously toxic to cats. You may have mice problem which is causing your tick problem?


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

smith said:


> Move up north! Ticks happen, but not so much you worry about it.


What?? Deer ticks pound us this time of the year. I've had to dig two out of my myself already and the season hasn't hardly got started. Every night before bed, I check myself for ticks. I've found as many as 6 a night, and often 1 or 2. Was talking to Keith J on the phone the other day and watched two Deer ticks crawling up my pants...before I smashed them.

Just a matter of time before Lyme shows up on one of my periodic tests.


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## Sticky Bear (Mar 15, 2012)

You can build a barrier with wet-able sulfur powder and sevin dust, define a perimeter and apply both to the ground like a chalk line used for sports, then treat area within with some form of long acting granules. Bugs will not cross this and if some do the sevin gets them, this is an old farming technique that I've used for ants, ticks and chiggers.


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## Kjd173 (Jun 7, 2012)

Go to tractor supply and get some permethrin spray. You can buy it at 10%, dilute it down to 1 or less in a spray bottle and spray your clothes and let it dry. It will last a few weeks and even work after you wash your clothes. You can also try the elimitick clothing.


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## AstroBee (Jan 3, 2003)

We've got them bad here too. In the past I always had a can of Deep Woods Off in my truck and would spray my pants and shoes. This works well. Last season I bought permethrin spray and that too appears to work well. The permethrin is less hassle since you don't need to reapply so often. Designate a pair of pants as your "Bee" pants and reuse without washing - the bees won't mind  Just last night I was walking through knee-high grass and not a single tick.


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## Ryan Williamson (Feb 28, 2012)

Check out this Tick Handbook published by the state of Connecticut. 

http://www.ct.gov/CAES/lib/caes/documents/special_features/TickHandbook.pdf
Jump to page 37 for Tick Integrated pest management

Its 60 pages and what I remember from reading it years ago is that Deer and rodents are the main carriers of ticks so if you can reduce their presence your tick level will dramatically drop! That along with less brush and shorter grass helps reduce ticks.

I have a deer fence enclosing 3 acres of gardens, orchards, woods and our house and we rarely get ticks on us. But as soon as we step outside the fence to walk in the woods or pick from our ****takee mushroom logs we nailed. Sometimes just one or two but more times than I care to admit my legs have turned dark from thousands upon thousand of seed ticks. Talk about a terrible feeling! That has never happened in the woods or grass inside the deer fence.

Good luck!


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## rweakley (Jul 2, 2004)

Sticky Bear said:


> You can build a barrier with wet-able sulfur powder and sevin dust, define a perimeter and apply both to the ground like a chalk line used for sports, then treat area within with some form of long acting granules. Bugs will not cross this and if some do the sevin gets them, this is an old farming technique that I've used for ants, ticks and chiggers.


I don't think I would want sevin dust ANYWHERE near my bees. BAD BAD STUFF for bees.


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## schmism (Feb 7, 2009)

why not move the hives to a tick free area?

Many people keep hives in suburban back yards 15-20 feet from the back of a house. mine sit 50' from my house.

why go all the way "to the back of the property" when there is better tick free area elsewere on the property.


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## ericweller (Jan 10, 2013)

How tall is the grass you have to go through to get to the hive? Short grass significantly reduces the living space for the ticks which naturally should reduce the numbers.


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## jtow (Mar 30, 2011)

I vote for cutting the grass and cut back any brush. Also, cut any low hanging tree branches around your hives or your path to/from the hives. Ticks will crawl up trees and out to the branch tips and drop on you as you go by.


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## Blackwater Bees (May 7, 2012)

One tick per visit is not a terrible problem. I get that stepping out on the porch. Common bee keeper coveralls tucked into boots will take care of that. No need to nuke everything. One a visit, you're not the target host. Get rid of or treat what they are feeding on.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

Chickens or Guinea's will take care of the ticks...


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## bnm1000 (Oct 12, 2011)

Both Chickens or Guinea's are good - Guinea's are much better than the chickens, but you get more eggs with the chickens! I have both.


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## TheBuzz (Feb 8, 2012)

Deer also may bring in ticks. Ticks also don't like short grass either.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>but you get more eggs with the chickens!

and a lot less noise...


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

Challenger, I know you said you can't have chickens but what if a friend brought over a few pet chickens and then took them back. Chickens have sonar for tics it seams. I don't think it would take long for the chickens to make an impact.


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## Laurabee (Apr 8, 2013)

I heard that lice shampoo will keep them off of you. Good tip if you are dealing with deer ticks that are hard to spot in hair. Try eating plenty of garlic too.


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## GLOCK (Dec 29, 2009)

Garlic works but you have to eat it daily and a couple globes a day . I grow garlic {2000 globes a year} and love it my wife on the other hand can't eat alot of it to much for her and she and my daughter get tick all the time . i've only ever had one on me .
Guinea's didn't work for me and there trouble makers with the neighbors.


