https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 10 May 2026 21:13:40 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ticks-ugh#post-2882131 Thu, 25 Apr 2019 21:47:24 +0000 maddyz 2882131@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We used to pull seed tickets off with packing tape, it really only works on shaved lets. We would also wrap tape sticky side out to catch the seed ticks. Ticks scare me a lot, I know several people who suffer from the long term effects of lyme disease. I think that once you have it it can resurface in times of stress and you are more sensitive to future cases.</p> <p>All that being said, we will be out in the woods a fair bit this summer, with bug spray and long pants and tick checks whenever we come inside. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ticks-ugh#post-2881921 Wed, 24 Apr 2019 09:36:57 +0000 Foodnerd81 2881921@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@QueensBee: yeah if we were hiking or at nature camp like that I’d go all in. My issue is that she is just in the woods for like fifteen minutes some days. So it seems crazy to put on a full bug suit just to play outside- but my neighbor also had Lyme disease when he was just 3! </p> <p>Talked with my 5 year old this morning and we agreed she doesn’t go into other peoples backyards (part of the problem yesterday) and if she wants to be in the woods she has to be wearing the sneakers I’ll spray, long pants and socks, and her new hat that I’ll treat. Plus bug spray as needed. She seemed amenable. </p> <p>Does anyone know if you can treat hard items with permethrin? A lot of times she goes straight from bike riding to woods playing so I’m thinking of just treating her bike helmet too. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ticks-ugh#post-2881918 Wed, 24 Apr 2019 09:14:05 +0000 graceandjoy 2881918@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Foodnerd81: We were looking into this no-spray system that only targets mosquito but now I might re-consider the traditional spray that targets both. Tho I really hope ticks aren't in our backyard b/c we're not by the woods... </p> <p>Man, to think that I used to take my dog hiking in random woods with barely any protection! I would wear shorts and flipflops! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ticks-ugh#post-2881913 Wed, 24 Apr 2019 08:58:20 +0000 QueensBee 2881913@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We are in the northeast and go hiking/camping as a family. I send my kids to nature camp for three weeks each summer. Last year, I started to grow increasingly worried about tick prevention as well. </p> <p> I started purchasing clothes from InsectShield, which offers clothing prereated with permethrin:<br /> <a href="https://www.insectshield.com/" rel="nofollow">https://www.insectshield.com/</a></p> <p>I find the socks to be really helpful bc they are relatively inexpensive. If you wear the socks over your pants, the ticks in tall grasses won't be able to climb up and latch. </p> <p>They also have a service where you can send your clothing to them and have it treated with permethrin. It's a bit expensive but I was able to get a few outfits treated for both kids for about $80. They say the treatment will last through 70 washes. </p> <p>I find this to be the best balance of reasonable trick prevention without having to cover them in DEET everyday. And of course, nightly tick checks. </p> <p>Good luck! It's such a pain! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ticks-ugh#post-2881877 Tue, 23 Apr 2019 22:11:25 +0000 Foodnerd81 2881877@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ShootingStar: ugh- our neighbor kids have gotten really into playing in these little woods across the street from us. They are obsessed and my daughter LOVES playing back there with them. I ordered them new hats and permethrin spray but it won’t come until the weekend so I told them no woods today and it caused such a fight and I hadn’t quite realized that the stress of the whole tick thing has been eating at me because I lost it over staying out of the woods. Need to make and agree to some ground rules before playing outside again. But it will be impossible to keep her out entirely if the neighbors are allowed in. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ticks-ugh#post-2881856 Tue, 23 Apr 2019 20:03:19 +0000 ShootingStar 2881856@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We live in the same general area as you and we also live with woods in our back yard. We treat our yard against ticks and I do not let the dog or the kids in the woods. We’ve found too many random ticks on the dog and my parents’ dog and even DH. I am really phobic about bugs. