Thursday, August 27, 2009
Ticks and Lyme Disease (Research by Kathie)
FYI friends :)
GENERAL FACTS
- 70-95% of all Lyme Disease cases occur from the bite of the immature (nymph) deer tick, salt granule size.
- 90% of all US Lyme Disease cases come from mostly NY, NJ, CT, MA, MD, RI, PA, etc...
- Deer ticks are active all year round, as long as the temperature is over 35°F. Peak activity months are May-June (nymphs), and October-November (adults).
- In NJ, up to 50% of deer ticks have Lyme Disease.
- The white-footed mouse is the main culprit for transmitting Lyme Disease to ticks, NOT DEER.
- Most online sources say you can contract Lyme Disease within 24-48 hours, but there are some sources that say 1 hour is enough. Most reputable sources say it's less than 24 hours.
TICK HABITATS
- you know ticks like tall grass and woods
- they also like mulch and humid, moist areas
- they don't like SHORT mowed grass that is open, sunny, hot...but they can be in the grass
WHITE SHEET TEST
- got ticks?
- take a white sheet or pillow case and drag it along the ground, landscaped bush/flower areas
- ticks climb to the highest point and open their front legs, in an open hug position, waiting for a host to come past
- inspect the sheet CLOSELY for little black dots that could be nymphs
- I did this and found 4 active nymphs, again the size of a salt granule
PREVENTION
- you know this already...
- tuck your pants in your socks, shirt into pants, long sleeves, pony tail, hat
- yea right, it's summer...gimmie a break
- tick checks daily, I sometimes do them twice a day
YARD TREATMENT
- I'm not a fan of fertilizers, herbicides, insecticides, etc...but I'll take the possibility and risk of a little pesticide toxicity possibility over Lyme disease any day
- "Maxide" is the insecticide product we chose to treat our yard, doing it once this year then following up with less potent treatments next year (see below)
- Maxide as potent as "Sevin" yet less toxic, a newer technology (I've read the MSDS sheets on both - "Material Safety Data Sheet" the govt publishes on chemicals)
- Sevin has to be applied every 3 weeks May through September
- Maxide has to be applied only once in May and works into September
- Sevin kills 100 types of insects, Maxide kills 50 (they both kill ticks and fleas). We need SOME beneficial bugs in our yard, like ladybugs!
- Pesticides can be dangerous and toxic to kids, pets, fish, birds, and obviously insects. But in my view, there is a higher risk and toxicity with Lyme Disease. This yard treatment is the lesser of two evils.
- I've called Walmart, Tractor Supply, Lowes, Home Depot, True Value...the only place that sells it is True Value (you have to order it online and have it shipped for free to the store). It was $140 to do my entire acre, one application is all that is needed for the whole season.
- Here is the link so you can see what the Maxide bag looks like...
LESS POTENT YARD TREATMENT
- We are also doing this unique, safer, less toxic treatment called "Tick Tubes"
- Not toxic to the kids at all, and targets the ticks on the mice
- I always thought ticks got Lyme disease from Deer...they don't, they get Lyme disease from mice, chipmunks...these smaller animals.
- So getting rid of the ticks on mice is really a big step in controlling Lyme disease, right?
- These Tick Tubes are filled with cotton that is saturated with a chemical that kills ticks
- The mice LOVE the cotton for their nests, bring it back to their homes, and whaaa laaa, the ticks get killed
- Not toxic to the mice, cats, dogs, kids...
- Put one 6" tube every 10 yards in tick areas...do this application once in May, once in September
- $80 per application for an acre
HERBAL SUPPLEMENT
- Ever hear how eating lots of garlic helps to ward off mosquitoes?
- The International Herbal Conference this year had a focus on Lyme Disease and my doctor's herbal specialist said: "It was suggested that if you and the kids had the herb Astragalas in you and around you it makes ticks go the other way. Evidently Astragalas doesn't smell good to ticks or something to that affect."
- It's sold at Healthy Thymes in Vernon.
BIRD FEEDERS
- Mice come out at night and feed on the fallen seed.
- If you love seeing your birdies, replace the feeders with birdhouses hanging from rope off the same hook during tick season.
MULCH
- If you have mulch under your children's playset, replace it with small round stone 3/8" gravel
- Never breaks down to dirt (less weeds!), never has to be replaced, it's natural and CHEAPER...(North Church Gravel $12 for 1.5 yards! 973-827-6334)
TICKS SURVIVE WASHER/DRYER?
- read this quickly if you can
- the pool, shower or bath does not kill ticks
YOU FOUND A TICK?
- We send our ticks to a Lyme knowledgeable lab in CA and have it tested for Lyme disease. www.igenex.com It's not covered by insurance and it's $65. Igenex tick test is 99/% accurate
- Only 50-70% of people who have Lyme get a bulls eye. Which means 50% of people who have LD NEVER got a bulls eye.
- Many have no signs and symptoms at all, and the disease is manifesting inside until it rears it's ugly head. It's difficult to treat Lyme if it's not diagnosed early.
- The sooner you treat it the more likely to have success.
- 28 days of antibiotics, doxicycline or tetracycline. Some docs won't give this to children because of possible lines developing in teeth...so they prescribe amoxicycllin (sp?) which possibly isn't as effective and the cyclines.
- Blood tests aren't 100% accurate and can give false negative and false positive readings. That's why knowing if the tick had Lyme is key...test the tick via Igenex. If the tick doesn't have Lyme, then you don't need to get blood work done.
- Lab Corp has a standard protocol Lyme's test which isn't 100% accurate; Western Blot and Antibody tests.
- Igenex does better blood testing methodology that is more accurate but isn't typically covered by insurance.
Be healthy, friends! :)
XOXO
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