TICKS!!! I can't STAND them! How do you keep them off of YOU?

Sounds about right. I'm in Virginia, with West Virginia on three sides! I'm in that pokey-up part of northern-most Virginia and West Virginia is to the west, the north and the east of us! Definitely in the mountains where the deer almost outnumber the humans! I'm scared silly of those deer ticks! BUT, I've read and my doctor has said that we should never try burning them off. It will get them to release their grip, but if ticks are already embedded in our skin and get irritated (like with heat), they'll release that toxin that can give us Lyme Disease. If they're yanked out with pointy tweezers, they don't have time to release that toxin. I've become an expert in getting ticks off that are already embedded. I want to know how to keep them as far away from me as possible! They're so creepy!!! Maybe I should move to California, too?

fifi, I hate to tell you but California has fleas and ticks just like other states. Where do you live? Of course the Mountains and foothills are the worst, but I lived on the Coast and in Fresno as well, and they were everywhere. Just be careful. leenie

yep I am moving just waiting to find something decent, I am going to every place some don't want me others were to small or too dumpy, so far no fleas in this place though

I bought a flea trap once, the kind with a light and sticky trap. You turn the light on at night, with all other lights off and the fleas head right for the light and get caught on the sticky paper. They work great! I had fleas so bad one year that I was going insane. That's when I bought this flea trap. It caught dozens of fleas in one night! But, it wasn't cheap and I couldn't afford more, so I went to a craft store and bought one of those tiny lights with a cord and plug that are used in some hollow ceramic things, especially Christmas and Halloween things, so the light will shine out. They're really cheap. I bought some sticky mouse traps and cut the sides out some small cardboard boxes, but left about an inch all around each side so it wouldn't collapse, poked a hole in the top of it and pushed the light in, placed a sticky trap on the bottom and it worked like a charm! They catch more than their weight in fleas! They only work at night, though, because fleas are attracted by light. I used only them and, within a couple of weeks, I had no more fleas! But, hopefully, when you move, you won't be pestered by these pests any longer! You are still moving, aren't you? If not, try making some of those traps... they work!!!

ooops forgot to say I use advantage on the pets. I found that frontline did not work as well or as long. I have good experience with advantage though.

I was glad to be able to offer you something as little as it was. I use 1800petmeds or whatever. But I told them how much the vet charged me for the med and they charged less for them. They guarantee to be cheaper than anyone else. You may want to get back with them and tell them the new price you found. I would! Yes, I would like to know where the other place is so I can check it out. Thank you so much.

Well, that settles it, then! Advantage for the dogs and cats, pickle juice for me! Thanks SO MUCH! I love pickles and have some in the fridge right now. Hmmm, maybe that's why the ticks haven't bitten me yet... I've been eating at least one pickle slice every day. I have it with a sandwich for lunch. I love soaking up the pickle juice left on the plate with the bread from the sandwich. I always thought it was a weird habit, but now I'm glad I do that!!! I also eat plenty of garlic. Garlic is also good for cholesterol and it keeps vampires away. Everybody's saying that Advantage is better than Frontline, so I'll definitely be switching. I found a place online that sells it cheaper than 1-800-PETMEDS. I can't remember the name of it, but if you'd like, I'll look it up for you. It's around here somewhere on one of the receipts I have. At least you've solved my biggest question: Why am I noticing more ticks this year and also two fleas when I've never seen even one flea around here since we moved here two years ago. I had a feeling it had something to do with all the rain but wasn't sure until I read this. My pets are due for another dose of Frontline at the end of this month but I'll get the Advantage by that time. I only have one more dose of Frontline for each of them anyway, so it's not a big loss. Maybe I'll give my son the Frontline for cats, since he only has one cat and hasn't noticed any fleas or anything (she's an indoor cat). Thanks again for this info! I'll definitely put it to good use!!!

I pretty much knew all that. You know where I was when I found the last tick crawling on me? I was sitting in this chair in my office at my computer. My little dog hadn't even been in my lap yet! Usually, I find them in my hair, ready to dig in. I suppose that's because one of my dogs always sleeps wrapped around my head on my pillow with me. But, I've also taken one off my leg and belly. I've been very fortunate so far this year... none have bitten me. None bit me last year, either. It was the year before, before we moved here when I found one embedded in my shoulder. That WAS a deer tick, too! Luckily, it hadn't been 24 hours between the time it bit me and the time I found it. Unfortunately, my husband didn't grab it by the head with the tweezers and the head stayed under my skin. That's when I went to my doctor and he removed it and put me on antibiotics, just in case. I surely don't need Lyme Disease on top of everything else! I've been tested for it and that test was negative, thank God! Here, in the mountains, the deer roam all over the place. I love watching them meander up our private road, but I hate seeing them in our yard because they love to eat my flowers and almost destroyed a peach tree I planted... only one lonely branch survived. I spray the grassy areas with insecticide to control the tick and flea population near the house, but the cats roam farther away. The funny thing is, I haven't seen any ticks on the cats, only on the dogs and they only go out to the deck. I guess the ticks get on the cats, find they don't like them because of the Frontline, and move over to the dogs before realizing that they, too, have Frontline on them. It's a shame they don't make Frontline for humans! There used to be a vaccine against Lyme Disease but I have no idea what happened to that. I haven't heard about it in years. Maybe it was causing too many side-effects or something. Worth looking into, I suppose. Other than that, I guess I'll have to spray my bed and chairs with DEET!

