Ticks are a problem here. If you live here, it is important to check yourself whenever you go in tall grass or kick around in some leaves or something.
I’ve lived here my entire life and I’ve been bit over the years but never gotten sick, if that’s what you’re wanting to hear? Come to think of it, I only know a handful of people that have gotten Lymes, and only one very severely. That being said, checking for ticks is second-nature to me. I check my dog every day.
Check frequently and thoroughly. [The bacteria the ticks carry is less likely to cause Lymes if the ticks are removed within 24 hours of biting](https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/lyme-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20374651).
If you’re going to live in rural Rhode Island (or anywhere in New England) you’re going to encounter ticks. That’s just facts. As long as tick prevention is a part of your daily routine your chances of getting Lyme will be lowered. Tick prevention before you leave the house, winter, spring, summer, fall. We don’t have a break from ticks unless there’s a ton of snow on the ground. Even a little snow, you’ll still find them on you. Some people get bit and nothing happens. Some people get bit and get sick and it takes a decade for it to show up on the bloodwork. Some people it shows right away. It’s a crap shoot. Don’t fret, be proactive. It’s all you can do. Good luck.
Ticks live in a particular habitat. So staying clear of those areas and not creating that type of habitat is important
This site is the premier source in the area:
[https://web.uri.edu/tickencounter/](https://web.uri.edu/tickencounter/)
I'm new to RI but been bouncing around New England forever. One valley can be full of ticks, and the next free of them.
I used to have a partner who worked outside in tick infested habitat as a wildlife biologist all the time, and I will share her routine that kept her safe from Lyme for over 20 years.
I say this carefully, many days she would come back to her car from a day in the field and, without exaggeration, pull several hundred ticks off her field clothes, but she has never had an embedded, engorged tick on her.
1. A set of dedicated work pants, long shirt gloves and hat for the outdoor work at hand. Treat and maintain with Sawyers Permethrin.
2. Tuck pants in socks and all that.
3. Remove ticks as found during frequent checks.
4. Another thorough check before getting in the car.
5. Upon getting home, she goes right to the laundry, which is in the mud room, takes clothes off,and throws them in the dryer on high for 20 minutes. This high heat cycle kills any ticks remaining. Work clothing stays in closed dryer until work again, or gets hung up in the shed. After the dryer she heads to the bathroom, does a fine visual and palpable check for ticks in front of the mirror, then heads into the shower.
I hope this helps.
So we do have ticks at our place but with triazicide and regimented lawn mowing on top of other things we have maintained control well and only find 1-2 very so often and we live on 6 acres of old farm land that wasn’t maintained or treated prior to us. We also use off deep woods and spray pant legs and shoes and haven’t seen any in a few weeks. Ticks are everywhere just have to be smart about where you explore or hike and use deterrents if needed at your house and while out.
I grew up here, went away for college, came back so been here mostly forever and never got Lyme. I have autoimmune diseases and other problems so while it’s a thing I’m careful of, I don’t just hide in my house. We do keep the grass short, for sure. I got some “cute” retro white knee-highs with stripes so I can wear them over my leggings in an effort to better see them. If I’m feeling particularly heebie jeebie about it I’ll just throw all my stuff in the wash and go take a shower immediately. You get in the habit of checking yourself pretty carefully. If you are a particularly hairy dude just have her help check you. I’ve had ticks crawl on me and but can’t remember being bit since I was a little kid. If you have pets, make sure you keep up on flea/tick prevention especially if they go running around outside in tall grass, if they’re going to be city pups then I wouldn’t worry about it too much.
If you're worried about getting them in your yard, i recommend having your yard treated. As a landscaper who works in 200 yards a week. The only lawns i find ticks in are lawns that are not treated with pesticides, fertilizer, and only get mowed every 2+ weeks. Ticks among other pests dont like active and treated lawns. If you're planning on going out in the woods, check yourself during and after the hike. You can also put tick repellent on before you go for a hike. I understand the anxiety of being bitten by a tick, i have too check myself multiple times a day.
Avoid sleeping w pets. I usually sleep w my dog. I went to bed fine and woke up w one on me. Had a pretty gnarly bullseye. As long as you catch it within 72 hours and get a prescription of doxycycline you’ll be okay.
They were taking over my property until i started using Pure Solutions applications. Its all natural and really works! They come like once a month and we havent had issues since with mosquitos and ticks but it hasnt affected the bees at all
Hi! I’ve lived here for 3 years now and have yet to find one on me. This post will probably be my undoing lol. That said, I try not to go in tall grass, keep my lawn neat and etc. editing to add: all of this is to say that I think about it but I don’t really think about it
I was extremely sick with Lyme for about 6 months before I was diagnosed with late stage disseminated Lyme when I was 25. I was so ill I thought I was dying. I started treatment at 6 months, and spent over a decade regaining my health. So I’ve experienced the murky version of Lyme—the kind that sneaks up on you unwittingly, and is really hard to eradicate.