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## Cedar Hill (Jan 27, 2009)

We have plenty of wild turkey flocks in our area which help to keep the tick population down if you're fortunate enough to have them stay nearby. http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/wildlife/facts/birds/turkey/turkey_home.htm However, the usage of Millorganite, for the lawns (fertilizer made of human sewage) tends to keep the deer away from our shrubbery ergo tick carriers. Keep the deer population away and your tick problem is lessened markedly. OMTCW


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## Roland (Dec 14, 2008)

Cedarhill - Thanks, I thought I was crazy for noticing that the tick are only in the yards where we have never seen turkeys.

Crazy Roland


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## WildernessWill (May 19, 2012)

I am going to say since no one else has. How about a bee suit? Mine keeps the bugs out wonderfully


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## BayHighlandBees (Feb 13, 2012)

eat lots of garlic, now you have an excuse!


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## Wyvern (Jun 4, 2011)

The fire ants that have moved in here kill ticks! Lived in Louisiana for 40 years, very few ticks left after fire ant invasion!


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## challenger (May 27, 2009)

Birdman said:


> Sound like time to get some flea and tick collars, strap around your ankles.


I may try this. Thanks



Birdman said:


> Put some bird feeders out, get the birds hanging around.


Too many trees. I have a lot of pine trees. I now between them just to keep brush & weeds down. Squirrels eat all the bird food or destroy, "squirrel proof" feeders. Thanks



rweakley said:


> I would be more inclined to use the permethrin granules than the spray, less chance of causing a problem with your bees.


I may try this too-thanks



Saltybee said:


> Get a cat if you can't have farm animals. Get rid of the rodents, reduce the ticks.
> Ticks are on the high stuff. Grass, flowers on the path? But then, some people just taste good to ticks.


The deer are the problem. I have dozens go through the yard daily. Never saw a traced of rodents. Lots of hawks? No cats for me-thanks.



Harley Craig said:


> I do taxidermy, and when people bring in deer heads, my place is crawling with ticks they leave their host in droves because it's no longer living, It's noting for me to find 10 -20 ticks on me on a good night of skinning out heads, the best thing I have found for constant use that doesn't irritate your skin is to take a shower in puppy flea and tick shampoo before you go out. They will crawl still crawl on you, but they wont imbed, the puppy stuff is gentle enough to not irritate your skin.


I'll look into this. I'm a little concerned about this though from a chemical standpoint-thanks.



BackYardPhenomena said:


> An HOA? time to move if you ask me.


Luckily I am isolated from the rest of the neighborhood plus they know they can't walk over me. I agree with this sentiment however. HOAs have way too much power & are generally run by certain, "little Cesar" mentality. Thanks



Beeboy01 said:


> Cut the brush down around the hives, ticks will craw up grass and hang waiting to latch onto you as you go by. Tuck your pants into your socks before going out to the hives to keep them off your legs. A quick way to pick them off your pants is with packing or masking tape, just press the sticky side against them and pull them off. Luck with them


Grass is low. I thinks they drop from higher branches. I wasn't near any brush the last two days. I took a swarm trap that had a swarm move in off the shelf it was on & carried it 75' to a hive stand & had a tick on my shirt that ended up in my neck at 12:00AM. Got a tick latch on every day this week and that is with treated pants. I'll be getting a jump suit asap.
I hate wearing a bee suit unless I'm working a mean hive. Thanks



Bee Bliss said:


> Try eating garlic or take garlic capsules daily. Supposed to work for dogs for fleas, etc. (biting insects) My guess is it would help humans too. Mint/peppermint is also supposed to repel mice.


Hate to sound like a spoiled child but I despise the smell of garlic. When someone is near me that has eaten garlic I want to strangle them for polluting my air. It is such a foul odor. I don't know how people stand themselves. Thanks



smith said:


> Move up north! Ticks happen, but not so much you worry about it. Also no hive beetles, little foul brood, lots of alfalfa. Only drawback is that winter thingy...


Worst idea yet-sorry. I came from NY to NC almost 30 years ago. The weather here is so nice. NY weather is awful. Again, I don't know how people deal with all the trouble that comes with cold climate living. I'll eventually deal with this awful problem. Moving anywhere would be a bit much & moving north would be after hanging from a rope. Um...didn't Lyme's disease originate in Conn???? Yup.



TheBuzz said:


> Permethrin is dangerously toxic to cats. You may have mice problem which is causing your tick problem?


See above. No mice to speak of & no cats for me. Thanks



Michael Palmer said:


> What?? Deer ticks pound us this time of the year. I've had to dig two out of my myself already and the season hasn't hardly got started. Every night before bed, I check myself for ticks. I've found as many as 6 a night, and often 1 or 2. Was talking to Keith J on the phone the other day and watched two Deer ticks crawling up my pants...before I smashed them.
> 
> Just a matter of time before Lyme shows up on one of my periodic tests.


I may have mentioned-due to tick & chigger bites I am now very allergic to red meat. It's been about 7 years now. My MD tested me for Lyme's but thinks there isn't any here. He is wrong. I feel like I have symptoms of Lyme,s that come & go but seeking help in my local has been difficult at best. My wife got*RMSF last year & caught it right away. Still 3 weeks of illness???



Kjd173 said:


> Go to tractor supply and get some permethrin spray. You can buy it at 10%, dilute it down to 1 or less in a spray bottle and spray your clothes and let it dry. It will last a few weeks and even work after you wash your clothes. You can also try the elimitick clothing.


