Cycling UK Forum

rjb wrote: ↑5 Apr 2023, 9:23am I bet less than 1 in 100 of us carry tweezers when out and about. Any useful suggestions would be welcome.

One of these little devices https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/165996620005 ... R9Lek9_qYQ

If you want to be prepared, then one option would surely be to start carrying some tweezers - there seem to be loads advertised very cheap and they should fit easily into eg what was once called a puncture outfit. I don't know the likelihood of a tick bite in the face, but if you ride alone, then you need to think about a mirror.

Rather than tweezers, the Tick Card (essentially a stiffened credit card with notched corner) is the easiest to carry - I keep one permanently in my wallet.
https://tickcard.co.uk/

Put it on the ground and squish it.
The adult ticks before they start to feed are really small, 2-3mm across, easily mistaken for a wee spider when they are crawling on you or the dog.
We keep a tick removal tool at home and one in our motorhome, easiest way to remove.

One of our daughter's friends is a GP in the Highlands, she sees loads of tick bites and says they very rarely cause a problem. The warning sign for those that might is an inflamed ring around the bite that persists after the tick is removed.

VinceLedge wrote: ↑6 Apr 2023, 2:54pm ...
One of our daughter's friends is a GP in the Highlands, she sees loads of tick bites and says they very rarely cause a problem. The warning sign for those that might is an inflamed ring around the bite that persists after the tick is removed.

Yes, that's one of the presentations of Lyme disease. It's different for tick-borne encephalitis.

NHS Advice: "Lyme disease":
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/lyme-disease/
includes images of the rash.

NHS Advice: "Tick-borne encephalitis":
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/tick-borne-encephalitis/
includes advice on vaccination and links to risk in different countries.

Jonathan

thirdcrank wrote: ↑6 Apr 2023, 11:03am ...
I don't know the likelihood of a tick bite in the face, but if you ride alone, then you need to think about a mirror.

This is an important point.

They're rather fond of the hairline and also tend to migrate to warm and less exposed regions. And that does include several areas that can't be observed directly by the host.

A smart 'phone can also be used to have a look.

Jonathan

I have a set of the O'tom Tick Twisters in my little first aid pouch but I also have an "Uncle Bill's Sliver Gripper" tweezer (pictured - I should have used something for scale - the tweezer without the holder is 4.5cm long and just short of 1 cm wide) on my keyring. I used to keep one on my rucksack, replacing the belt pocket zip puller with it, so that it was always at hand. I was always worried that I would detach it accidentally so I no longer keep one there. The tweezers are very handy generally, not just for ticks, though they were defeated by a very stubborn thorn in my tyre once (but it was a very stubborn thorn which also defeated full sized pliers - I ended up pushing a screwdriver through the tyre to get it out). EDIT: I've just seen the sort of prices they're asking for those tweezers now - they used to be a lot cheaper than that!