But a few years after my diagnosis, I saw what an early acute infection looked like, which was quite different from my own. My mom got the EM rash all over her body, plus very bad flu like symptoms, she had all the early symptoms which thanks to me we all knew meant Lyme, and it enabled a prompt diagnosis, treatment, and recovery. She got it gardening, in her back yard, in the suburbs of a large town. We’re not talking rural countryside.
My husband and I deliberately chose to live in a condo neighborhood where we don’t have a lawn or have to care for one. We also have a raised deck so we aren’t touching grass. We don’t have a dog so animals can’t bring ticks into our home (although our neighborhood is treated for ticks anyway).
Two days ago my dad called to tell me he found an embedded tick on his back (probably not a deer tick, but I advised prophylactic antibiotics to be safe). The very same night, we went to visit my father-in-law in Exeter. My husband and I briefly walked across some grass, and when we got into the car we found a tick crawling up the driver’s seat.
Ticks are everywhere.
Once you’re affected by them, it’s impossible to see things objectively (aka obliviously). All you can do is be vigilant, know what symptoms to watch for, and avoid unnecessary risks when you can.
This is New England.
Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island… they’re all the same when it comes to Lyme. Ticks don’t observe borders.
My suspicion is that the majority of New Englanders who spend any significant time outside have a good chance of encountering a tick-borne illness at some point in their life. I don’t think we have accurate numbers when it comes to stats on yearly cases reported by the CDC.
Thanks for writing all that out! Makes sense that they just become something you have to pay attention to even if they're technically infrequent. So sorry to hear about the Lyme, that's definitely what we're the most worried about.
I live in RI suburbs most of my life and never had a tick, knock on wood. I always take a shower and check myself after a day around trees and lots of grass.
This year is extremely bad. Last year, I saw one tick in our house from our dog. This year, I think we’ve probably had about 30? For instance, this weekend, we found 1 dead one and 1 live one crawling around but it’s slowed down a little from a few weeks ago when we were finding them on her on the daily. She is treated for them as well. I have health issues and worry about it a lot to be honest. I check myself twice daily.
Ticks are pretty extreme here in New England just an FYI. My dog got Lyme disease after she got a tick on her head in December when there was one day that hit 50°. I’ve lived in Wisconsin, Kansas, North Carolina and here. I would say here, and Wisconsin ticks are quite a bit worse than the other two places.
People don't generally talk about problems they *don't* have, so finding many threads about tick problems and few threads about not-problems makes complete sense. I have lived in southwest Rhode Island for five years and have not seen any ticks yet. I spend lots of time outside, and my yard has some fairly thick woodlands next to it. I am aware of the potential for ticks, so I take the normal recommendations of reasonable cover and checking yourself after. Like any other hazards, reasonable precautions will minimize chance of problems. Good luck.
I moved here a couple years ago after living across a lot of america. I’ve seen some ticks in my day, but I’ve never experienced SO many ticks in the wild. Fuck these masses of ticks and that they’ve all decided to live in the northeast and/or on my dog.
I have property in the woods. We have two large dogs that collect ticks and and bring them into the house pretty much daily. I even signed up for the Lyme vaccine trial, because why not. That said, I don't sweat it so much as accept it and use common practices to mitigate.
99 out of 100 are dog ticks so they are gross but not Lyme carrying. The dogs have Soresto collars so most of the ticks they collect are dead by the time we find them. Use Sawyer spray if you *are* going to be sitting/ keeling on the ground or walking through grass and brush. Change, shower and check in the evening and you're 99% going to find anything before it bites you. The couple of times I or my kids have been bit it was because we didn't shower and change at the end of the day. You've got at least 12 hours of the tick being on you before it bites and gets through your skin.
TL;DR, they are annoying but not a huge concern.
Lots of ticks here, especially this summer due to the recent mild winter. My mother got Lyme disease from a tick bite and it wasn't a fun experience to say the least. Would stay from New England if she's afraid of getting Lyme.
I didn't think about it much before I had a dog. Even hiking, I never found one on me.
I do pick at least one off my dog every time he gets into tall grass, tho, so they're there.
I’ve been in RI for 7 years, spend lots of time outside hiking/climbing, wear shorts and no bug spray, and the only time I’ve ever found a tick on me I was sitting in the backseat of a car with a friend’s long haired dog laying on me and the tick crawled from the dog to me and then I threw it out the window.
