Comments on: How to Prevent Tick Bites (+ What to Do if You Are Bit)

By: Karen

Karen — Mon, 13 May 2024 15:26:49 +0000

Just came here to say that I’ve had mysterious health issues for a long time, and recently went to Dynamic Health to get treated. My only regret is that I didn’t go sooner. I didn’t know that I had Lyme, but I knew about multiple co-infections. I had 15 different infections, Lyme and otherwise! I’ve felt much better since the treatment and it looks like my reactive arthritis is improving. The treatment is very gentle though not for everyone- if Western Medicine is your thing then this isn’t a good fit.

By: Sienna

Sienna — Tue, 27 Aug 2019 16:10:24 +0000

In reply to Susannah. Try coconut oil as a moisturizer or like you would a sunscreen . you have to reapply every 2 hours or so but best tick chigger mosquito repellent I have EVER used. I hike bike and forage with my kids and dogs. U can get the cheapest one u find and it’s ok virgin or refined it is also antibacterial and antifungal helps skin heal and moisturize. Wish I could have a patent lol try it once and if ur in mosquito city, watch how mosquitos become what looks like a screen around u. Very very interesting. And it’s ok if the dogs or kids eat it It’s actually good for them

By: Maria

Maria — Fri, 07 Jun 2019 01:37:46 +0000

We recently rented a house with a significant tick problem. We trimmed the excess foliage, but they are so many we spot them all along our driveway. I found Thermacell tubes. They are filled with cotton treated with a pesticide. The mice put it in their nests and it kills the ticks that feed off the mouse and not the mouse. Over the long term, it seems to have excellent results. It is a better option than spraying my yard. I am hoping it makes it better for next year.

By: Emily Charlebois

Emily Charlebois — Fri, 17 May 2019 17:07:32 +0000

Hi Katie! Question for you…do you think it would be ok/helpful to add a couple drops of geranium bourbon oil to the laundry when I wash? I have 4 kiddos (ages 1-7) who LOVE to play outside and we live in a very tick-heavy area–I try to remember to use your natural repellent, but it’s hard to stay on top of it every time we go out.

By: Sharon

Sharon — Mon, 25 Mar 2019 16:52:58 +0000

I live in Minnesota which is heavilty tick and mosquito invested. The best prevention is to wear permethrin-treated clothing. You can spray it on your clothing (soak and let dry) or purchase already permethrin-treated clothing for people and dogs. Permethrin REPELS ticks and mosquitos. Ticks fall off of clothing that is sprayed with it. I use Sawyer permethrin which will stay through 12 washings. I also have Insect Shield clothing which works like a miracle.

By: Jennifer Schoenbein

Jennifer Schoenbein — Mon, 25 Mar 2019 16:35:44 +0000

I’ve actually found some natural insect repellant to use on my lawn. I think we got it from a Canadian company. It is an organic bead infused with oils like cedarwood and peppermint. THe yard smells all minty fresh when we spread it.

Also, I use a concoction similar to the bug repellent spray above, with some apple cider vinegar and water for a home insect repellent. I do have to use it 2-3 times a year, but i’ve found it as effective as the commercial stuff. It can be a little expensive with the amount of essential oil I’m using, but for this I use some of the cheaper brands. I think I could use fresh herbs and infuse the vinegar for a stronger, cheaper concoction. I’ll try this next time.

Thanks for all the research!

By: Rebecca

Rebecca — Mon, 25 Mar 2019 10:22:31 +0000

In reply to Jen. Hi there, the article didn't say 50- 80 total reported cases/year, it said 50- 80 cases per 100,00 people/year in those areas. So you are both likely right :)

By: Peter

Peter — Sun, 24 Mar 2019 23:01:52 +0000

Yes, we have had a terrible problem here in Vermont/ NH the last few years. Never had a problem when I was a boy. I spray repellant on my socks before going out and when I come in and check myself, I use clear tape to remove and save any ticks I find. I use DE (diatomaceous earth, I use a salt shaker) on my pets and flea comb, especially around their neck and ears. I also use DE on the carpets and in the litter box for fleas (they have been a problem the past few years)

By: Granny Anne

Granny Anne — Sun, 24 Mar 2019 21:43:00 +0000

In 1986 I had Colorado Tick fever. It was awful. My doctor was out of town and the doctor who had taken his place was not from the mountains where I lived and had my doctor. That doctor told me to take two aspirin and two Tylenol every two hours. I did and the fever went down. When my doctor came back (in two days) he was upset as he said I needed the fever to fight the infection. He said that the symptoms might come back for several years (at the same time of year.) That did happen. I would get a swelling on the back of my neck where the tick had been, My head felt like it was being pumped so full of air it might explode and my fever would go up. That would last a few days. It went on for over 5 years.

I never take a tick off with tweezers. I learned to twist them (counter clockwise as they bore in clockwise) and that works. My husband and I used to go mountain hiking and camping and we took off many ticks, but never had a problem again. I don’t know if that experience maks me immune to lyme or any other type of tick fever.