Got 34% diluted down & started using it. I started this after reading that the military uses it. I need more than just the pants treated though-thanks.



AstroBee said:


> We've got them bad here too. In the past I always had a can of Deep Woods Off in my truck and would spray my pants and shoes. This works well. Last season I bought permethrin spray and that too appears to work well. The permethrin is less hassle since you don't need to reapply so often. Designate a pair of pants as your "Bee" pants and reuse without washing - the bees won't mind  Just last night I was walking through knee-high grass and not a single tick.


Yes sir-thanks



Ryan Williamson said:


> Check out this Tick Handbook published by the state of Connecticut.
> 
> http://www.ct.gov/CAES/lib/caes/documents/special_features/TickHandbook.pdf
> Jump to page 37 for Tick Integrated pest management
> ...


I read this guide. I need to bow hunt these deer & give these oversized rats a dirt nap. Not one or two but all of them. They are disease carrying vermin & cause a large amount of damage to people & cars. Thanks



schmism said:


> why not move the hives to a tick free area?
> 
> Many people keep hives in suburban back yards 15-20 feet from the back of a house. mine sit 50' from my house.
> 
> why go all the way "to the back of the property" when there is better tick free area elsewere on the property.


I'll see if these other things work before I move my hives. They are in a perfect spot. It is a clear shot walking to the hives but the ticks just fall out of the sky.



jtow said:


> I vote for cutting the grass and cut back any brush. Also, cut any low hanging tree branches around your hives or your path to/from the hives. Ticks will crawl up trees and out to the branch tips and drop on you as you go by.


Everything is cut but the branches that are 10' & higher. I read they can wait & drop???



Blackwater Bees said:


> One tick per visit is not a terrible problem. I get that stepping out on the porch. Common bee keeper coveralls tucked into boots will take care of that. No need to nuke everything. One a visit, you're not the target host. Get rid of or treat what they are feeding on.


Venison anyone? Thanks



Acebird said:


> Challenger, I know you said you can't have chickens but what if a friend brought over a few pet chickens and then took them back. Chickens have sonar for tics it seams. I don't think it would take long for the chickens to make an impact.


Actually I do have some rats living near me. Some people call them neighbors. If I brought a chicken to my house it would have to be baked of fried. Thanks



Laurabee said:


> I heard that lice shampoo will keep them off of you. Good tip if you are dealing with deer ticks that are hard to spot in hair. Try eating plenty of garlic too.


I am bald by choice. Hair got gray and got gone. If I had hair at this point it would make me feel like something is crawling in it all the time. Garlic=mouth sewage AFAIAC. Thanks



Cedar Hill said:


> We have plenty of wild turkey flocks in our area which help to keep the tick population down if you're fortunate enough to have them stay nearby. http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/wildlife/facts/birds/turkey/turkey_home.htm However, the usage of Millorganite, for the lawns (fertilizer made of human sewage) tends to keep the deer away from our shrubbery ergo tick carriers. Keep the deer population away and your tick problem is lessened markedly. OMTCW


I've been using milorganite for years to try to keep the deer from mowing down my landscape plants. It worked very well but needs to be applied very often and would cost me $100.00/ application. Every few weeks I can't afford. Thanks



WildernessWill said:


> I am going to say since no one else has. How about a bee suit? Mine keeps the bugs out wonderfully


True but I'm going to try an easier on/off jump suit first. Thanks




Wyvern said:


> The fire ants that have moved in here kill ticks! Lived in Louisiana for 40 years, very few ticks left after fire ant invasion!


Oh we have plenty of fire ants but I think the pines shade out too much for them? I've not seen any except in full sun. Thanks


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## dphillipm (Mar 27, 2013)

I had chickens, and no ticks. My chickens were doing great until they decided that they liked my 84yr old father's tomato's. My father can is still a good shot.


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## Bee Bliss (Jun 9, 2010)

The garlic capsules are deodorized so that smell would not be a problem on your breath.

I am not sure how much area you are trying to protect, but many gardeners hang small bars of Irish Spring soap to repel deer from certain trees or plants. I hung a soap bar (protected from the rain by a plastic bottle with the bottom half cut off) in my pear tree to repel deer. The neighbor has done this also to keep the deer from munching on her plants which they were doing.


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## BayHighlandBees (Feb 13, 2012)

having ticks near your bees could mean that you have night time visitors. I have my bees on pavement (stretching 15-20yrs in either direction) and found baby tics one day on the concrete in front of the hive. Must have fallen off of a raccoon or a rat


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

Bee Bliss said:


> but many gardeners hang small bars of Irish Spring soap to repel deer from certain trees or plants.


Hmm, how far away will it keep the deer or how close together does the bars have to be? This is worth trying for our vegetable gardens.


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## Blackwater Bees (May 7, 2012)

Wyvern said:


> The fire ants that have moved in here kill ticks! Lived in Louisiana for 40 years, very few ticks left after fire ant invasion!


We're overrun by both. I don't think there's a correlation.