I figured as much. You're a very wise, level-headed person, and more than likely would take the usual precautions. Thank goodness you weren't bitten this time, and yes you're right, that's ALL you need right now on top of everything else! Chances are, you're correct too about the cats roaming much farther. As far as the Frontline goes, we here use pretty much the same thing. It's called Advantage. Maybe you've heard of it? It's an excellent product...works fantastically fast...and comes in a variety of different strengths for both cats and dogs, depending on their body size. I'll bet you see your share of deer in those beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, not to mention, overlooking Shenandoah Valley. It must be a breathtaking sight to see this time of year? But, nature being nature as they say, animals will be themselves and very often do get these little beggers transferred between each other. As owners, we can only do so much. As to spraying your bed with DEET? Heh, I don't know about that? Swallowing it probably wouldn't do you much good either. (?) At least I wouldn't advise drinking it anyway. (tastes really yucky, believe me.) Come to think of it, neither have I heard of any Lyme Disease cases in a very long time...but antibiotics are still available, as you say. Hey...maybe YOU should see the vet? (-smile- just kidding-) Take care of yourself. ;-) cdrxo

I've seen commercials for that Advantage. Apparently, from what they say, it's better than Frontline. But, don't all competitors say they're better than all the others? I'll try it, though, because I seem to remember the commercial saying that it REPELS ticks and fleas, not just kills them once they bite. Thanks for the reminder!!! Yep, you'll be hearing from me. I was going to write to you last night but, with my husband being the way he is, I went to bed early. I spent the day yesterday with my youngest son, trying to get him some help since he's been unable to find a job and I was pretty exhausted by the time I got home.

Advantage not only repels (once it has been applied) but DOES kill all fleas and ticks for up to 1 month, then you have to repeat the application. Four applications come per package. Once you've used all of them, your animals will be protected for the rest of the year. Just make sure that you wash your hands well afterwards, or better yet, use a pair of surgical gloves when applying. The good thing is that YOU will be protected too, once it's on the animals. It's a bit pricey, but well worth it in the long run. I've always been satisfied with this product, and have nothing but good things to say about it. It works! cd

Yes, as if we dont have another job except bathing your dogs, I dont know I thought that a kind of flea will not able life well at cold region, especially it has not hair and fat which will protect and cover them from cold, not like we are in tropic region where the air will always warm around 25 to 32 celcius grade, a good place for micro organism. (Or perhaps like we are the human species there will only difference in skin, lighter and usually bigger ..hehehe.. but also with higher quality, more advanced compared to we are who life in hot region, because we loose our much energy every time, as we are sweating all the time and we are only bussy to compensate our energy or stop our sweat, the same as you were bussy make your dog clean)..ok, I choosed your topic because it place at the top and I love my pet also! see you my new friend.

I'm honored that you chose my discussion to respond to, justinus! Thank you! I did not know that fleas and ticks don't like papaya leaves! I wish I could grow papayas here, but it gets too cold in the winter for them. Actually, I do have some papapa seeds that I kept from the last time I bought a papaya, maybe I could at least grow them over the summer and get some leaves from them! I'll give that a try! Thank you for that information! I went through a bad year with fleas once when I owned 3 dogs. I had to bathe them 3 times a week. That's 9 baths every week. I was so tired!!! I use that stuff you put on the dogs' and cats' back (up near their neck) and it works great for them, but it doesn't help me from getting bitten. I wish they made something for humans that kept all bugs off of us!

I don't really have a problem with fleas; it's the ticks that drive me buggy! I did find 2 fleas this year, but that was all. I haven't seen any fleas since them. But, I have seen more ticks. My pets don't have a problem because of the Frontline Plus I use on them. It's ME who has the problem! I wish there was something like Frontline that humans could use. I am eating a pickle a day now since someone suggested a teaspoon of vinegar each day and pickle juice being a more pleasant way to get that vinegar. So far, it's working! Nothing at all has bitten me since I started eating pickles. Yippee!!!

