Welcome to Tickville, U.S.A.!!!

Warning: a high "ick" factor.

Informational note: Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey lead the U.S. in the highest number of reported Lyme disease cases. According to the Tick Research Lab of PA, "in Pennsylvania, one out of every two Adult Female Blacklegged (Deer) Ticks are infected (45.4% carry Lyme Disease; 17.4% carry Anaplasmosis; 2.8% carry Babesiosis; and 1.1% carry Powassan Virus).

Although the prevalence of tickborne illnesses can range upwards of 65% in some counties of PA, transmission from tick to host can vary from as fast as 15 minutes for Powassan virus to 36-48 hours for Babesiosis. Lyme disease transmission can occur as early as 18-24 hours of a tick being attached to a host."

A couple of months ago, I pulled a huge, engorged tick off LGK on our front porch. No, I do not know what kind of tick it was. My husband took the fat tick and stuck it in a plastic vial, put the vial atop a shelf in the bathroom, and forgot about it. 

Yesterday, while looking for something, he picked the vial up, and he handed it to me. YUCK! No, we did not open it. Actually, when I saw what it contained, I stuck the vial in an additional sealed plastic baggie. I may put it all inside yet one or two more baggies. On second thought, does anyone have a flamethrower I can borrow?

Both of us could not believe it. It was (and is) FULL OF BABY TICKS (also called nymphs). Now, this unparalleled level of grossness and disgustingness could NOT go undocumented. At least, not by moi. So today, I took pictures. Reading that a single tick can give birth to thousands of babies is one thing; actually holding the visual in your hand is something else entirely. A real horror show!

A couple of my shots show the whole vial (which is about 4.5 inches by 1 inch). Most show just a portion, with a few of the photos (including this one) showing the vial contents under a magnifying glass. The really awful news: from a single tick, we now have hundreds, if not thousands, of baby ticks. They are ALIVE and moving about, inside a closed vial, even with no access to oxygen, food, or water.

I used to just toss the ticks when I pulled them off of the neighbor cat, LGK. (The ones I pull off of us humans get sent to the PA Tick Lab for analysis.) NEVER AGAIN. Every single tick that I find now, whether it has fed or not, IS A DEAD TICK. I want it DEAD. I want its FAMILY DEAD. Friends, I advise you to do the same. My personal approach is to touch the tick as minimally as possible and squash it firmly between two rocks. Then wash your hands. Yuck, and ick, and yuck again. Filthy creatures. Just a few more bits of info:

I was bitten by FOUR ticks last year, many of them infected with really bad stuff. One of the most relieved moments of my year: getting a tickborne pathogen blood test and finding out I was NEGATIVE for tickborne illnesses. So if you get tick bites, please check in with your doctor and get yourself treated or tested if it seems prudent to do so. Oh, and watch for a rash.

Also, know that permethrin, one of the products they recommend you use to repel ticks, is HIGHLY TOXIC TO CATS. Please do NOT USE IT if you have cats (or frequent interaction with neighbor cats!). Contact with permethrin can cause almost instant death for cats. It is used in some dog products for flea and tick control; cats should not hang out, sleep around, or groom with dogs who use such products. 

Permethrin remains one of the most common causes of poisoning in cats, worldwide. The potential for adverse responses in cats to Picaridin, another product people recommend in the battle against ticks, is unknown.

My husband and I spend lots of time in the Pennsylvania outdoors, and before we even get in the car to leave the woods, we try to remember to always check ourselves for ticks. Actually, we keep an eye out for ticks the entire hike, and try to avoid bushwhacking or crawling through the underbrush. Yeah, good luck with THAT!

Here's something that really sucks: we also get ticks at home, in our own yard! 30 to 40 years ago, there were NO ticks in central PA. I know. I was a tiny child, I was ALWAYS playing on the ground and crawling through the weeds. Ticks are NEW here. And they are dangerous; take my word on that. Here's a horrifying statistic: seven of the top ten most affected counties in the entire U.S. for Lyme disease are in Pennsylvania.

I have numerous pairs of "hiking pants" which are light colored pants that I bought at Woolrich and sewed elastic into the bottoms of; I pull the elastic over my boots to hike. Light colors are easier to spot ticks against. Sometimes, we shower when we get home. Yes, we've tried numerous tick products; I haven't been impressed with most of them. Some of them stink to high heaven. Also, I suspect the ticks sort of develop a taste for that stuff.

My husband and I check each other for ticks after removing our clothes when we get home, if we've been in places we know have high incidence of tick infestation. If you feel an itchy spot, check it out instantly; it could be a tick! Some ticks are tiny; the nymphs in the shot above are about the size of a pencil point. 

Can you even imagine how you would SEE something that small if you had any limitations at all with your eyesight (as was the case with my mother)? Several times that I've had ticks, my husband was the one who spotted them on me. If you live alone, GOOD LUCK! If you have children, pets, diminished or aged people in your hiking party, pay special attention to preparing them for a hike and checking them for ticks after.

On a more personal note, several of my family members have had Lyme disease. So far, my husband and I have been lucky, but we wonder if it is just a matter of time. Lyme roulette, if you will. My mom had Lyme, my dad had it, and my big sister Barb had it (and for Barb, it may have somehow contributed to her early demise). 

So we know first-hand how deadly serious Lyme disease can be. When my dad had it, he withered away in front of our eyes. His voice got tiny. His body got weak. We watched him wither; we all feared he would die. Only a fierce talking-to by my husband convinced my dad to GET THEE TO A DOCTOR ASAP and get antibiotics. My dad could have met his demise many years before he actually did, thanks or no thanks to Lyme. Do not let this happen to you or to someone you love!

So, to sum it up: you all be careful out there!
And we will try to do the same. . . .

Resources:
CDC: Preventing Tick Bites

Johns Hopkins: 5 Tips for Preventing Tick Bites and Lyme Disease
Johns Hopkins: What To Do After a Tick Bite

U.S.A. Facts: Which States Have the Highest Risk for Lyme Disease?

International Cat Care: Permethrin Poisoning in Cats

Our soundtrack song: Great White, with Once Bitten Twice Shy.