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## challenger (May 27, 2009)

Bee Bliss said:


> The garlic capsules are deodorized so that smell would not be a problem on your breath.
> 
> I am not sure how much area you are trying to protect, but many gardeners hang small bars of Irish Spring soap to repel deer from certain trees or plants. I hung a soap bar (protected from the rain by a plastic bottle with the bottom half cut off) in my pear tree to repel deer. The neighbor has done this also to keep the deer from munching on her plants which they were doing.


My "back yard" is about 120' deep by 450' wide if this helps at all. I find the soap idea interesting and will do some more research on it. I think it would be easy to do and it is the brand I use anyway


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## Bill Davis (Jul 16, 2012)

Cedar Hill said:


> We have plenty of wild turkey flocks in our area which help to keep the tick population down if you're fortunate enough to have them stay nearby. http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/wildlife/facts/birds/turkey/turkey_home.htm However, the usage of Millorganite, for the lawns (fertilizer made of human sewage) tends to keep the deer away from our shrubbery ergo tick carriers. Keep the deer population away and your tick problem is lessened markedly. OMTCW



I actually got my first ever tick on my leg tonight. Bad news is tomorrow is first day of the youth turkey hunt so hopefully my son and I remove a tick eater from the population tomorrow.


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## Saltybee (Feb 9, 2012)

Deer are smart. What they eat and what they fear are very much family based and depends upon what they have been taught. Lots of things will work until the first deer ignors it. Then they all will.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

When I was a kid we always put sulfur in our socks for the ticks and chiggers. It seemed to keep more of them off...


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## StacieM (Dec 13, 2012)

I am having the same problem. We have a 20 acre farm, and probably keep 4 acres mowed, and probably have 10 acres of woods. The rest is overgrown pasture. Even in the areas right around the house, where the grass is kept short, we are getting ticks. We do have a lot of deer here in KY. We have gotten chickens, but right now they are only about a month old and are only outside free ranging on the warm days. I am hoping that they get them under control as soon as they are big enough to be outside all of the time. 

Just how noisy are guineas?


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## DanielD (Jul 21, 2012)

I have always read that ticks live in the lower 18" of growth. I am pretty sure they don't jump out of trees, etc. Finding them on your head just means that they made a journey up after jumping on board down below. They can spend a long time just hanging to a blade of grass, then when a critter, etc. is sensed going by, they spring into action onto the victim. I have often wandered for long walks in very tick infested woods and managed to keep them off me above the belt by periodically checking my pants and picking them off as they wander upwards. Wear light colored pants to see them better and just keep checking your legs and removing them. Sounds tedious, but it can be effective. Of course they can get under the cuff and get imbedded in your belt line, etc.


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

Tics, definitely drop down from tree branches.


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## bugmeister (Feb 26, 2013)

We have similar problem in NE with ticks. If you can't bring in the guinea fowl and would like to defoliate a path or area around the hives without poison or fire try this. find some old scrap metal roofing or siding or buy some if need be. lay it down on the path or area around the hives you want to have access to. lay it down for about 2 weeks in the sunshine and all vegetation below will die off and with no grass or brush for the bugs cant ambush you from- they will go too. their nests and eggs and all will die in the intense heat as well. that area should be plant free for months unless you reseed after the tick bloom. it works and it is environmentally sound. wear sun glasses and gloves when moving the stuff in the sun.


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## gruntworker (May 20, 2013)

I used to work construction. I noticed one day all the flys we're on me at lunch... Only me. When asked the rest of the crew just laughed. A week later they let me in on the secret. They all ate onions and garlic in large quantities. While I would try to avoid garlic in large quantities this diet does change your smell and insects do not like it. Well them and wives so this may be a bad thing as well.

You could also plant Dutch clover to bring in wild birds to eat ticks. The guy that said ticks just like the taste of some people is right... Change your taste.


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## hpm08161947 (May 16, 2009)

Too bad you can't easily get TacTic anymore.... I'd make a 50-50 solution of canola oil and tactic and spray it on my lower pants leg and boots. Of course, it's active ingredient is Amitraz... the same as the dog collar and the same as used for cattle on their rub ropes.


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## wanderyr (Feb 11, 2012)

I think your land is too big for this to work on, but I wanted to add my two cents.

We had ticks on our small property. Gave the dogs and cats those flea drops (Frontline Plus; it is one of the few that works on ticks in addition to fleas). You only put it on them once a month.

Not only did it clear the pets of fleas and ticks, after a few months there were MANY fewer ticks in the yard. I assumed they crawled onto the pets and died 

More recently (in a new house), we got some fleas brought into the house by our cats. We haven't used the drops for years now. We treated the cats just once, and the fleas in the house became gone. Didn't have to use a fogger or anything 

Good luck,
wanderyr


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## challenger (May 27, 2009)

gruntworker said:


> I used to work construction. I noticed one day all the flys we're on me at lunch... Only me. When asked the rest of the crew just laughed. A week later they let me in on the secret. They all ate onions and garlic in large quantities. While I would try to avoid garlic in large quantities this diet does change your smell and insects do not like it. Well them and wives so this may be a bad thing as well.
> 
> You could also plant Dutch clover to bring in wild birds to eat ticks. The guy that said ticks just like the taste of some people is right... Change your taste.


