Cycling UK Forum

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


seems like the ticks on the up. rather worrying?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-magazine-monitor-27255853


any one ever seen a a tick-removal tool?

Ive had loads of ticks. Two this year walking along in over grown areas and about ten years ago I picked up nine when I fell down a coombe in Cornwall and had a roll in all the ferns. I think you are most likely to get them where animals have been passing though. If there are sheep and ferns then there a probably ticks about.

I'm still around. Perhaps wear long trousers and don't roll around in ferns.

mercalia wrote:any one ever seen a a tick-removal tool?

In my travel first aid kit because I tend to camp. http://www.otom.com/otom-tick-twister-hook

well it would be interesting to hear from campers and bivvy bag users here if its a real risk. & what they do to avoid the ticks

I have the tick-twister tool too - have used it on animals but thankfully haven't had to use it on a human yet. Even in the summer, I wear long thick socks (except when on the bike) and always wear long trousers so that should reduce the risk. A walking forum that I used to frequent had a member with some health problems that he puts down to a case of Lyme disease caught from ticks when he was younger.

You shouldn't underestimate the damage ticks can do to you especially if you are bitten by ones that have had contact with deer and sheep.

A teacher at my nephews school was in the ITU for several days and extremely ill for 6 weeks following a tick bite.

lisap wrote:You shouldn't underestimate the damage ticks can do to you especially if you are bitten by ones that have had contact with deer and sheep.

A teacher at my nephews school was in the ITU for several days and extremely ill for 6 weeks following a tick bite.

Sure don't underestimate their danger BUT don't overestimate the risk either.
Farmers, shepherds, foresters and other countryside workers get bitten by ticks several times daily every day and they're not all falling like flies.
Lyme disease et al can be very serious but it is rare...fortunately. Take a few sensible precautions to minimise risk and get out and enjoy yourselves for goodness sakes.
I really do feel this is a non story of the "OMG, we're all doomed" type.

mercalia wrote:well it would be interesting to hear from campers and bivvy bag users here if its a real risk. & what they do to avoid the ticks

2nd post down. Wear long trousers and don't wade through undergrowth... stick to the paths. That's basically it. And I'm a camper and a bivi bag user....

"Sure don't underestimate their danger BUT don't overestimate the risk either.
Farmers, shepherds, foresters and other countryside workers get bitten by ticks several times daily every day and they're not all falling like flies.
Lyme disease et al can be very serious but it is rare...fortunately. Take a few sensible precautions to minimise risk and get out and enjoy yourselves for goodness sakes.
I really do feel this is a non story of the "OMG, we're all doomed" type"

Entirely agree with Keithg

Ditto.
........ and I've said similarly on other threads on here on the same subject.

We have sheep in all the nearby the fields, and deer everywhere. We reckon the ticks come in through the open windows!
The cats are treated with Frontline, and we have tick removers. For some reason, I'm not affected much by them. They latch onto me, then wither and die. Mrs Mick F is susceptible and has to keep an eye out for them.

No real problem whatsoever.

keithg wrote:

lisap wrote:You shouldn't underestimate the damage ticks can do to you especially if you are bitten by ones that have had contact with deer and sheep.

A teacher at my nephews school was in the ITU for several days and extremely ill for 6 weeks following a tick bite.

Sure don't underestimate their danger BUT don't overestimate the risk either.
Farmers, shepherds, foresters and other countryside workers get bitten by ticks several times daily every day and they're not all falling like flies.
Lyme disease et al can be very serious but it is rare...fortunately. Take a few sensible precautions to minimise risk and get out and enjoy yourselves for goodness sakes.
I really do feel this is a non story of the "OMG, we're all doomed" type.

up in Norway at the moment, around the Forde area (halfway between Bergen/Trondhiem). They've had an 'infestation' (ie some instead of none) ticks here, two people with Lyme disease. Due to the milder winter, apparently.

Plenty of the damn things in Scotland, and I know a climber and an orienteer who had confirmed cases of Lyme's. My sister in law has it, she's a farmer in NL...

Trick is cover up in vegetation and regularly inspect, especially around openings like trouser cuffs etc. If you do find one prompt removal reduces chances of infection. We use a plastic hook bought from the vet.

Ghastly things, my wife is a magnet for the blighters, but inspect often and remove promptly and they're manageable.

Pete.

I think the article was not scare mongering but pointing out that with the mild winter expect considerable more this summer.

They were pretty bad in northwest Scotland in March/April so I reckon this will be a bad summer.

If you keep covered up and put repellent on exposed areas you should be ok. Check under your watch as I've been bitten there a few times quite badly. If you're allergic to the bites like I am they can be excruciating. However, I've been bitten hundreds of times and never picked up Lyme disease as far as I know.

The baby ticks are worst as they are almost too small to see, impossible to remove, but are just as dangerous.

If you're going to be camping in central Europe it's best to get jabs for tick-borne encephalitis, which is even more dangerous than Lyme disease.

I guess it's all about risk and chances. Undoubtedly there are nasty diseases to be caught from ticks. But personally I have (maybe unwisely) not run off to the medics for every tick I've caught (actually, not for any tick I've caught). Many years ago I managed to get much of my back covered in the things camping in Costa Rican rainforest - but they dropped-off after a bit !!

The tick hook (tom o'h thingys somebody posted above) are excellent (use them a lot on my dogs). Don't use tweezers; hooks are the way to go. The technique people used to say using a cigarette does not work (I never managed it when I used to smoke).

But it's a risk. And some people who get bitten and don't seek medical advice will catch the nasty diseases. I have no idea how many.

And never take medical advice from people on public forums. Whilst I don't seek medical treatment for ticks, I don't want to be responsible when you don't and catch a nasty.

Ian

Its estimated there are about 2-3000 cases of Lymes disease per year in England and Wales of which 998 were reported in 2012. So not that rare after all.