Tick??

[CPCSqueeklover]

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF) is the most severe and most frequently reported rickettsial illness in the United States. The disease is caused by a species of bacteria that is spread to humans by ticks. The two major sources of RMSF in the US are the American dog tick and Rocky Mountain wood tick.

Initial signs and symptoms include sudden onset of fever, headache, and muscle pain, followed by rash. The disease can be difficult to diagnose in the early stages, and without prompt treatment it can be fatal.

The name Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever is somewhat of a misnomer. Beginning in the 1930s, it became clear this disease occurred in many areas of the United States other than the Rocky Mountain region. It is broadly distributed throughout the continental United States, as well as southern Canada, Central America, Mexico, and parts of South America. Between 1981 and 1996, this disease was reported from every US state except Hawaii, Vermont, Maine, and Alaska.

RMSF remains a serious and potentially life-threatening infectious disease today. Despite the availability of effective treatment and advances in medical care, approximately 3% to 5% of individuals who become ill with RMSF will die. However, effective antibiotic therapy has dramatically reduced the number of deaths. Before the discovery of tetracycline and chloramphenichol in the late 1940s, as many as 30% of persons infected with RMSF died. For more information go to: www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/rmsf/.

[LynninIN]

We do work very well together, but sometimes it takes a little while to get on the same wavelength .

Practice with a stuffed animal.

[CPCSqueeklover]

Lyme Disease. Lyme disease is mostly localized in the northeastern, mid-Atlantic, and upper north central regions, and several counties in northwestern California. In 2002, 23,763 cases of Lyme disease were reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 95% were from the states of Connecticut, Delaware, Rhode Island, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

Individuals who live or work in residential areas surrounded by tick-infested woods or overgrown brush risk getting Lyme disease. People who participate in any outdoor recreational activities are also at risk.

Within days to weeks following an infected tick bite, 80% of patients will have a red, slowly expanding “bulls-eye” rash accompanied by general tiredness, fever, headache, stiff neck, muscle aches, and joint pain. If untreated, weeks to months later, some patients develop arthritis, including intermittent episodes of swelling and pain in the large joints, and/or neurologic abnormalities including inflammation of the brain and, rarely, cardiac problems. Incubation for Lyme disease for the rash to appear is usually 7 to 14 days following an infected tick bite. Some patients present with later symptoms without having had any early signs of disease. Most people can be treated with antibiotic therapy when diagnosed in the early stages. For more information go to: www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/lyme.

Preventative measures like insect proof clothes, especially pants and socks, and tucking the pants leg into the socks can be effective in reducing your exposure to infected ticks. As with mosquitos, D.E.E.T. on exposed skin, and Permethrin as a clothing treatment can also help.

[island rehabber]

Now THAT would be fun! I've never been any farther east than Chicago and Milwaukee... Yeah, I'm sheltered.

Some day I'm going to hop a plane and visit IR in the Bronx, though... And then drag her and NRBF back to Iowa to pull their hair out listening to the corn grow! LOL!

I dunno, that corn growing sounds kind of appealing compared to 500 flights out of LaGuardia every day, over my roof......speedboats speeding, jet skis jetting, and of course the boombox cars......

[TexanSquirrel]

Ticks = ewww

Good luck!

[Buddy'sMom]

Update: AFTER spending much of the afternoon figuring this out, and AFTER going to the mall to get Bach's Rescue Remedy -- in the pouring rain and thunderstorm -- (no teatree oil, but the guy at GNC said they've had many inquiries for it), and finally on my way to the squirrels (stopping for more Chuck-A_nut so they shouldn't go hungry ) .... BD called with more informtion. LWE had come for supper and he got a really good look at her ears --- nothing! So now we aren't sure if it was another squirrel? Or maybe it was just some piece of something stuck on her ear that fell off in the course of the day.

