Our dogs have a large plot - not yet a garden - with loads of long grass and nooks and corners as well as local lanes and fields to run about in on walkies so they get a regular flea and tick prevention chew and the cats get stuff on the back of their necks. We also have a spray to do spot treatment, just in case, and I assume that would work on any that attach themselves to us.
I have a friend who had Lyme's disease - not good - but I didn't know about the bull's eye so thanks for that.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
We were plagued by them when we lived in the north east of Belgium, inland and in a woodland area. The dog and my husband were bitten regularly. For some reason I didnt get bitten, I always wore long trousers or leggings, or maybe I taste horrible . One summer the dog got a nasty area where a tick had bitten him (despite using frontline for ticks and checking him when we got back from walks) and it developed into a nasty inflammation - not infection - but a reaction against the tick which they called a 'hot spot', took ages to heal. We had to stop walking him in the woods or near any long grass. It helped. I didn't find them in the garden though. We had a lot of deer around and they are known to spread them.
So now we live near the coast we don't get any trouble with is luckily. Dog hasn't had one since. In my opinion there's just nothing you can do to prevent it.
I had a tick bite on the back of my knee years ago ... think I picked it up while picking raspberries on a Pick Your Own farm ... I didn't know what it was (couldn't see it properly anyway but it was pretty sore and swollen) and as I was visiting the GP on another matter I showed him as I was prone to getting bad reactions to mozzie bites and it looked as if it was getting nasty ... the GP only visited our village twice a week so it was usual to get in early if something looked as if it might turn nasty ... he removed the tick and prescribed antibiotics ... thankfully I had no lasting effects.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
The chewy tablets we use are called BRAVECTO and are made in the Netherlands. They are only available from vets - according to the label - and deal with fleas and ticks. Works for us.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
The chewy tablets we use are called BRAVECTO and are made in the Netherlands. They are only available from vets - according to the label - and deal with fleas and ticks. Works for us.
I get bitten regularly although mainly by nymph stage ticks rather than adults. The nymph stage is much smaller (~2mm) and doesn't swell like adult females when feeding. They are hard to detect until they have been in for a day or so and are beginning to cause a reaction. Horrible things.
Humans too DGM - I don't have to go round twisting the blighters off either dog and we haven't - so far - been bitten either. Bravecto is given every 12 weeks but for certain types - rhipicephalus sanguineus - 8 weeks is a better interval and they do fleas too.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
My dogs wear Scalibor collars, get frontline spot-on and I did start the older one on a leishmaniasis jab as it was prevalent where we used to live. She had a really bad reaction to it so had to stop that. They still get the occasional tick which I whip out with the twisty tool. I tend to wear long trousers, socks and trainers out in the woods and fields and try and keep the garden/jungle scythed and strimmed as much as possible, so don’t normally get bothered by the ticks. Those tiger mosquitos though - very painful bite and they are around during the day too - that’s just not fair!
Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
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I have a friend who had Lyme's disease - not good - but I didn't know about the bull's eye so thanks for that.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.