Ticks
When we got back home from geocaching on Saturday I had a tick that was just starting to begin to dig into my arm for dinner. Your first thought is; "GET THIS THING OFF OF ME". Well, that is sound thinking, but it is far better to take your time and be somewhat cautious of the removal.
About a year ago we bought an inexpensive tool called the Tick Nipper hoping that we would never have to use it. The device is made to be able to get under the tick's body and pull it out. The PR description also talks about a magnifying glass for tick identification, but who cares. When you have a tick feasting on your arm, you really don't care what kind it is. One of the great things about the Nipper is that it doesn't squeeze the tick. This helps prevent the tick from expelling extra toxins into your blood stream. So I pulled the Tick Nipper out of the hiking vest I use and handed it to Barb for the extraction. I had to keep reminding her to just keep pulling gently with constant force and not to try and yank the tick out. It came off quite easily and no parts were left embedded so the tool did the job. You might want to carry one in your pack if you are in an area that might have ticks.
Here are some other helpful hints to minimize your chances of getting a tick.
1. Always wear long pants. Preferably light colored (we wear khakis) and keep them tucked into your socks. Even if a tick gets on your clothing it won't be able to find skin to bite into. The khakis allow you to see a tick more easily as you are hiking or getting ready to get into the car.
2. Keep your light colored shirt tucked in your pants too.
3. Spray deet on your shoes, socks, pants, on your shirt and on your hat.
4. Inspect for ticks often. Especially if you walk through grass.
5. One person we know gets undressed in the garage and leaves her caching clothes there. This will reduce the possibility of bringing a tick into the house.
6. ALWAYS inspect carefully from head to toe when you get home. This can be a lot more fun if you have a partner. The sooner you find a tick the easier it is to extract them and the less probability of any tick borne diseases.
These critters are part of nature so they are pretty much unavoidable, but a few precautions can make for a much more enjoyable geocaching experience.
Mike and Barb
About a year ago we bought an inexpensive tool called the Tick Nipper hoping that we would never have to use it. The device is made to be able to get under the tick's body and pull it out. The PR description also talks about a magnifying glass for tick identification, but who cares. When you have a tick feasting on your arm, you really don't care what kind it is. One of the great things about the Nipper is that it doesn't squeeze the tick. This helps prevent the tick from expelling extra toxins into your blood stream. So I pulled the Tick Nipper out of the hiking vest I use and handed it to Barb for the extraction. I had to keep reminding her to just keep pulling gently with constant force and not to try and yank the tick out. It came off quite easily and no parts were left embedded so the tool did the job. You might want to carry one in your pack if you are in an area that might have ticks.
Here are some other helpful hints to minimize your chances of getting a tick.
1. Always wear long pants. Preferably light colored (we wear khakis) and keep them tucked into your socks. Even if a tick gets on your clothing it won't be able to find skin to bite into. The khakis allow you to see a tick more easily as you are hiking or getting ready to get into the car.
2. Keep your light colored shirt tucked in your pants too.
3. Spray deet on your shoes, socks, pants, on your shirt and on your hat.
4. Inspect for ticks often. Especially if you walk through grass.
5. One person we know gets undressed in the garage and leaves her caching clothes there. This will reduce the possibility of bringing a tick into the house.
6. ALWAYS inspect carefully from head to toe when you get home. This can be a lot more fun if you have a partner. The sooner you find a tick the easier it is to extract them and the less probability of any tick borne diseases.
These critters are part of nature so they are pretty much unavoidable, but a few precautions can make for a much more enjoyable geocaching experience.
Mike and Barb
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