There were 4 squirrels still here when I arrived so I went out with hazelnuts and made each of them come close enough to see their ears before they got their nuts. Nothing -- all clear. Buddy also came at suppertime and it wasn't him either. There is a small male that comes in the morning that's about the same size as LWE and we get them confused sometimes. So we'll try to look at him. But if it's anyone other than LWE, it would be much harder to get close enough.

Thanks to everyone who provided advice and moral support all afternoon so we would be ready.

I printed it all out -- so we will be prepared if we need to catch a squirrel. (We didn't get a chance to practice, but that was a good idea!)

[Critter_Queen]

I dunno, that corn growing sounds kind of appealing compared to 500 flights out of LaGuardia every day, over my roof......speedboats speeding, jet skis jetting, and of course the boombox cars......

You know, I was just thinking on Wednesday morning on my walk up the hill to work, how I'll bet there are people on TSB that have never stood IN THE CITY LIMITS and were able to hear nothing but the breeze through the trees and the birds singing, like I do everyday. I mean, there are cars whizzing by a lot of the time, trains every 10 minutes, and dogs barking but there are also plenty of opportunities to just listen to nature without any other noise, even in town.

Buddy's Mom, does LWE have a close friend? The reason I ask is that she may have a buddy of her own that groomed it off of her. Sorry you went to all that trouble...but hey! Now we have a good thread about capturing squirrels! LOL!

[Crazymunk]

Don't forget that once a tick is full it will drop off the host until it needs to "feed" again.......

[Critter_Queen]

Don't forget that once a tick is full it will drop off the host until it needs to "feed" again.......

Are you sure about that? I have seen some HUGE ticks on dogs before...I'd be thinkin' they were full LONG before they looked to be the size of a nickle! YUCK!!!

Seriously, though, are you sure that's true? Would be cool if it was...

[Buddy'sMom]

Don't forget that once a tick is full it will drop off the host until it needs to "feed" again.......

Received a PM from Gabe with the same information -- will drop off on its own in a few days. So the tick would be gone soon -- but, the problem with humans, and I guess for all mammals, is the longer it's on the more chance of being infected with one of the diseases it can carry.

Anyway, we saw the squirrel today. He will approach to the vicinity of our feet but very skittish and does NOT stay still for a moment. I managed a few semi clear photos among the blurs and shots of his rear end, lol. BD says it's a tick (I've only actually ever seen sketches from the websites -- not photos or in real life). But it looks to me like it is much wider and FLATTER than the pictures, which show it more sticking out away from the skin. (looked sort of more tumor-ish to me but I have no knowledge base for this) Here's the picture, so you in tick-country can opine. If it's a tick, it seems like it's alreadys pretty big and might come off soon on its own? And also would be hard to pull off. IF we can catch him.

[Critter_Queen]

Well, neat that they drop off on their own!! I didn't know that!

That sure looks like a tick to me. I mean, you probably wouldn't be able to tell for sure unless you could inspect it...but looks in the pics just like the tick I pulled off the coonie the other day... Grey-colored ticks are the most common in my neck of the woods.

BTW, did you know that ticks are usually picked up from tall grasses and bushed and don't usually get in your hair by falling from the trees? I always thought they were in the trees since Ma always made me wear a hat when I played in the woods! LOL!

[pamela lee]

I live in tick country. That's definitely a tick, a real big one at that. I have seen them bigger though. I hope it falls off soon. Poor little guy(the squirrel not the tick). Good luck figuring out what to do.

[Buddy'sMom]

Thanks -- yes, socks and long pants are best for walking in long grass. I am just figuring these little ones roam in places I wouldn't be walking. I don't know how far exactly but there ARE deer a mile or so away, so I guess we humans had better be more aware of ticks than we had been.

Not sure if we will try to catch this guy later -- but will definitely be back to tell if we do. He didn't seem bothered by it at all. More interested in the nut I was luring him in with

[Mrs. Jack]

Stubby's got a fat ol' tick settled right behind his ear I just saw

[Secret Squirrel]

Ticks.....all you need to know.
http://www.peteducation.com/article....&articleid=603