I researched the dietary garlic idea and, as far as I researched, there was a very slight improvement in tick bites. It was almost negligible so the two bottles I bought are still sealed.
I also tried taking the sulfur powder as prescribed on many online forums. All the testimonies were so sure fire I took it Gospel truth. No go on that one either. I researched this after using the sulfur for a few weeks and indeed it turned out to be nonsense. PLEASE! If it works for you then I am happy-just not something science says will work so I am bagging these two ideas. Onions I've researched as well. Both onions and garlic are very health according to the data AND there is anecdotal data suggesting it works for dogs.

I have sprayed my bee suits with .5% pemethrin as some of the armed forces do. I also did my shoes & boots. I am wearing flea collars to cinch up the legs of my suits when I wear shoes and tuck them in when wearing boots and this has decreased the number of ticks to maybe one a week. Last one was about 10 days ago and was in the exact center of my back. I had just bought some fine tweezers and it took me at least 1/2 an hour while I was viewing the tick through a compound mirror system AKA the side view truck mirror and tinted front window. I must have looked like a complete idiot (redundant). Trying to coordinate the movement of my arm & hands while looking through the mirrors was nearly impossible. I ended up having to move so slow & correct my bass awkward movements until I grabbed the tick right next to my skin. I then pulled long enough so it let go without leaving the mouth part behind. I placed it on the ground and baptized it with tea colored urine (very hot-long day) then I cursed at it, stepped on it while applying a twisting motion, shot it with my .44 magnum and ran it over 585 times.
Still wasn't dead enough for my liking.

The last tick that I yanked out prior to this one left it's mouth part behind. It was right on my chest under my chin. After three days it got so irritated and itchy I couldn't take it anymore. I started digging it out and ended up with a little bleeding hole which was much better than the itching. I cannot believe the strength these little mouth things have.

These critters are really awful at best. The 3 outyards plus my house hives are all in areas with huge tick populations so I am being forced to wear a complete suit when I work my bees. if I get lazy I am almost guaranteed to come home with a tick. I really hate wearing a suit unless I absolutely have to. I normally will endure 3-4 stings so long as they are not in rapid succession before putting the suit on. I am no macho guy-I just don't like all the hi-temp clothes. Plus when I wear a suit I just end up with stings on the wrists & fingers.

I will continue looking for a remedy but next Spring my yard is getting fogged for ticks. I'll remove the bees for a week or so & that should take care of one area anyway.

BTW-I have had more than a few climbing up my leg with 1/2 hour of applying "Deep Woods Off".I also hate using these sprays and now I won't bother being they don't do a thing for ticks.
Thanks
Howard


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## cdevier (Jul 17, 2010)

I also have a big yard with fruit trees, Black Locust trees, bee hives, and lots of deer. Seven years ago, I started shooting the deer with my BB gun. This worked very quickly to reduce the population in my yard - and the number of ticks droped also.
I place a bar of soap in an inverted cat food can and hang in my fruit trees.The soap plus a spray of eggs (one egg to a quart of water in blender) from a spray bottle and deer will not touch it.
Charlie

zone 5 - 13 hives


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## curios1 (Jul 2, 2012)

Move !


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## mcauth (May 21, 2013)

I have used diatomacheous earth and it really helps kill them - totally natural and lethal. Just be careful and keep it away from your bees. If they get in it they're dead.

I started dusting my ankles and shoes with the DE, with the theory that the ticks would be so compromised by the time they crawled on me they'd die or fall off before they took to biting. Just a theory though, you're mileage may vary


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## Brad Bee (Apr 15, 2013)

I havent read this whole thread so this may have been suggested, but if you live where you can keep them, get some Guinea Fowl. They will clean up your tick problem.


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## Rosies (Jun 18, 2008)

For what it's worth my husband puts agriculture lime on our grass to repel ticks and it works for fleas too. It's also good for the soil. It's cheaper to buy it at a feed store than at Lowe's or somewhere like Lowe's. Good luck.


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## solarguy (Jan 10, 2013)

It has been reported in enough places that are reputable, that I will pass this on. Vitamin B-1. Even the cheap stuff from Wal-Mart.

Here's a reference:

http://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=30&m=1491252

others say the data doesn't support the theory, but this could easily be an individual thing.

Good luck, ticks SUCK.

troy


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## MajorJC (Apr 13, 2013)

I don't have a solution to the tick problem. I just wanted to say that after reading this thread, I am itching all over.


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## BayHighlandBees (Feb 13, 2012)

tics start low and climb up. They don't jump from trees or even jump at all. 

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/projects/lymedisease/ld032501s3.shtml


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## bluegrass (Aug 30, 2006)

Michael Palmer said:


> Just a matter of time before Lyme shows up on one of my periodic tests.


You will feel it long before it shows up on a random blood test. I think most MDs recommend prophylactic antibiotics for black legged tick bites now days. Once you get lyme it never really goes away so prevention is the best course. Interesting that you have tick problems in Champlain valley. We don't here in central VT (I have never got one on me and I don't check for them when in VT), but in CT they are everywhere. 

The tick is just a carrier, the Mice are the cause of the ticks being infected... kill the mice and the tick population crashes. And I agree with the Guinea fowl. They will clean the ticks right out of an area and if the HOA asks... You have no idea where they came from.


