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The important thing regarding Lyme disease is to remove them properly. In fact I've read that you're better off letting them do their thing and fall off naturally than trying to remove them with say, a knife, but take that with a pinch of salt and check for yourself. Removing them by burning, with fingernails or tweezers, with a needle, and any of the other home remedies will cause them to regurgitate the blood they have consumed back into your blood. In some cases you end up removing the body and leaving the head in you as well (brutal). Removing them incorrectly is how you get Lyme disease. To remove them properly you need either the tick tweezers which have a little crescent shape on the end or a Tick Card which is a little credit card sized thing and what I have. Follow the instructions (obviously) and the tick won't regurgitate as it's removed. (Edit: there is still a risk of infection from any tick bite regardless of how it's removed.)
Long trousers obviously help keep them off. And don't go around collecting big piles of dry grass with your bare hands - I got loads doing that.
Lastly the target shape rash is not always present when you have Lyme disease. You could have a "regular" rash or no rash at all. Be aware of the other symptoms and if you've got a bunch of them go to a doctor (well, go anyway because you're obviously ill, but tell them you might have Lyme disease).
You're in Scotland as well right? I didn't realise the little bastards were out already. I was hoping all the midges and ticks had been killed off in the snow this year - no such luck I guess.
Anyway apologies if you know all this - just an info dump for anyone else who reads the thread.
Edit: lymediseaseaction.org.uk says the following:
If no tools are available, rather than delay use a fine thread, something like cotton or dental floss. Tie a single loop of thread around the tick’s mouthparts, as close to the skin as possible, then pull upwards and outwards without twisting.
So ignore what I said about leaving them on.
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frankenbike
@M_V
Just found 2 ticks buried in my right leg.
Last time I was in the countryside was when I was out mtbing on Monday but that'd mean they'd been on me for 72hours+ and they didn't look very engorged and were pretty tiny actually. Can't see where else I'd have come in contact though.
Kind of freaking out that I'm going to contract Lyme disease or Anaplasmosis or something but I guess I just have to wait and see.
Bit perplexing as I wasn't in long grass at all and only in short grass for mere minutes, rest of time was riding on fire tracks and I have had days in the peak of summer where I've been in long vegetation for hours and gotten the wife to check me over and never had anything attached to me up until now.
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