Who, What, Why: How dangerous are tick bites in the UK?

[Psamathe]

I always thought (and experience) more ticks in (late) spring and autumn.

Ian

[loch eck steve]

where I live ( rural Scotland ) there are still plenty of ticks , you have to be constantly vigilant and check yourselve nearly everytime you,leave the house .

[Paulatic]

There are usually two rises of ticks. Spring and Autumn the timing of which depends on where you live.

[tomsumner49]

Maybe a result of this recently published paper which got a bit of news coverage (including in the standard)

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1 ... 7/abstract

[pwa]

So long as you realise you have been bitten by a tick and get treated within a day or two you are not at serious risk. It's when you ignore the rash that the problems start.

[Tonyf33]

I can honestly say the only live tic I've ever seen was on an elderly friends dog, maybe deepest darkest Hertfordshire isn't such a paradise for the little blighters

[Tacascarow]

I spend large amounts of my time outdoors in field & wood & it's something I'm always aware of.
In the spring I'm constantly finding dog ticks on my two terriers & find the odd one crawling on me looking for a home.
The deer tick is a different & larger species AFAIK & I haven't seen any yet. But we have a lot more deer in the area over recent years so I doubt it will be long.

One of the joys of the countryside.

[Paulatic]

I don't think ticks are discerning. They'll attach to anything for a feed regardless of species. Different sizes I would imagine are due to how much they've had to eat.

I've lived in a tick area since a child but was never aware of Lymes until a holiday in Norfolk some twenty years ago where there were warning signs displayed.

[meic]

I have had deer ticks a few times while in the New Forest, I always get them in the first stage of their life at which point they are so small that you can hardly see them.

[Elizabeth_S]

At least we don't have TBE here, and how many people get injections for that before they travel in Europe (and camp).

[irc]

Haven't had any ticks on me for a while. Found a few dead ones on the dog this year. The spot on anti tick stuff working. A couple of years ago I got half a dozen ticks on me during one 1/4 mile stretch cutting through long grass and bracken by Loch Lomond.

My son got one while hillwalking with me in the Cairngorms this year. I carry a tick remover and try and stay on paths and be careful where I sit down when resting.

[Psamathe]

Haven't had any ticks on me for a while. Found a few dead ones on the dog this year. The spot on anti tick stuff working. A couple of years ago I got half a dozen ticks on me during one 1/4 mile stretch cutting through long grass and bracken by Loch Lomond.

My son got one while hillwalking with me in the Cairngorms this year. I carry a tick remover and try and stay on paths and be careful where I sit down when resting.

I used to have to use the spot stuff on my dogs every month (because we had piroplasmose - which would kill your dog within a couple of days). And used to find loads of (dead) ticks in the house and a few on me. Most dog owners read the flea/tick treatment and read how long it works for fleas ... and ignore that it last nothing like as long against ticks.

Ian

[irc]

Yeah I'm pretty much every 4 weeks for the spot on. After the next time I think the tick season will be over and I'll reduce to every 8/9 weeks for flea prevention.

[MikeF]

I know two people who have caught Lyme Disease. Quite a serious illness.

[al_yrpal]

In the Chilterns always wear long sleeves and leggings whilst MTBing. Carefully on walks. Our cat had one, I never have

Al