By: Janet

Janet — Sun, 24 Mar 2019 18:17:05 +0000

When we moved to Eureka, CA, our dog brought in the first tick we’d encountered (reminded me of you and your first child). We freaked out a little and tried the match method. I think we successfully burned off all eight legs of the thing, but never got it to back out! LOL, poor pooch! Since then it’s tweezers all the way. The ticks are bad this year, showing up in November and then just yesterday (late March). Usually only around Mother’s Day! Dogs are on NexGuard, but if I see them biting at something I can usuallly find the bugger and flush it before it’s bitten anyone.

By: Lindsey

Lindsey — Sun, 24 Mar 2019 12:21:20 +0000

In reply to Kate. I have alpha gal, contracted from a tick bite in 2012. The syndrome has been around and being researched since the early 2000s, in Norway and Australia. Besides the red meat issue, which is severe, it isn't known how alpha-gal patients will react to components in vaccines, cancer drugs, and certain blood products, many of which have mammalian by-products in them. So while it seems like a horrible joke not to be able to eat red meat, it's actually a really problematic condition. Not that I need any of the above treatments, except I am not sure what I will do with vaccinations for international tropical travel, several of which are counter-indicated w/alpha-gal. And for real, the reaction is extreme. Full body hives, breathing complications, etc.

By: Erin Sellinger

Erin Sellinger — Sat, 18 Aug 2018 11:35:54 +0000

I am in Western PA and contracted Lyme this summer. One thing we insist that our boys do along with a tick check is shower every night with tea tree soap and tea tree shampoo. I have seen a tick jump to get away from the lather– they can’t stand tea tree! If only I had been as strict with myself as I am with the boys:/

By: Beth MacPhee

Beth MacPhee — Fri, 13 Jul 2018 14:54:29 +0000

In reply to Heather. Heather my husband contracted Lyme Arthritis as well. We have changed our diets completely as the antibiotics didn't get rid of it. It helps with the inflammation a lot but is still there. He seems to have become overly sensitive to Deet products now too so we use a product called AtlanTick Repellant Spray and swear by it. We purchased it on one of our visits to Canada but they are now creating a website specifically for the US! Thanks for sharing your experience and i will pass along the idea of training to increase muscle. Anything that will help reduce the pain is a good thing.

By: Beth

Beth — Thu, 12 Jul 2018 22:01:45 +0000

Thank you for this article. My husband has Lyme disease and the more we talk about it and about prevention the better. It can be a terrible illness, especially if not caught early on. As you can imagine, we are now very careful as we have two fur babies and ourselves we need to protect (you can get Lyme twice). Just want to pass along this spray that we found, AtlanTick Spray. It’s all natural ingredients AND it has been studied for efficacy. We swear by it and so do a lot of other people. Prevention is key!
Keep up the great work!

By: Lori

Lori — Wed, 13 Jun 2018 22:35:34 +0000

I use geranium oil (a few drops behind the nape of the neck and on the rump) for my dogs. Has worked wonders, so now I use it for the family as well. I put a few drops on wrists, and behind ears before we head out for a hike. Also spray peppermint oil on our shoes and bottom of pants.

by the way, I absolutely love your page!

By: Barb

Barb — Thu, 24 May 2018 16:44:45 +0000

CAJEPUT OIL & GUINEA HENS This is topic I feel compelled to add my 2 cents. Having raised 6 sons in the Piedmont area of Virginia years ago, ticks were the “state bird”!! Having a farm, working with the animal on a daily basis, it was a given that you needed to do tick check before coming in the house. Two things were part of our strategy…have guinea hens, AND plenty of Cajeput oil. Guinea hens LOVE ticks!! Cajeput KILL THE BACTERIA that causes Lyme disease. AND 1-2 drops of cajeput oil make the ticks release/die so you can safely remove the lil buggers. Cajeput oil applied 3xs a day 5-7 days on tell tale Lyme ring, when caught early will resolve itself. Mix with distilled water 70/30 for a preventative spray. SPRAY HEAVY ON SOCKS!!
Cajeput oil is hard to find in unadulterated pure form. CAJEPUT IS excellent FOR STREP THROAT, BRONCHITIS, COLDS!! Doesn’t wash windows.

By: Karen

Karen — Wed, 23 May 2018 07:47:04 +0000

I am curious why you didn’t mention using diatomaceous earth to tick-proof your yard (as mommypotamus talks about). Is there a reason you didn’t include this on your list? We have ticks. We have free-range chickens in our backyard, but I am considering using DE in the front yard, so I am really interested in your opinion and advice about this.

By: Lanta

Lanta — Wed, 16 May 2018 19:25:23 +0000

We have tick keys on our keyrings and give them out when friends mention a tick encounter. We also have “tick kits” in each bathroom. The “tick kit” is a first aid kit with antiseptic and long flat tweezers. It was inspired when BF came in from yard work and asked me what the bump he felt on his shoulder was. He didn’t like that I couldn’t “instantly” find the right tweezers (had to go into my crafting supplies LOL) hence the kits scattered about the house.

By: Tanya S

Tanya S — Wed, 16 May 2018 03:12:22 +0000

How long should the (dead, frozen) tick be kept before pitching it if there are no symptoms? 2 weeks? A month? Thanks for the article. Ticks are my worst fear ever!

By: Dana

Dana — Wed, 16 May 2018 01:58:18 +0000

It is safe for kids over 2. If Katie says it is okay to post the link, I will. The website is brand free and she only sells information not essential oils. It is run by a certified aromatherapist.