caddisguy's ultimate tick experiment

[caddisguy]

@DannyBuoy: 100% adult female black legged deer tick. I can post up some pics of this one and others. I have some pics of male deer ticks as well as dog to ticks too.

Adult female deer ticks have red/orange and black coloration, similar to that of a ladybug. Males are all black but typically smaller in the adult stage. The tick we have running around in our test tube is an adult female but on the smaller side.

FYI they are more attracted to Caribou than Bud Light if anyone wondered ... kind of makes sense...

[delboybc]

I work in health care and the group I work for posted this latest research on our Thursday news letter, interesting timing as it is a research article from one of our doctor's on Lyme Disease in BC. Has some good maps and surveillance data they collected over a few years.

here is the link.
HTML http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/ful.../vbz.2015.1854
PDF http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/pdf.../vbz.2015.1854

[Fella]

I've never had a tick on me yet, my dog has had 2 or 3 since January though, I was able to catch em pretty quick though. Ugly things with greenish asses.

[Rob Chipman]

4 engorged ticks on the dog last weekend, and several that hadn't bit yet. Various areas outside Pemberton.

[caddisguy]

We caught 12 black legged deer ticks this weekend. 4 males and 8 females. None engorged afiak but we just got home and haven't stripped down yet.

We have actually started busting some of these ticks before they get on us. This weekend I noticed two that were both hanging out on the underside of branches. The first one I noticed because I was looking and when I got within 1 foot, I could see two little legs sticking out. I also failed to catch either for my collection. In both cases they were quick to fall off the branch when I tried to get them to latch onto the container. In hind sight it would have been better to let them latch onto my sleeve.

So... I now have a vile with a total of 13 live ticks (one female from last week) ... Interestingly enough, one of the small males appears to have engorged himself into the under side of one of the larger females. It looks like he is biting it, but will need a magnifying glass or zoom lenses to know for sure. I don't think he is just hitching a ride or doing her tick-style.

I am still trying to figure out the whole testing thing. Care Plus claims the study that shows their kits work 0% of the time was an "old study using version 1.0" and that the new improved 2.0 is "95% accurate" ... for real! They provided me with two of their own studies saying so... that said, the studies they provided pre-date the independent study. London Drugs played a proxy in the communication and no surprise they seem OK taking Care Plus / Tropicas word at face value, despite the test kits shady past. I think I need to try and get a hold of the author of the original study and maybe follow up with Tropical for explanation about what is different in the "2.0" kit and what makes them think the 2013 study is "older" than their 2011 study.

[Ohwildwon]

http://www.cbc.ca/natureofthings/epi...f-lyme-disease

More info...

[Gone_Fishin_]

Have noticed my region 2 spots are loaded in recent years with these little buggers

Caddisguy; usually find about a dozen or more each outing from the area you venture into as well.

Not sure how you go about checking yourself when done hiking but a lint roller does wonders to find/remove them from you. Always keep one in my bag this time of year, pull it out numerous times during a hike and give my pants/arms a quick rub with it. It always amazes me to see how small some are... creeps the heck outta me

[caddisguy]

Have noticed my region 2 spots are loaded in recent years with these little buggers

Caddisguy; usually find about a dozen or more each outing from the area you venture into as well.

Not sure how you go about checking yourself when done hiking but a lint roller does wonders to find/remove them from you. Always keep one in my bag this time of year, pull it out numerous times during a hike and give my pants/arms a quick rub with it. It always amazes me to see how small some are... creeps the heck outta me

That is a really great idea about the lint roller. Will have to try that. The male deer ticks a pretty small and black... very hard to spot. We have found them in the larva and nymph states as well and they look like a poppy seed. You can barely see legs.

In this container I have with 14 ticks I am seeing all these little tiny black things and don't know what the heck they are... maybe poops or something.

[walks with deer]

Hmm my cousin runs a biological testing lab for fish and animals I will give her a call...

I could collect some kamloops ticks for the experiment. Bc wildlife park is full

[caddisguy]

Hmm my cousin runs a biological testing lab for fish and animals I will give her a call...

I could collect some kamloops ticks for the experiment. Bc wildlife park is full

If they are able to test ticks, can you let me know if they would do it for LML ticks and what the cost would be. Not sure if it will be possible to actually ship them lol ... I might need to drive out there, but that is fine. I haven't been to Kamloops in a year and a half.