Ticks & living close to woods (Raleigh: rental, house, job transfer)

[aDad]

Posted a thread earlier about living close to woods. Am moving to Raleigh area due to job transfer. Wife saw rental home online that she likes surrounded by about 6 acres of woods on back and on one side of home. Backyard is cleared and so is front. We would like to know: How do you deal with ticks on an everyday basis especially with kids playing outdoors daily.

Any natural repellents...wife read about wearing skin so soft from Avon keeps the ticks away???

Thanks.

[lamishra]

Ticks are a part of life here whether you live in the woods or not. Basically, no matter what you use, you need to have nightly skin fold checks in the spring and summer. Scalp, behind ears, elbows, behind knees, ankles, butt crack, back of the neck and groin. Every night from about the end of March through about August although spring is usually the worst. We just incorporated it into bath time.

[NCN]

Hope you are right about the "skin so soft". I sold Avon for a short time and that product really sold. Glad to fine out something that might work. I hate ticks. Fire ants and copperheads are worse than the ticks though. I haven't noticed any fire ants in the woods.

[joey2000]

"skin so soft" is so overrated. No, it will not keep ticks away. Basically nothing will that I ever noticed other than tight-fitting clothing.

[HillsboroughNative]

Well said bill! I have to agree, the only sure fire way to help keep the ticks off are tight fitting clothes. Other than that, after outdoor time check everywhere.

[Babytarheelz]

I used to babysit for a family whose house was against some woods. I would frequently see ticks crawling around their house. Very gross-couldn't babysit there anymore because of it. I don't know what you could do to keep them away. They tried everything and they always came back.

[toot68]

Having dogs, and treating them with frontline, will help alot close to the house (they act as vacuums).

Otherwise, repellent, tight fitting clothes will help, but in the end, your kids will get ticks on them if they go in the woods, that's life. Check them over real good each time they come in, and at bath time at night (check behind ears and in hair as well). It usually takes ticks several hours to begin feeding, so catching them quick prevents any chance of tick borne illness.

[Priorityonecb]

We are surrounded by woods too...but the back yard is cleared. We don't have tick problems unless we go into the woods during the summer. We've never had a problem just hanging out/playing in the yard.

[chuckreis]

I am not sure how well it works on ticks but putting down the store bought insect killer for lawns really cut down on a flea problem I had. I doubt it would be real effective but might get a few of them. Body checks are always needed.

[rockinmomma]

Ticks absolutely love pine straw. Keeping your yard clear of leaf piles and pine needles will help tremendously. There are years when you have flea/tick problems and there are years you don't see anything. We have a dog, and as long as we frontline her ge have no flea or tick problem.

That being said, there is nothing to spazz about if you do find a tick on you. I have lived in the country all my life and I only know of two people who've had rocky mountain spotted tick fever and one who had lyme disease. If you find a tickand he's not attached, pinch him between your fingers, take him to the toilet and flush him ( you can burn him with a match too.... but that could be more dangerous to your fingertips until you've perfected the technique). If the tick is attached.... get a q-tip and soak in rubbing alcohol, swab the tick until he lets go, the pinch and toss him in the toilet. (note* remember that alcohol is flammable if you are using the burn technique*).

getting bit by a tick happens about as commonly as getting stung by a bee. Nothing to freak about, just another one of those things life throws at you.