You know Marti, sometimes you have to say to hell with it and use what works. We're not on this earth forever and until they find something that's good for the environment, the one product that works will have to do. Eliminator works like a charm. It kills fleas and ticks a like in your yard and if you get the right stuff, I can't remember the name of it, it'll kill the ticks and fleas all summer long with one treatment. Eventually the "good for the environment" will come out but until it does, this other stuff will have to do. I'm doing ok. Been really busy is all. Summer is here which means a lot of yard work as well as the "cleaning up the woods" but also helping my parents along too. Nothing new to tell about really. My dear brother told my mom that he's thinking of sending me a long email and she told him to do what you think but she thinks that if we sat down together and had a good talk that we'd be able to work things out. I told her that it won't work out unless he's willing to shut his damned mouth and hear me out because he's hurt me too damned many times in the past and I'm not having it anymore and that's that. That's when she said she's not getting into it but prays every day that we get our differences straightened out. What ever is what I say. If she'd step in and get all the facts then maybe we'd have a go between but she won't so the brewing continues on. Oh la la. What's going on with you Marty? Is that so called husband of yours moving out? You really should move your sons in or on the property regardless of how he feels because they are YOUR kids and you want them there. Your hubby is moving on anyways so why not?

Hey, I'll DRINK the stuff if I thought it would help! I do have some Skin-So-Soft around here somewhere... it's definitely going to be added to my daily beauty regime!!! I use Deep Woods OFF when I go outside. I started using it to keep the flies off of me (we have a cattle farm across the road... they seem to attract monster flies!), but now I use it to keep ticks off of me. Ewwwwwww. I heard that, if you eat a lot of garlic, bugs won't like you. I don't know about ticks, though. Of course, if you eat enough garlic, your FRIENDS won't like you, either, but you'll never have to worry about vampires!

Marti, You are too funny!! The garlic might work! Besides who needs friends? I know that some perfumes attract certain insects so aside from the skin so soft, I'd avoid any sweet smelly stuff including hand lotion while outside. Also, try to avoid walking under trees and their branches. Ticks love to hang out there and get you as you walk under. leenie

Well, bathing your puppy might help, but the best thing to do is remove the ticks right away. If you have some pointy tweezers, get as close to the tick's head as possible (as close to the dog's skin) and pull quickly. You've gotta keep a tight grip on those tweezers, too, because ticks are REALLY stubborn about letting go! Usually, you'll see a bit of the dog's skin come off with the tick. When you do, you can be sure you got the head as well as the body.

Since you're like the second or third person who's mentioned Advantage, I'll definitely give that a try. When it first came out, I used it on my cats because it was a pretty bad year for fleas. It didn't work nearly as well as Frontline, though. But, I know that Advantage has made some advances in their formula and will definitely be talking to the vet about it. I expect to see ticks outside, living in the mountains with LOTS of woods, but I've just seen way too many of them in my house, especially in my bed! Of course, my cat sleeps at my feet and my dogs stay plastered up against me all night so any ticks that may be on them naturally climb on over to me since I don't have Frontline or anything else on me that they might not like. I'm getting the creeps just thinking about those things!

I have that same problem, but it's our cats who bring the ticks inside with them. All our pets, two dogs and two cats, are on Frontline Plus but the dogs (Maltese) are restricted to areas without any tall weeds or bushes. It's the cats that pick them up and bring them in. They usually get on my dogs but don't bite because of the Frontline. Unfortunately for me, my dogs stick to me like glue, literally. One sleeps curled up against my belly when I sleep and the other one curls around my head on my pillow. If they have ticks on them, they inevitably find their way to me. I get creeped out for days after finding a tick crawling on me. I have long hair and sometimes it'll tickle my arm and, of course, I'm positive it's a tick until I check. The worst thing is worrying about getting Lyme disease. There used to be a vaccine against it but I haven't heard anything about it in years. Maybe it was making people sick, I don't know. But I use Deep Woods OFF whenever I'm outside and that seems to be helping quite a bit. I wish they'd come out with Frontline or Advantix for humans!

Good for you, Chevee... keep up the walking! I wish I had that kind of perseverence. I guess I could, if I didn't have some really bad days when I can barely move. I'd love to walk every day to get my cholesterol down but I can't. So, I've started eating either Cheerios or oatmeal every day. Both are supposed to help lower cholesterol. Yeah, all my animals love being outside. The cats can roam anywhere they want. We have a small "doggie door" leading to the deck, and my son built a gate at the stairs on the deck leading down to the yard so the dogs can't get down whenever they want because our property doesn't have a fence all around it yet. It's funny, it's my littlest dog that has learned to go down those steps but the bigger one is still frightened by them! My little five-pounder is afraid of NOTHING! LOL Still, the dogs get ticks on them. They don't attach themselves because of the Frontline, but they do get on them until they see me coming. Then, they scurry on over to me! Ewwwwww!!! I hate them!!! Fleas I can handle... it's those ticks I can't stand! Things are going. I'm not sure if they're going well or not yet. I gave my husband the ultimatum. I was going to wait until I heard from Social Security, but couldn't. I told him, divorce or counseling. It's his choice. After a day of mulling it over, he told me to set up an appointment for counseling. I asked him if he was going to go to this or would he cancel this like he's cancelled every other doctor's appointment I've ever made for him and he said he'd go. So, we'll see. I'm not holding my breath, though. His track record is very poor.