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

bugmeister said:


> find some old scrap metal roofing or siding or buy some if need be.


Scrap carpet works well until it rots (about 3 years).


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## challenger (May 27, 2009)

curios1 said:


> Move !


I do move-just not quick enough to avoid ticks. Should I move side to side or up & down. Surely you don't mean move to another home/location because that would be a lame reply unless it was meant sarcastically in which case,........well that would be lame too?



Rosies said:


> For what it's worth my husband puts agriculture lime on our grass to repel ticks and it works for fleas too. It's also good for the soil. It's cheaper to buy it at a feed store than at Lowe's or somewhere like Lowe's. Good luck.


The grass doesn't seem to be the issue. I've converted most of my grass to Ladino clover and I mow it after the majority of flowers fade. Once mowed they pop up again. I think the deer cause them to be on about any ankle high weed/tree/shrub and anything higher.



solarguy said:


> It has been reported in enough places that are reputable, that I will pass this on. Vitamin B-1. Even the cheap stuff from Wal-Mart.
> 
> Here's a reference:
> 
> ...


I tried B1 several years ago for noseeum gnats-didnt work but I may try it again. Maybe it is effective for some & not others. These little gnats are unbearable certain times of the year but I'd wear them like a coat if it meant keeping ticks away.



BayHighlandBees said:


> tics start low and climb up. They don't jump from trees or even jump at all.
> 
> http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/projects/lymedisease/ld032501s3.shtml


I can only say from personal experience that I've had ticks drop off branches onto me. Maybe they lost their grip but I think they sense the heat from mammals and fall off. Squirrels get ticks & they spend a lot of time up high so I imagine a smart tick can climb limbs.


bluegrass said:


> You will feel it long before it shows up on a random blood test. I think most MDs recommend prophylactic antibiotics for black legged tick bites now days. Once you get lyme it never really goes away so prevention is the best course. Interesting that you have tick problems in Champlain valley. We don't here in central VT (I have never got one on me and I don't check for them when in VT), but in CT they are everywhere.
> 
> The tick is just a carrier, the Mice are the cause of the ticks being infected... kill the mice and the tick population crashes. And I agree with the Guinea fowl. They will clean the ticks right out of an area and if the HOA asks... You have no idea where they came from.


I'll look into these birds. With the 10 acres of community owned wetlands behind me I can see no way I could get pinned. I wonder if my dog would cause them to leave? Again, I've never seen even a sign of any rodents other than an occasional rebuy and squirrels and the deer outnumber both by 3-4x.
I was tested for Lyme's but my MD poo-poos the idea that I have it. I am not convinced I have it but I've had a lot of nagging health issues pop up over the last few years that I can't attribute to anything but I'm not here to belly ache about this-just wish there was a better test.


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## hpm08161947 (May 16, 2009)

challenger said:


> I can only say from personal experience that I've had ticks drop off branches onto me. Maybe they lost their grip but I think they sense the heat from mammals and fall off. Squirrels get ticks & they spend a lot of time up high so I imagine a smart tick can climb limbs.


Don't let them pull your leg! We in eastern NC all know they fall off trees. I can show you thickets that a 5 min stroll will produce a doz tics in your hair, shoulders, neck.... etc. Maybe up North a lymme tic can not climb.... but down here a Rebel tic most certainly can.

Guineas are the only thing that can bring you peace.... over many years we established a population here on the farm.... we have no tics..... Guineas are basically wild animals when allowed to roam... and that is what you have to do in order to combat the tics... establish a roaming population of guineas.


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## jquinby (Jun 3, 2013)

One trick I've read about (but have not tried myself) is to wrap a band of duct tape around your calves, sticky side out. They aren't supposed to like crossing the adhesive and will bail on you. A little more info here.


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## Andrew Dewey (Aug 23, 2005)

At a minimum get some straps with velcro to use around your pant legs - or tuck your pant legs into your socks. There are lots of sprays and sure fire remedies out there - I hesitate to use any as bees are insects too and I don't want anything on me that even might make my job tougher as a beekeeper.

Oh and I just finished a three week course of antibiotics after two tick attachments. Side effects were not fun!

To quote from Hill Street Blues "Bee careful out there"


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## AstroBee (Jan 3, 2003)

BayHighlandBees said:


> They don't jump from trees or even jump at all.


That myth is certainly a myth. I've witnessed ticks falling out of a tree on to my arm. Just pulled 7 off me on Sunday.


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## challenger (May 27, 2009)

hpm08161947 said:


> Don't let them pull your leg! We in eastern NC all know they fall off trees. I can show you thickets that a 5 min stroll will produce a doz tics in your hair, shoulders, neck.... etc. Maybe up North a lymme tic can not climb.... but down here a Rebel tic most certainly can.
> 
> Guineas are the only thing that can bring you peace.... over many years we established a population here on the farm.... we have no tics..... Guineas are basically wild animals when allowed to roam... and that is what you have to do in order to combat the tics... establish a roaming population of guineas.


I hate to start a major war here but I found research today that stated that these birds carry way more ticks than they eat. I won't get into the details because I know too many here have had great success with them. A couple of other drawbacks will keep me from using them though.



jquinby said:


> One trick I've read about (but have not tried myself) is to wrap a band of duct tape around your calves, sticky side out. They aren't supposed to like crossing the adhesive and will bail on you. A little more info here.


