Now that the boys are older, Jon and I have been tackling some larger items on our to-do list. One of those items is major landscaping in the backyard. The landscaper came out yesterday and took down three dead trees in our backyard in under an hour, which was very exciting for me and Jon. She mentioned this year is really bad for ticks and they got three ticks themselves taking down our trees.
Ugh. Ticks and snakes are my two least favorite critters. At least with snakes you can run away. But ticks burrow into your skin. And we have two little boys who need nightly tick checks.
At bedtime, I told the boys we had to check for ticks and I sang "tick tick tick" as I checked them all over. They laughed hysterically as I tickled them and both joined in chanting TICK TICK TICK.
This game is going to be so fun every night UNTIL the first time one of them gets a real tick.
11 comments:
With our recent tick situation, I learned that you should never put anything on a tick to try and remove it. You should simply use tweezers, pinch as close to the skin as possible and pull.
Then, once the boys can't see you, I recommend jumping around, wiggling and scratching every imaginary tick that you feel crawling all over you.
Ugh. We have already experienced both ticks and snakes this season. With 15 acres and a pond, it is very difficult to keep Nina indoors - I've found three ticks on her so far, and cannot begin to count how many Mario and I have had. I'm tempted to get some guinnea hens, that's how my neighbors all keep theirs under control!
We've also had turtles, rabbits, blue heron, newly hatched goslings, and a LOT of deer, so that makes up for it.
Okay, the thought of ticks gives me MAJOR heebie-jeebies! Props to you for not shuddering and freaking out during the tick checks.
Ah! Ticks FREAK me out. Like give me a panic attack when I had one on me. (In my defense, it was in my EAR! My EAR, I tell you!)
Total heebie jeebies. I HATE ticks and bugs of almost any variety. I hope you all remain tick-free....
When I first moved to the South, ticks really freaked me out. I think you'll get used to them over time. We just pull them off with our fingers (fortunately, we've had more experience with our dogs than with me). You'll be a pro before you know it!
LAURA! I got the chills just READING YOUR POST! My husband and sister got ticks at a park in KS when we were there for her graduation last year, and I freaked. Those and poisonous spiders I just can't stand. Have you ever had a tick on you?
I remember when I was a kid growing up we got checked for ticks every night by my mom! Now I am scared to death that the boys will get them (which I know they will...) YUCKO!!!
BTW...I dont know if its true, But I *heard* that if you pull them out and dont get the head out it go get in your bloodtream, go to your heart and regrow itself drinking the blood and get so big it kills you.....not to freak you out..it may not even be true, but after I heard that on tv I checked the boys for like an hour!!!
Ew. I just wrote a post about our first tick experience, and I am still creeped out by it and touching my own head every 2 seconds.
Oh yes, and happy mother's day!
Tweezers work if it's not been on there for too long. If it has - then a cotton ball with lots of soap (like a green works or other very mild dish soap) - swirl it around the tick like you mean business. Not agressive or really hard - just sort of like you're rubbing oil or grease off your arm. That should nip them out.
And word of warning - they always, always migrate to dark, warm, moist places... if you know what I mean. We've had many, many evenings of pull the ticks off the private parts... I love Raleigh - but like you - hate the ticks and the SNAKES!
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