seed/turkey ticks

[Leadeye]

Wife was hit by seed ticks last weekend, 50+. She's miserable, so many around her ankles she can't get a shoe on. She was getting some plants out of the high weeds. Be careful in the brush and use repellent, I wouldn't wish them on anybody.

 

[MedicMike]

I understand your wife's pain. I got into a bunch about two years ago while squirel hunting. I wish her a speedy recovery.

 

[ruger1800]

What are turkey seed ticks?

 

[Leadeye]

What are turkey seed ticks?

The larval stage of lone star ticks, about the size of pepper grains. They stay in groups, sometimes hundreds and the bite leaves a welt the size of a BB that blisters and itchs like nothing else.

 

[Jerry C]

They also carry lime disease. I got nailed 2 yrs. ago by one and got lime disease. A round of antibiotics took care of it. I think the ticks must have killed off the chiggers around here, I never get chiggers any more, but I seem to be a tick magnet.

 

[UltraRick]

They also carry lime disease. I got nailed 2 yrs. ago by one and got lime disease. A round of antibiotics took care of it. I think the ticks must have killed off the chiggers around here, I never get chiggers any more, but I seem to be a tick magnet.

It must be a Southern Indiana thing. I also live in Southern Indiana and those turkey ticks seek me out, must have radar on them!

 

[dcary7]

They also carry lime disease. I got nailed 2 yrs. ago by one and got lime disease. A round of antibiotics took care of it. I think the ticks must have killed off the chiggers around here, I never get chiggers any more, but I seem to be a tick magnet.

Deer ticks are the only ones that we have that carry Lime Disease. "Seed/Turkey Ticks" are just a nickname for the juvenile form of Lone Star Ticks as someone already stated. Not a separate species, just what people refer to them as. I hope your wife gets to feeling better... they are quite miserable when you get into a mess of them.

In Indiana we have three main species of tick: Black Dog Tick, Lone Star, and Deer Tick. Also in order for a tick to pass something on to you (tularemia or lime disease) they must be in you for roughly eight hours. (juveniles take less time if I recall...4-6 maybe? ) They regurgitate some of the blood back into you whenever they attempt to pull out after they are filled up.. just a fun little fact.

I am terrible about attracting em as well... seems I cant hardly step outside without em crawling on me. Getting so used to them now they dont bother me as much anymore.

 

[Deadly Z Driver]

hmmm.. So do you tell the difference between these and chiggers?

Scratch that I used my Google Fu... I currently dealing with some chiggers.

 

[CopperWires]

My wife and I got into these a couple summers ago and it was awful. It took a long time to get them all off. Our poor dog had to suffer for a while. We had to wait for the flea and tick stuff did its job. They were all over our clothes and shoes too. I left my shoes outside hoping they would go elsewhere. After a week, they were still hanging on out my shoes only they had climbed to the highest point. When I would get close to the shoes to inspect them, they would stop moving around and lift their front legs up in the air as if they were reaching for me. It was a little disturbing to see this persistence. I ultimately sprayed Deep Woods Off! on my shoes and got rid of them. I wish the best for your wife.

 

[POC]

It's actually "Lyme's disease", named for the town (Lyme, CT) where the disease was first classified.
Some facts:

1) Only spread by Deer ticks American Lyme Disease Foundation
2) Indiana is mostly in the RARE category of distribution American Lyme Disease Foundation
3) The disease most commonly transmitted by ticks in Indiana is ehrlichiosis CDC - Ehrlichiosis: Questions and Answers | Tickborne Rickettsial Diseases

Granted...the symptoms are generally the same, HOWEVER; the treatment is vastly the same too.
Ok, they are caused by different organisms that can be killed by the same medicine, so most of this is semantics.


I know my man, mk2ja, will come in and rep me for this post.

 

[blackoak]

What are turkey seed ticks?

The most dreaded creature on planet earth spawned directly from Hell.

 

[djl02]

It must be a Southern Indiana thing. I also live in Southern Indiana and those turkey ticks seek me out, must have radar on them!

It is.Their migrating north.Use to only get them in Perry,now there up in Harrison where I hunt. I was told 2 prisoners escaped from Branchville and turned theirselves in after getting infested with them.Welcome to Crawford/Perry county fellows.

 

[50apiguy]

I got attacked by some last week while doing some scouting. Wish i would have remembered to bring some repellant!

 

[Jack Ryan]

Use permethryn on your cloths, shoes, socks, hat you hunt in or cut wood, any thing outside and you'll avoid 99% of these problems.

If a plan for 5 minutes in the driveway turns in to 3 hours in the field and you know you've been in the stuff with them, put your cloths straight in to a plastic bag and spray in some permethrin and tie it shut until it can go straight in to the washer. Keeps them from getting all over the house. Fill the bath tub with water and add bleach to the water. Don't take much. If you can still smell bleach in the water that's plenty. Get in and soak all the ticks and chiggers will come off.

Ladys who've forgotton to spray down before going out can shave them off as soon as they come in the house. I've heard this from several independant testimonials to it.

You can't wait until you feel them or it's too late. Most times they have bitten, eaten and dropped off by the time you feel it start to bump up, turn read then itch.

 

[Sailor]

Ortho Total-Kill Permethrin dillute with water 5-1 and you have a cheaper way to treat your clothes.

 

[Jack Ryan]

Ortho Total-Kill Permethrin dillute with water 5-1 and you have a cheaper way to treat your clothes.

I buy it at Tractor Supply, Termite and Carpenter Ant Killer. A quart bottle, 13.3% active ingredient Permethrin. Mix it about 2 ounces in a gallon of water.

I use a lot of it out here in the sticks. Spray the house from top of the roof to the foundation once in the spring to keep out wood bees, once in the fall to keep out lady bugs. While I've got it mixed up I fill the one gallon fruit sprayer and a windex spray bottle for cloths, shoes, the dog, around the camp fire and picnic area, the range where I shoot, what ever about any kind of bug is a problem. Kills fleas, ticks, seed ticks, ants, termites, wasps, bees, wood bees, lady bugs...

It's good stuff.

 

[ironjaw]

Deer ticks......I spent 17 days in Methodist Hospital cuz of them stinking bugs. I went squirrel hunting w/ my brother when I was 15. Came back to the house and felt something crawling on my leg. Pulled up my pants and there were appx. 500+ on my right leg and atleast 100+ on my left. Before I could do anything, my brother jumps in the shower, I get in after he gets out. About a week later, I start getting these bumps on my right leg that would pop like zits. It was on a sunday morning, I woke up to go to church, and I reached down to scratch my right leg, and it was so hot to the touch. I turned on the light and from my knee down it was bright red. Just above the ankle, where the infection was, was a deep dark purple. My momma took me to the med check and they in turn sent me to the Hospital, due to me running a 106.7 temp. I had ice packs in every crevace in my body, on the way to the hospital. After countless I. V.es and 11 days in the hospital with no surgery, they sent me home at 10am with a 99.2 temp. They said if it gets worse to come back. I was back by 6pm with a 105.7 temp. The docs finally decided to do emergency surgery on my leg, taking the infection out. They said they got about 3 oz of the infection out and left the wound open so it will close on its own. Six days later, all fever was gone and leg still had a hole in it. Now it's just a big 'ol nasty scar.

Moral of this story.......beat your brother to the shower!