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ticks-ugh#post-2881667 Mon, 22 Apr 2019 14:11:29 +0000 PurplePeony 2881667@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@kiddosc: if you’re treating clothing with permethrin, it’s effective for about 6 washes or 4-6 months (for things that don’t get washed often). Apparently keeping treated items in a dark place helps extend the effectiveness. I’d probably treat shoes/jackets/hats every 3 months just to be safe, since there’s no real downside to doing so.</p> <p>As for DEET, the concentration in the spray correlates to the length of protection and it’s usually printed on the container. A low concentration might last 2 hours while 50%+ lasts 8-10 hours. So for pre-treating, permethrin is clearly the better way to go, DEET should be applied as close as possible to the time you’re going out or it’s not really going to be useful. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ticks-ugh#post-2881652 Mon, 22 Apr 2019 12:21:30 +0000 Foodnerd81 2881652@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@jennlin821: the tick kit makes sense- and I will add to keep one in your car too, since I know exactly where the tweezers and alcohol are in my house but that didn’t help me at the playground ten minutes away. I was already planning to add the tick tweezer things I ordered to my glove compartment but I’ll do the card and tape and alcohol too. Plus I’m putting bug spray by all the doors to my house. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ticks-ugh#post-2881650 Mon, 22 Apr 2019 12:13:56 +0000 Foodnerd81 2881650@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@graceandjoy: our yard spray is effective against ticks and mosquitoes- there was no separate option for one or the other. We are adding an extra preseason one though since they are obviously already very busy. I wonder if it’s because this winter wasn’t as cold as usual? </p> <p>@hellobeeboston: good idea on spraying their clothes and shoes. I’m thinking I’ll get a special baseball hat that’s for playing outside and spray those and their shoes regularly at least. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ticks-ugh#post-2881642 Mon, 22 Apr 2019 10:54:05 +0000 hellobeeboston 2881642@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@kiddosc: I'm not actually sure... I was talking to him about the natural sprays which are not super effective unfortunately. The doctor's opinion was the DEET on clothing outweighs the risk of tick-borne illness... I send my son for 3 hours to his preschool and they are outside for an hour, and the doctor thought that would be good, but not 100% sure. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ticks-ugh#post-2881641 Mon, 22 Apr 2019 10:46:51 +0000 kiddosc 2881641@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hellobeeboston: Do you know how long the spray is effective when you prespray clothing/shoes? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ticks-ugh#post-2881640 Mon, 22 Apr 2019 10:45:29 +0000 hellobeeboston 2881640@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>ugh, i hate ticks.... My kids go (or went) to a nature-based preschool, and they do tick check after coming in, wear hats, tuck their pants and spray with an all natural insect repellant. I spray their shoes/hats at home with DEET (my Pediatrician recommended this being sprayed on clothing/hats/shoes away from the kids), and i pre-spray their skin with the all natural stuff before sending them when wearing t-shirts. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ticks-ugh#post-2881630 Mon, 22 Apr 2019 09:18:34 +0000 jennlin821 2881630@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I haven't had a chance to read the responses, and I don't know much about preventing. BUT I just read this article last night, and I'm totally going to follow the advice!</p> <p><a href="https://www.scarymommy.com/create-tick-kit-prevent-lyme-disease/" rel="nofollow">https://www.scarymommy.com/create-tick-kit-prevent-lyme-disease/</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ticks-ugh#post-2881629 Mon, 22 Apr 2019 09:17:19 +0000 graceandjoy 2881629@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Uggh I feel you! I am in the NE too and they are super prevalent and we're also getting reports that ticks are def out and about now. I hadn't been too worried about our yard, but was thinking about getting it professionally treated this summer for mosquitoes mainly but maybe now add ticks too... I don't have any advice that wasn't already given! I'm hyper-ware b/c my good friend suffers from Lyme and I've seen her go through hell for years to figure it all out. