On Wed, 10 Jun 2009 23:32:46 +0000 (UTC), enigma
wrote:

Frank wrote in
:

Look for garden sprays effective against ticks. Use DEET and
long clothing, tight fitting around hands and feet.

DEET should NOT be used on children. a DEET free insect repellent
should help, but keeping the grass short & the child away from shrubs
& tall plants (where ticks are likely to hang out) is usually
sufficient. there's no reason to keep a child out of the garden
because you found a bug.

Ticks are prevalent on short grass, too, or can be carried into the
house by dogs and cats, even treated ones. Ask me how I know.

And since not only deer and mice, but chipmunks and shrews can carry
Lyme, it always pays to be cautious in any are where Lyme is known to
be a factor (or any other tick-borne disease, as a matter of fact).

The best preventive of complications, since nothing is 100% effective
at preventing tick bites, is to do a thorough body check after the
child or adult comes in from the yard or outdoor activity.


if you have cats or dogs, get them on a spot treatment for fleas &
ticks, like Advantage or Frontline. you might get chickens. they eat
ticks.

Often bullseye rash is a sign of Lymes disease. Don't think its
carried by the much larger dog ticks.

all tick species can carry Lyme disease.

This is not true. Dog ticks do not carry Lyme. And some types of
ticks can carry, but are not documented as being able to transmit.

http://www.path.sunysb.edu/labsvs/tickpics/TICKpic.htm

only a third of the cases
get the "characteristic" bull's eye rash (and spreading rashes could
have another cause. my son got cellulitis from a deerfly bite last
summer).
lee

In areas where Lyme is rife, the common practice if there is a tick
bite from an unidentified tick is 24 prophylactic treatment with
tetracycline. Better safe.

Boron