Lyme Disease

[fwassner]

Originally posted by B Thrash
Very good website on Lyme Disease go to:

http://www.morristown.com/LymeDiseas...kDISEASE.htmal

That url appears not to be working

[EarlyRiser]

im going to have to get back to you as to which sex it attracts, i saw it listed in one of my magazines, i believe it was in backpacker, but ill check latter.

eitherway it makes me wonder how we didnt see more bears last year when a friend of mine carried around a burning citronella candle for two weeks!

[Mini-Mosey]

to me WHICH sex ; it's still a bear!! Although I do have a bunch of Backpacking magazines, so I could check it out myself if I get so inclined.

[Mini-Mosey]

that I mentioned earlier in this thread could be applied to this THREAD, not the site.

[EarlyRiser]

i search through my back issues and couldnt find it, so either i missed it, i heard it somewhere else, or am just losing it, all are quite possible explinations. im pretty sure it attracks both a little, but one more than the other, so perhaps its attractive to females and it attracts males because of competition, or some such thing. if anyone finds out which id appreciate it.

[max patch]

Check your Feb 03 issue; this from a quick google:


In response to a question about bears being attracted to citronella, in the February 2003 issue of Backpacker magazine the "bear expert" wrote about "several years" of research in "Alaska to test how bears respond to different sights, sounds and smells. Citronella powerfully attracts some male and female bears. For some individuals of both sexes, it elicits rolling and rubbing that can last for 5 to 10 minutes... We know of no attacks on people triggered by wearing citronella, but because of its bear attraction power we don't recommend wearing it in bear country."

[EarlyRiser]

thank you, that is exactly what i was looking for. i must have just missed it. thank you very much.

on a happy note my test came back and i am negative for Lyme so thats good.

[gravityman]

As noted elsewhere in this thread, the test for lyme "often" gives false positives and negatives. Keep paying attention to how you feel...

Gravity man

[Mini-Mosey]

Seriously....thanks very much for the information, Max Patch.

[fwassner]

There's got to be a better way... than DEET to protect one's self against ticks that carry Lyme and other life debilitating disease, as well as mosquitoes.

Wear long pants and sleeves... I get way too warm on hot days.
Check one's self for ticks every night... I usually travel alone.
Netting?? Do I want to look like a space man hiking the trail?

What works? Is DEET the only sure method?
Wearing DEET continuously (more or less) for a thru-hike from about April to Aug or Sept is a lot of DEET possibly getting into one's body. It can cause all sorts of problems... long term, including cancer. It especially attacks the liver.

IMO, a thru-hike not worth the risk of disease. I can handle possible injury. At least I can see the dangers, and easily avoid them... well, OK. No one can totally avoid all physical hazards on the trail. But it's not like bugs. I hate the thought that I would have to wear DEET for so long and check myself for ticks every night before sleeping, when I'm so tired from that 20 mile hike.

I tried taking Garlic pills for weeks then going on a hike in the Catskills NY on Labor day weekend. As soon as I stepped out of my truck the mosquitoes started biting, so I applied the DEET.
Who was I to believe that having garlic in my blood could prevent bites??

So what do thru-hikers do about these real hazards?
Has anyone ever worn netting?

[Trailjockey]

I





OOPS!

[Trailjockey]