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ticks-ugh#post-2881572 Sun, 21 Apr 2019 06:49:06 +0000 gotkimchi 2881572@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Foodnerd81: @Mrs. Lemon-Lime: you can’t use doxycycline in kids under 8 but there are other options if needed. Hopefully test comes back negative and just watch for a rash in the meantime </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ticks-ugh#post-2881570 Sun, 21 Apr 2019 06:17:41 +0000 Foodnerd81 2881570@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: no our pediatrician said they don’t have a protocol to give antiobiotica preventatively to under 8 years old. I didn’t get all the details and just trusted him on that- plus we don’t think it was on her long enough to transmit. But we will do the blood test in five weeks just in case. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ticks-ugh#post-2881567 Sun, 21 Apr 2019 03:15:17 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 2881567@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Foodnerd81: how scary! Was your LO given dycocline just in case? (Just read about it on Harvard Heath)</p> <p>We haven’t done any tick prevention except for implementing a no stick rule in the house at the same time LO still puts his hands in the brush to pick them up. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ticks-ugh#post-2881564 Sat, 20 Apr 2019 22:15:09 +0000 Foodnerd81 2881564@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Sams Mom: ok yeah, that’s kind of what I though. The ones I found this week were bigger- makes me scared for how hard it must be to find those little tiny ones. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ticks-ugh#post-2881563 Sat, 20 Apr 2019 22:01:15 +0000 Sams Mom 2881563@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I apologize in advance for the picture, just thinking about ticks make me itch a little...</p> <p>@Foodnerd81: I think it's the developmental stage of ticks. Seed ticks that I'm talking about are the size or smaller of the smallest one in the picture. </p> [attach=8928/19/pqaj23.292x600.Screenshot_20190420-215954.png] https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ticks-ugh#post-2881562 Sat, 20 Apr 2019 21:58:54 +0000 Sams Mom 2881562@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Foodnerd81: I'm not sure if it's a type or a regional name, but they're tiny tiny, smaller than a mustard seed. I never picked them up in the woods as much as running through tall pasture or not recently mowed fields. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ticks-ugh#post-2881561 Sat, 20 Apr 2019 21:56:07 +0000 Foodnerd81 2881561@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Sams Mom: good call on the clothes lines. When I found one on myself it was at my bra line, which was weird because I was definitely wearing a shirt and not in the woods. And I just ordered a tick twister to have for next time- but hopefully I won’t need it!! We have deer and dog ticks that I know of, but are seed ticks just baby deer ticks? </p> <p>Ugh. So gross. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ticks-ugh#post-2881560 Sat, 20 Apr 2019 21:46:34 +0000 Sams Mom 2881560@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I used skin so soft instead of bug spray growing up (allergic to DEET), but I still got ticks every now and then. </p> <p>For dog ticks, deer ticks, it the ones with the white dot on them (that's the kinds we had where I grew up but listing for size reference really), a tick key or tick pry bar worked great for removal if they were dug in too far for my mom to get it easily. For seed ticks (don't know if you have those) a cotton ball with rubbing alcohol will wipe 99% of them off. </p> <p>I imagine the alcohol truck might work on a bigger tick, if you held it over the tick for a minute to make it release. We never tried it though because they were big enough to get ahold of.</p> <p>My mom did tick checks every night before we got into the bath or shower until we were old enough to reliably check ourselves. She checked our hair for us even when we were older if we thought we felt something.</p> <p>ETA: always check clothing lines ie: underwear line, pants waistband, sock line... That's where they always seemed to be. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ticks-ugh#post-2881558 Sat, 20 Apr 2019 20:10:50 +0000 Alba4 2881558@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We spray the yard with cedar oil and religiously use Off on a daily basis. I check the boys nightly during the bath. Lyme is no joke. Sorry you had that scare with your daughter. Hopefully nothing will come of it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ticks-ugh#post-2881541 Sat, 20 Apr 2019 14:05:20 +0000 PurplePeony 2881541@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Foodnerd81: <a href="https://www.rei.com/product/152051/tick-key-company-the-tick-key" rel="nofollow">https://www.rei.com/product/152051/tick-key-company-the-tick-key</a> They actually sell a 3-pack, too, so you can keep them on your keychain and always have one handy. Last time we were in the NE for an extended time, I did a lot of reading about ticks, just in case, and everybody recommended either one of these or special tick removal tweezers to remove them as carefully and efficiently as possible. