Monday, June 15, 2009

Joe's Tick Reduction Method

I'm just back from a fun trip to Minnesota to visit Joe & Deanna.  I just wanted to share Joe's method of keeping the ticks at bay.  It seems to be prime tick time in the suburbs of Wrenshall - and Joe has a unique method of keeping the little critters at bay.  After tucking his long pants into his socks,  he wraps his ankles tightly with masking tape.  I suppose it would work on your sleeve cuffs, too (maybe around the neck?).   Anyway, Joe taped us all up for a hike down to the new pond. We had  a sweet trip - it's a nice pond!  However, back at the homestead, after we all ripped off our masking tape, the ticks were everywhere!  There were probably a dozen on the three of us! But, to be fair to the masking tape method, I don't think there were any "inside" our pants - they were just everywhere else.  Joe expertly picked them off and "destroyed" them!  But I have to admit that I had that creepy crawly feeling for the rest of the evening.  Joe assured me these ticks aren't the disease carrying kind - just the kind that will suck my blood. But remembering Amanda's tick experience of a couple of years ago,  I decided to spend the rest of my visit inside the house looking OUT at the beautiful scenery!

3 comments:

  1. In defense of "tick infested Wrenshall" I have to point out that the dozen or so ticks were really 2 or 3. They are friendly little buggers.

    I do, however, agree with the fact that the pond is quite lovely. We had a Great Blue Heron land in there this past weekend.

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  2. There are not many ticks in Southern WI where I grew up. Actually I never had seen one until I went to the Embarrass River. Jeff told me they crawl up under your eyelids when you are sleeping and suck the blood out of the cornea. I thought that was a little far fetched but they still kind of give me the creeps. When I taught in Port wing ticks were all over the school. The Phy Ed teachers (no nurse in that school) pulled them off of everyone.

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  3. Yup, it is just a part of life here. I am not real fond of them, but I just deal with it. It is the Deer Ticks that scare me. I have seen them, crawling on my clothes, just one ever, but the dog had one stuck once.

    I do actually prefer ticks to mosquitoes.

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