I`ve got to tell you that LYME desease is probably more prevalant than most people think. I live about a 15min. ride from the town in which it is named, Lyme, Ct.. Nearly everyone in this area who frequently visits the woods, lives in a wooded area where deer and mice can be found or owns a pet has had lyme desease. Many more than once.
It can mimic many ailments. Flu like symtoms, to things like Bell`s Palsy and rumatoid arthritus. Plus some disturbing heart conditions which can be permanent if left un treated.
Something else you might want to know is that the deer tick around these parts can be found active any month of the year when tempetures rise into the mid 30`s and even colder temps in sheltered areas.
Personally my weapon of choice is Permanone.(Can be found at Wally-World) Seems to work well for me. Even repells mosquitoes( West Nile, Yes we`ve got that too.), horse flys and them pesky deer flys. Don`t know how it would fair against black flys. Haven`t put it to the test.
This stuff will last several weeks sparyed on clothes(on skin is a no-no!). Can last thru several machine washings.
Another tidbit on the war against bugs. Exofficio is coming out with a line of outdoor clothing with this stuff already bonded to the fabric. Suppose to last thu as many as 30 machine washings.
"Better Living thu Chemistry" It`s so 60`s.
So our options are either to stay at home and be safe(?), or grab those WMD`s(That`s Weapons of Mass Destuction for you non- political types)and declare WAR on bugs everwhere!
Soldiers, and hikers, go out there and show`em who owns the trail!

[gumball]

Do you always develop a headache?

[Mudchaos]

Try MEC (Mountain Equipment Co-op)

http://tinyurl.com/nbo4

Their bug netting jacket is about $13 USD. They have a lot of good deals on this site as the exchange rate is very favorable at this time. I just picked up an Integral Designs sil/nyl 8x10 tarp for $91 USD. Compared to $120 USD from US suppliers.

Rich

[Blue Jay]

You do not need to dip youself in poison or buy a space suit. Just pull all of the ticks off before you go to bed. It's not that hard to remember.

[fwassner]

It's not hard to remember the ticks, but if you're traveling alone, then who is going to check where you can't see?
Some of the ticks that cause Lyme are so tiny there's no way anyone can see them, especially in less than perfect lighting that may exist by the time you get into camp.

[Streamweaver]

Usually ticks never get a chance to imbed themselves into my flesh because I can feel then and remove them before they do. But the deer ticks that carry Lyme Disease are usually very small and I never even saw the tick that gave me Lyme!!! Never even knew it had been there until I got the rash . A magnefying mirror works best to see the little buggers. Streamweaver

[Cehoffpauir]

I posted this under "alcohol" thread and thought it more appropriate here.

A past thru-hiker told me he used isopropyl alcohol to kill ticks on his body, and that he never got Lyme disease though he knew people who did. Does anyone know how isopropyl works in killing ticks? It would be better than plucking them out one-by-one, because you could spread it over areas of your body you can't see well, rather than struggle with mirrors and such, possibly missing the one tick who gives you Lyme. Isop has additional uses, also.

UPDATE 3/4/04
Since having first posted the above I read the back of a bottle of rubbing alcohol, which clearly states: "Do not apply over large areas of the body." Anyone considering it should be so advised!

[Blue Jay]

I posted this under "alcohol" thread and thought it more appropriate here.

A past thru-hiker told me he used isopropyl alcohol to kill ticks on his body, and that he never got Lyme disease though he knew people who did. Does anyone know how isopropyl works in killing ticks? It would be better than plucking them out one-by-one, because you could spread it over areas of your body you can't see well, rather than struggle with mirrors and such, possibly missing the one tick who gives you Lyme. Isop has additional uses, also.

It could help but I would still check my entire body. That is the only fool proof method of avoiding Lyme.

[gravityman]

As with most anecdotal evidence, it is urban myth.

The most important thing about removing a tick is making sure it doesn't regurgitate its stomach contents in to you. This will give you a chance to getting any one of a number of baddies, including lymes.

Pulling it out is the only way to go. Either with tweezers (don't squeeze the stomach!) or with a loop of thread attached around the head.

Here's a link on some "real" information :

http://www.findarticles.com/cf_dls/m.../article.jhtml

I posted this under "alcohol" thread and thought it more appropriate here.

A past thru-hiker told me he used isopropyl alcohol to kill ticks on his body, and that he never got Lyme disease though he knew people who did. Does anyone know how isopropyl works in killing ticks? It would be better than plucking them out one-by-one, because you could spread it over areas of your body you can't see well, rather than struggle with mirrors and such, possibly missing the one tick who gives you Lyme. Isop has additional uses, also.