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ticks-ugh#post-2881537 Sat, 20 Apr 2019 12:56:53 +0000 catgirl 2881537@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Foodnerd81: The tick keys are great, they make it much easier to remove one. I haven't had to use it on DD but have used it to remove one on DH. You use it to slid the tick out without squeezing it or breaking it.</p> <p>We are in southern Maine and ticks are a huge issue here. We have a lot of woods surrounding our house. We have been debating if we want to spray the yard. We do tick checks whenever we come inside. It sucks. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ticks-ugh#post-2881536 Sat, 20 Apr 2019 12:33:40 +0000 Foodnerd81 2881536@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@pachamama: yeah the fact that Lyme is so treatable as long as you catch it puts my mind at ease. It’s like, you hear how getting actually dirty is so good for kids and all this outdoor time is amazing. But effing ticks! I guess it’s lucky that all the doctors around here are so well versed in ticks and Lyme anyway. </p> <p>@PurplePeony: yeah I’m thinking we will have outside hats that they have to wear if they are near the woods. Period. Maybe I should spray the bike helmets too- sometimes they go straight from bike riding to woods exploring. And their sneakers I’ll treat too. I’d rather spray their clothes and just occasionally have to spray them with DEET. </p> <p>I don’t have a tick key. How does that work? I fought the one on her head while we were out at the playground so I just tried to use my fingernails, rather than driving home with it. Then we tried tweezers at home and got most of the rest of it but the head is still in there. (And staying in there, per the doctor, until it comes out on its own as the skin sloughs off. Gross). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ticks-ugh#post-2881533 Sat, 20 Apr 2019 12:19:08 +0000 pachamama 2881533@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Foodnerd81: ack I'm in the same boat, I literally just found a tick on my son yesterday! First time ever. We're in upstate New York and have tons of ticks. they've always been all over our dogs. Our dogs have contracted Lyme and they're always fine. So my son is going to an outdoor preschool. I actually considered not sending him to the preschool but I think the benefits outweigh the risks of tick bites.<br /> I really don't want to spray those pesticides on my kids. I guess we'll just be diligent about looking for ticks. I know his Forest preschool is good about it and they use some natural stuff. I guess it's just part of our reality. I'm glad that lyme responds to antibiotics, which my son happened to be on because he was sick! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ticks-ugh#post-2881532 Sat, 20 Apr 2019 12:01:44 +0000 SweetCaroline 2881532@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We live in a very rural area and spend most of our summer working and playing outside in the woods or yard. We try to keep the grass short, even outside of the yard, on our walking paths in the woods. We spray bug spray around our ankles. We take baths/showers every night, mostly to strip naked and look for ticks. We wear jeans when playing in these areas, rather than dresses or shorts.</p> <p>We're going to be camping in the woods a lot this year, so I'm going to step up my game. I once found one on my scalp. I managed to get it off but it took a huge chunk of dried skin with it :bummed: my mom actually was diagnosed with Lyme disease...not fun! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ticks-ugh#post-2881531 Sat, 20 Apr 2019 11:27:49 +0000 Lindsay05 2881531@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I’m in northern Canada and ticks have only showed up the last 5 years. They are sick little buggers. We live in a rural area so there’s lots of grass and shrubs. We do try and spray down but I think spray isn’t the best neither. We do full on naked head to toe check after every venture outside. I heard guinea hens are supposed to be good for keeping the population down. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ticks-ugh#post-2881530 Sat, 20 Apr 2019 11:22:20 +0000 PurplePeony 2881530@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Treating clothing with permethrin is supposed to be very effective. It’s probably not practical to treat every stitch of clothing they have, but maybe you can treat their shoes, jackets, and a few designated “outdoors outfits”? Also, maybe get your girls used to wearing a hat (treated) to help protect their scalps. We’re going to be spending some time in the northeast this summer and I plan to treat all the clothes we’re bringing (except undies). Do you have a tick key to help remove them if someone gets another? </p>