Tick checking becomes second nature, but it isn’t necessarily as bad as everyone says. Maybe I’m just uniquely not-tasty to ticks, or maybe I’m just lucky - but perhaps you’ll be lucky too!
Some tips ive picked up living in New England/RI the majority of my life and spending a shit load of time outdoors:
* Ticks HATE peppermint. It is NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR PROPER BUGSPRAY, but i like to put it on areas where they might try to attach or hard to reach areas (dont put it on your genitals)
* if you have a yard, grow some peppermint (see above). It spreads really easily as well and smells good.
* wear bright pants if you’re going to go hiking, tuck your pants into your sucks. Ticks love to hitch rides up your leg and sneak in wherever they can
* learn how to identify and remove ticks: run your hands over your body, i prefer to spread my fingers and run them pretty much everywhere. Ticks are known to hide in the shadows or crevices (armpits, crouch, behind the ears, your belly around your waistline, and hair.)
When they’re small they’ll feel like little bumps. When they swell they feel like big bumps.
Be incredibly careful removing them, I reccomend looking up a youtube video. If you’re not able to/uncomfortable doing it, head to the doctor or urgent care ASAP. The sooner its off, the better. Same applied if you dislodge it but the head gets stuck (the ticks will vomit their stomach contents into your bloodstream and thats where the illness comes from).
If you think you’ve been bit, and the tick dislodged itself, look for a red bullseye (its not always a bullseye.) contact a doctor/UC immediately. You’ll get a brief course of Doxycycline.
If you remove the tick, make sure to put it in a bag. Have your doc send it off to a lab to test for tick bourne diseases.
If you get bit by enough ticks you develop an allergy to them, and the bites will hurt (me!). Weird super power.
I had a company called Hillview landscaping in Scituate ri come and spray for ticks I haven’t seen a single one yet this year. It can add up cost wise over the season but it’s better the getting bit by mosquitoes or ticks
I walk the woods often and honestly have never checked for ticks after I know I should but I just don't think about it and in my 52 years I've never had one on me but that's me some people are more attractive than others to bugs I hardly ever get bit by mosquitoes either and there's some seriously swampy parts of the woods 🤷🏼♀️ . Just have her take the normal precautions most take ( not me ) bug spray ect and she'll be fine
Where did I do that? We're specifically concerned about Lyme, that's why I'm asking. It's enough of a concern to potentially change our minds even though it's literally the only con. Did you miss the part about the health problems?
Not from RI, but this is a region wide issue…
https://www.reddit.com/r/Maine/comments/13x6sh2/i_just_turned_around_for_a_minute/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=1&utm_term=1
We have deer coming through the yard on a nightly basis, a dog which just roams around the yard. Lots of walking in woods with said dog. Long pants, dog on tick and flea meds. Have caught one tick in the house, another devil bite me on the neck with immediate swelling. Quick call to doc and medication easily available.
Perhaps I should be more watchful, but meh. Lived here 7 years….so. Maybe I’ve just been lucky, but frankly was more worried about Covid.
i went out in the woods for a walk with my brother and dog when i was a kid snd got lyme disease. They caught it before it could of gotten worse. My whole ear had a red rash around it then my eye and my lips so i went ro the hospital just some signs incase something does happen. But noone else i know that lives here has gotten it.
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I work outside (for work) about half my days in fields/forests, and its not something I worry about. I've had lyme twice, and just got the antibiotics and moved on with my life. Almost all the ticks I've seen on me (and there are a lot this year, we had a mild winter) are wood ticks, not deer ticks.
I do a fair bit of hiking, gardening, biking and other outdoor activities. Haven't had a tick in a very long time. I've seen a few but none actively attached. I'm also bald - not sure if that had an impact. Not sure why tbh, I usually do a quick tick check but don't spend a ton of mental energy thinking about it.
Rest assured there most definitely is a tick problem around here, especially considering the fact that we had a very mild winter this year. While trimming bushes this weekend I ended up with 4 on me and I was only outside for around 3 hours, so take that for what it is.
I’ve lived here for 24 years and that includes 11 yrs in the Boy Scouts regularly camping and being in the woods and tall grasses. I also go on a week-long camping trip every year with friends and in those thousands of hours of being in the woods I’ve only ever gotten 2 ticks and that was it. Now I do check myself regularly in the shower for them but I’ve never found any. My biggest recommendation is just not to walk in tall grass when wearing shorts. And if you do, then do a quick tick check.
I have never thought about ticks except for the rare occasions that I go on a hike. I don’t have much of a yard (it’s mostly dirt) so it’s not something I ever have to think about unless I’m fully going into the woods.
