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Ticks and Lyme Disease

3795 Views 9 Replies 7 Participants Last post by  shroomineyes
I have had some good luck finding morels this year, but most all of them have come in heavily wooded areas. Crawling through all that undergrowth and getting low to scan for morels under it, ticks are a daily occurrence. Just wondering what any of you on this site do to avoid ticks? I love going in the thick stuff for some good mushrooms, but the thought of getting Lyme disease scares me a lot. Sounds like a lot of the nymph-stage deer ticks that carry it are very hard to detect.
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Permitherin they sell it at Walmart for like ten bucks you pretreat your clothing and use bug spray before you head out it last for a few weeks
Marty,
The Permitherin is the chemical that repels and/or kills ticks! It's typically 5% of the brand name repellant you purchase.
It is available at REI , which is suprisingly the cheapest place I have found it. It is a 16oz spray bottle that is applied to your "shrooming clothes" which are then good through several washings. Use deet for skeeters and Sawyer or Masons tick spray. Sawyers is at REI.
I have RA , so I don't need Lyme also! So far in several trips - no ticks!
good health
rei is expensive walmart has it for 9.99 rei is like 15 to 20 bucks
I had Lymes 4 years ago. got it in Detroit lakes hunting Morels. It really sucks.
If you hunt morels and / or spend time the woods or grass
and get a temp of over 102 degrees between May and August go to the Dr.
insist on a round of Antibiotic for it. Dont let them tell you to wait.
If you get started to late, it really can suck. To be brief I know to people who are in a big hurt because of delayed antibiotics.

To prevent read the search engines. Light colored clothes show the ticks.
Long sleeves, pants tucked into jeans or socks, or pants taped at the ankle with duct tape.

Permethrin you gear. Deet bug spray every outing.
Cheap dryer sheets tucked into boots, cap, pockets
Put listerine in a bottle and spray with that too.

Undress in the garage. Check for ticks , take an immediate hot long shower.

Launder clothes on high heat regularly, and if concerned, take few vitamin C tablets daily to repel ticks.

Thats the long version

But having to crawl to the bathroom every day and having the equivalent of permanent arthritis could be the alternative.

I go out every day. Got about 600 morels so far and they keep popping.

What a rush.

Dont let some damn deer tick beat you!!

Enjoy.

You could get hit by a truck tomorrow

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This will make you think I am a nut.
I am not.

I have now had poison ivy twice in two weeks.

If you can find Jewel Weed it can immediatley alleviate the Poison Ivy and Oak pain

If not, there are options.

Urine, yes, pee
Your own pee is sterile in itself.
I wont go into how to keep urine from being contaminated, see Google

But your own pee the darker the better is sterile if collected properly.

If you put it on the itch/rash it will take care of the oils and rash.

Rubbing gently with lemon juice, salt to scrub off oil or baking soda also does the trick

Pay attention to wear you have the rash.

On the palms of your hands repeatedly may be coming from boot laces, your mushroom bag or steering wheel.
Wash these with dish soap, lemon juice, or scrub with baking soda

On your elbows or forearms may come from the armrest in your vehicle.

I am not trying to scare people away. Though ivy rashes and lymes does effectively get rid of some competition.

Dont try to pull little oak trees from the ground to transplant. If there are 3 oak looking leaves this is poison oak

Sumac can also cause a lot of discomfort. Again Google search images of poison Sumac.
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Down where i hunt you got to keep in mind the copperheads and rattlers also. Not trying to convince anyone to stop looking for morels or anything though.
We dont have copperhead or rattlers anywhere north of Winona
Permethrin is the best there is. Spring turkey hunting I pulled 60-70 deer ticks off of my pants before 11 am the first morning, sprayed down and let my clothes dry overnight and the next day had 4-5 all day.. sprayed my clothes down again and didnt have another tick on me turkey or mushroom hunting the rest of the year! I always tuck my pant cuffs into wool socks and my shirt into my pants so the only entrance ticks have is at your wrist or collar.
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