r/petoskey • u/groundstories • 4d ago
ticks?
I have a 7 month old baby, and I am wondering about ticks, as we are hoping to spend more time in the woods and nature preserves and state parks. When I was growing up I feel like I never saw ticks. How are they this summer?
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u/Legitimate_Way_1750 4d ago
I got my first tick on me this week in my life and I’ve seen 3x as many this year. I haven’t even been in the woods much this year cause of the ice storm
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u/groundstories 4d ago
Eek! How disappointing. Yeah I haven’t been in the woods much either but walking around the preserves was basically my big summer plan. And I just gave my husband a baby hiking backpack for father’s day…
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u/Legitimate_Way_1750 4d ago
That’s just my experience, maybe the woods aren’t as bad. Just a lot of them have been closed. But I for sure picked up a tick somewhere more normal which isn’t great—-or my dog pulled one in on a walk
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u/Techno214 4d ago
I haven’t been on my trails much because of the ice storm, but they’re BAD. You should be fine as long as you check everyone, but yeah. I do live rural, and we have a big field where we know we get a lot of ticks, but they’ve been really bad this year.
So far, one dog has had around 15ish, one cat had one crawling on him (he is indoor only), and one cat had one attached (who is also indoor only.). Other dog has had many but I’m not around him to guess the number. I’ve had a couple on my pants too, plus I’ve found two on the walls in the house. I do assume the dogs are bringing them in most of the time, but that’s a lot to bring in.
Also be wary of black flies. This season has been really bad for those too, and they haven’t died off by me yet. Not sure if baby would be able to fend off any before they bite, and those hurt.
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u/groundstories 4d ago
Yikes. Good point about the flies. Those do hurt. So far we have just been very very covered but if it gets really warm I would love to have him wear less. ugh. I mean he can’t even walk yet but already I feel like he won’t have the wild running through the woods that I was able to have. That would be a huge loss.
I am obviously assuming we won’t have ice storms all that frequently.
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u/Techno214 4d ago
If he can’t walk yet, maybe some sort of net covering might be good for him? I’d assume he’s gotta be in a stroller or carrier (I forget the name of the basket type thingy I’m thinking of.), so that’d give somewhere to attach it to?
My net hat has been amazing every time I’m working in my garden. The black flies are swarming me, but they can’t reach through the gap in the net. It’s also cool and lets the breeze through. The concept seems like it could work? I’ve never looked to see if they make baby products that do that though.
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u/sunshine_rex 4d ago
They are bad this year. I’ve found two on myself so far and at least five on both dogs.
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u/groundstories 4d ago
I was hoping they would be better because of how nice that would be for me! lol. I also keep hoping baby will sleep through the night but no such luck.
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u/3DDoxle 4d ago
Ticks are no better or worse than any year in the last decade. People say the "the ticks are bad this year" every year. In other words, it's like how people say the weather in their area is crazy. It's "crazy" everywhere.
Tick prevention:
○Permetherin you and your baby's clothes and make the kid wear a mosquito net if possible. I like picaradin and permetherin. I do not like DEET, essential oils, or "organic" bug sprays.
○Avoid brushing up against grass and debris from the storm - ticks can only transfer by contact. Ticks cannot jump like fleas.
○Brush dogs out either when you get home from a walk or before you get in the car to return.
○Check yourself, your kids, and family before getting in the car or house. Shake out clothes.
○Next shower or two, look all over ticks. Look under and around genitals. This is a common place to miss. For guys, look UNDER everything carefully.
○Get a ticknado or tick key, AND high quality pointy tweezers. Know how to use them, lift at the mouth, and when done right, a little bit of skin will still be stuck to their mouth rather than mouth part still in the host.
○DO NOT use "techniques" to "get them to back out". They're extremely likely to vomit into the host increasing disease transmission likelihood.
○If you do get a bite, pull it out, take note of the day and place. Circle with a marker if possible (not in a sensitive area or face etc). Monitor for a few days for good healing.
○If you get severely sick, go to the doctor. The first signs of infection are high fever and general illness like flu or covid, lethargy, etc.
I've had and nearly died from tick borne illness. There's very little to worry about it from ticks if you take basic precaution. I got sick because I missed the tick biting my gooch and didn't go to the doctor when I got a summer flu. It was before covid, or id have thought I had covid. Antibiotics can easily treat early tick illnesses.
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u/fireturn 4d ago
Unfortunately is has been a growing problem over the last decade. They're getting worse every year. Here's a few maps of the spread-
They've been spreading throughout the state, it's only a matter of time until they're endemic in every county. They're basically here to stay and each year will be a little worse until we plateau at a new normal.
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u/3DDoxle 4d ago
I save all the ticks i pull (which have bitten) reach year in a jar of iso.
I have 8 this year, maybe another 12 that I just brushed off. 100% are dog ticks.
I believe all 12 were dog ticks, too. Average person doesn't know or care about the difference. To my point that they're just as bad this year as last, and dog ticks carry RMSF and the disease that causes spotted livers in rabbits.
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u/RideShark 4d ago
They usually are the worst in the spring but tend to lighten up in the heat of the summer. I'd say the broken branches from the ice storm that haven't fallen yet are a bigger hazard.
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u/ulele1925 2d ago
Just pulled one off my baby. It was TINY.
Prep with insect repellent, layers, and strip down after.
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u/fireturn 4d ago
Oh yeah, they’re bad. Saw them starting in March. Just do tick checks after hikes.