I like this idea too-may give it a try. Thanks



Andrew Dewey said:


> At a minimum get some straps with velcro to use around your pant legs - or tuck your pant legs into your socks. There are lots of sprays and sure fire remedies out there - I hesitate to use any as bees are insects too and I don't want anything on me that even might make my job tougher as a beekeeper.
> 
> Oh and I just finished a three week course of antibiotics after two tick attachments. Side effects were not fun!
> 
> To quote from Hill Street Blues "Bee careful out there"


Well today was proof that there is just no way to keep them off. I had my permethrine treated boots on and was wearing my treated suit-both having been sprayed with .5% (maybe .05% I forget). I was wearing nitrile gloves and my weldors cuffs. I had a veil on most of the time as well. After working the bees for about 4 hours I come home and feel the unmistakable itch on my lower leg. Sure enough I pull up the leg of my suit and a tiny Lone Star tick is biting my **** leg. The legs of my suit were tucked into my boots! Good gravy! It is just too hard to believe this thing got past the tucked in permethrin treated boots & suit legs and was feasting on my leg. I thought I had them beat with all the gear but now I know I need to do something even more extreme. I just don't know what to do?
Thanks
Howard


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## julysun (Apr 25, 2012)

http://www.tickencounter.org/prevention/clothing_only_repellent_videos

There is no majic bullet as long as you live in a wild animal infested place. This site can help.


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## Brad Bee (Apr 15, 2013)

Ticks, meet your worst enemy........


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## jim lyon (Feb 19, 2006)

AstroBee said:


> That myth is certainly a myth. I've witnessed ticks falling out of a tree on to my arm. Just pulled 7 off me on Sunday.


Without a doubt tall grass is a haven for ticks, but the most ticks I have ever gotten off of me in my life was in a bee yard with heavy tree cover. A hard rain came up and my hired man and I had to spend 10+ minutes finishing the yard before getting in the truck. Once in the truck we realized that we were alive with ticks. We stopped counting when we got over 100. No doubt in my mind that they were getting knocked off the trees.


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## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

terrible tick problem here also, the way to relieve the problem is by keeping the grass cut in your yards. I have not had the opportunity to cut the grass yet, and working in long growing blades of grass, we are covered with ticks at the end of the day. They dont find a way into the bee suit all that easy


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## bluegrass (Aug 30, 2006)

I am just waiting for Lyme to get transmitted through Varroa to our bees 

Ticks them selves are not much of a bother to me, but Lyme, Ehrlichiosis and Rocky MT Spotted fever all scare the hell out of me. I have seen rather young people completely debilitated by the first two.

Delving into the conspiracy theory there are some who believe that Lyme was a biological weapon that escaped the lab. In Long Island Sound there is a Government Research lab called Plum Island. Today it is a USDA disease research lab, but it's use prior to the 1960s is still classified and up until Eisenhower it's existence was denied by the Government. Anyway ticks contract lyme from mice. It is thought that the government developed lyme to infect mice and then drop them by the millions into tick infested war zones where it would quickly be transmitted to the enemies on the ground and debilitate them, and without treatment kill them in a few months.


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## jim lyon (Feb 19, 2006)

bluegrass said:


> I am just waiting for Lyme to get transmitted through Varroa to our bees
> 
> Ticks them selves are not much of a bother to me, but Lyme, Ehrlichiosis and Rocky MT Spotted fever all scare the hell out of me. I have seen rather young people completely debilitated by the first two.
> 
> Delving into the conspiracy theory there are some who believe that Lyme was a biological weapon that escaped the lab. In Long Island Sound there is a Government Research lab called Plum Island. Today it is a USDA disease research lab, but it's use prior to the 1960s is still classified and up until Eisenhower it's existence was denied by the Government. Anyway ticks contract lyme from mice. It is thought that the government developed lyme to infect mice and then drop them by the millions into tick infested war zones where it would quickly be transmitted to the enemies on the ground and debilitate them, and without treatment kill them in a few months.


Isnt it just the tiny Deer Ticks that spread Lyme and not wood ticks?


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## bluegrass (Aug 30, 2006)

jim lyon said:


> Isnt it just the tiny Deer Ticks that spread Lyme and not wood ticks?


In North America the black legged tick is the most common vector due to it's small size and the fact that it is easy to miss when you do an inspection. ( the tick has to be embedded for over 24 hrs for it to get transmitted) but other ticks can transmit it. It has also been diagnosed in humans in Europe and they do not have the black legged tick. It is a common disease in shepherds as the get it from ticks when the shear their sheep.


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

How does that song go "I want to check you for ticks"? I think it is pleasant having my wife checking me for ticks. I always like to check her even though she hasn't been it the woods!


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## Moccasin (May 18, 2010)

It seems to me ticks have season when they are bad..Spring. They sort of just go away. Mowing sure helps me.


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## MaineHayFarmer (Jun 8, 2013)

Vitamin B1 is also called thiamine. It is a water-soluble vitamin that participates in many of the chemical reactions in the body. If you ingest more vitamin B1 than your body needs, the excess is excreted in urine and through the skin via perspiration. The fact that vitamin B1 is eliminated by the skin that gives it the potential to deter mosquitoes and ticks. Especially if you dislike commercial mosquito and tick repellents, thiamine may be worth a try.



Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/440865-vitamin-b1-as-a-mosquito-repellent/#ixzz2Vm9NrwYH


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## bluegrass (Aug 30, 2006)

A couple of problems with the info in the link. #1 at the bottom it states that the studies have shown no correlation with B1 and a repellent effect. So if it doesn't work, why do it? #2 their claim that overdosing on B1 is completely safe is false. While B1 toxicity is rare, it does occur, and symptoms can be as mild as a headache or as serious as cardiac problems. (think of the warnings we see for energy drinks which have very high levels of Thiamine.)


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## solarguy (Jan 10, 2013)

Some studies show it works. Some show no effect. This could be a case of, it works for some situations and people, but not others.

In normal doses, the risk is virtually zero. I would think it worth trying.

hth

troy


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## bluegrass (Aug 30, 2006)

In normal doses you will be absorbing it all and not excreting the excess.


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## challenger (May 27, 2009)

bluegrass said:


> In normal doses you will be absorbing it all and not excreting the excess.


I remember trying it about 8 years ago while I was building my house. The tiny gnats were a big problem. It didn't work for them so I doubt it would work for ticks but I may try it anyway.
Seems it may be a personal body chemistry thing.
I understand it is a water soluble supplement so I feel safe in trying it over the summer.
I think my death will be tick related anyway.
Someone told me that when I find one one me an I've pick is an effective weapon.


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## Tank-86 (May 2, 2013)

jeffnmo said:


> Lazer you and Bill are right on, We've had Guineas and they clean out ticks in noyjing flat. They can be noisy though.


Do your Guineas eat up your bees? I just bought some keets but now I'm starting to wonder if its a bad Idea. I'm afraid when they grow up they are gunna eat all the bees


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## Nabber86 (Apr 15, 2009)

bluegrass said:


> In North America the black legged tick is the most common vector due to it's small size and the fact that it is easy to miss when you do an inspection. ( the tick has to be embedded for over 24 hrs for it to get transmitted) but other ticks can transmit it.


That's what I have read and I just heard a story about it (the 24-hour thing) on NPR

http://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=195223507



> But it doesn't happen like a mosquito bite. It happens in - it's a matter of some debate how long it takes, *but it certainly takes at least 36 hours. *So if you check your kids, and he doesn't have a tick when he goes to bed, and he has a tick at, you know, before taking a bath the next evening, and you get the tick out, you're fine. But you need to get the tick out properly, and that means tweezers. Don't just yank it because those guys burrow into you.


I have never had a tick on me for 36 or even 24 hours and yes, I know that they are tiny and easily overlooked, but I find them pretty quickly because they cause me to itch really badly. A thorough tick check doesn’t take that long. 

I have one bee yard at the back of an un-managed pasture and the only access is a 4-wheel utility vehicle, through 1/4 mile of high brush. Plus I am checking fences, deer stands, games cameras, and generally romping around the woods and pasture while there. Mowing, chickens, or surrounding my hives with diatomaceous earth, sulpher, or whatever isn’t going to work in my case. 

I also believe in spraying my pants with pyrethrin. You guys can rely on old wives’ tails and snake-oil remedies all you want (garlic, B1, etc.) good luck with that. Lyme is nothing to mess with.


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## challenger (May 27, 2009)

Nabber86 said:


> That's what I have read and I just heard a story about it (the 24-hour thing) on NPR
> 
> http://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=195223507
> 
> ...


Agreed. I know all too well the specific itch that a tick causes. I know about 90% of the time that once I feel the itch I'll be removing a MF tick. Some are so small they have crawled through socks that I've tucked my suit legs into.
I also use permethrine.
I just wish I could remember the formula. I have to look it up every time I want to make a spray bottle from 10% concentration. It is a .5% solution that is recommended yes?
I have to state that the research I did suggested against Guinea fowl. Perhaps it is flawed but it was a genuine study that concluded the birds carry many more ticks than they consume???
I'm not saying I'm just saying.
Howard the tick host poster boy.


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## wengeasley (Jun 25, 2013)

lime....powered lime. keep it low so you don't get it in your hives


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## jeb532 (Feb 16, 2011)

Get *food grade* Diatomaceous Earth (DE) (amorphous silica i.e. microscopic plankton skeletons) and sprinkle it in the grass around your hives..and in your pets bedding and even on your pets fur.  Kills all kinds of bugs by scratching holes in their exoskeleton, upon which they die from dehydration. Does not hurt mammals. Its also ingestable. 1/2 level tsp in a glass of water per day will kill intestinal parasites too. Stop taking it for a few days if you become constipated. You can by a 50# bag of FOOD GRADE DE on line for ~$60 (shipping included) and it will last you well over a year.

*DO NOT USE SWIMMING POOL DE! * It is both toxic and carcinogenic. Swimming pool DE has been converted by heat (2,000 degrees for several hours) to crystalline silica. I repeat swimming pool DE is both toxic and carcinogenic.


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