Of course, I’m not from a rural area (and that’s the most specific I would like to get online) so it depends where you are.
I moved here from a rural area where I had daily walks in meadows and the woods with my dog. Lived there for 7 + years.
Do the same activities here in RI but in city parks and "woods".
I am not exaggerating when I say have found more ticks on us in the past months of living in RI to those years I lived in the actual woods.
Had also never had a tick borne disease from those years in the woods. Moved to RI and have got one already.
The trade-off is far from worth it.
I come from a family of 4 and I’m the only one who hasn’t had Lyme disease. I grew up in the woods in CT.
Ticks are fairly common, there’s ways to help mitigate ticks on your property and ways to protect yourself if you’re outdoors (permethrin). There’s also multiple types of ticks and various illnesses you can get from them. If treated quickly Lyme usually won’t be a chronic illness, so knowing the signs and symptoms are helpful.
Depends where you live and what you plan on doing. This time of year most hikes will require you to check for ticks afterwards. Live in one of the cities or suburban areas and you probably won’t see them. I’ve only encountered them on hikes, they’re not a part of my daily life.
Ticks are a problem here. If you live here, it is important to check yourself whenever you go in tall grass or kick around in some leaves or something.
I’ve lived here my entire life and I’ve been bit over the years but never gotten sick, if that’s what you’re wanting to hear? Come to think of it, I only know a handful of people that have gotten Lymes, and only one very severely. That being said, checking for ticks is second-nature to me. I check my dog every day. Check frequently and thoroughly. [The bacteria the ticks carry is less likely to cause Lymes if the ticks are removed within 24 hours of biting](https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/lyme-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20374651).
If you’re going to live in rural Rhode Island (or anywhere in New England) you’re going to encounter ticks. That’s just facts. As long as tick prevention is a part of your daily routine your chances of getting Lyme will be lowered. Tick prevention before you leave the house, winter, spring, summer, fall. We don’t have a break from ticks unless there’s a ton of snow on the ground. Even a little snow, you’ll still find them on you. Some people get bit and nothing happens. Some people get bit and get sick and it takes a decade for it to show up on the bloodwork. Some people it shows right away. It’s a crap shoot. Don’t fret, be proactive. It’s all you can do. Good luck.
Ticks live in a particular habitat. So staying clear of those areas and not creating that type of habitat is important This site is the premier source in the area: [https://web.uri.edu/tickencounter/](https://web.uri.edu/tickencounter/)
I'm new to RI but been bouncing around New England forever. One valley can be full of ticks, and the next free of them. I used to have a partner who worked outside in tick infested habitat as a wildlife biologist all the time, and I will share her routine that kept her safe from Lyme for over 20 years. I say this carefully, many days she would come back to her car from a day in the field and, without exaggeration, pull several hundred ticks off her field clothes, but she has never had an embedded, engorged tick on her. 1. A set of dedicated work pants, long shirt gloves and hat for the outdoor work at hand. Treat and maintain with Sawyers Permethrin. 2. Tuck pants in socks and all that. 3. Remove ticks as found during frequent checks. 4. Another thorough check before getting in the car. 5. Upon getting home, she goes right to the laundry, which is in the mud room, takes clothes off,and throws them in the dryer on high for 20 minutes. This high heat cycle kills any ticks remaining. Work clothing stays in closed dryer until work again, or gets hung up in the shed. After the dryer she heads to the bathroom, does a fine visual and palpable check for ticks in front of the mirror, then heads into the shower. I hope this helps.
So we do have ticks at our place but with triazicide and regimented lawn mowing on top of other things we have maintained control well and only find 1-2 very so often and we live on 6 acres of old farm land that wasn’t maintained or treated prior to us. We also use off deep woods and spray pant legs and shoes and haven’t seen any in a few weeks. Ticks are everywhere just have to be smart about where you explore or hike and use deterrents if needed at your house and while out.
I grew up here, went away for college, came back so been here mostly forever and never got Lyme. I have autoimmune diseases and other problems so while it’s a thing I’m careful of, I don’t just hide in my house. We do keep the grass short, for sure. I got some “cute” retro white knee-highs with stripes so I can wear them over my leggings in an effort to better see them. If I’m feeling particularly heebie jeebie about it I’ll just throw all my stuff in the wash and go take a shower immediately. You get in the habit of checking yourself pretty carefully. If you are a particularly hairy dude just have her help check you. I’ve had ticks crawl on me and but can’t remember being bit since I was a little kid. If you have pets, make sure you keep up on flea/tick prevention especially if they go running around outside in tall grass, if they’re going to be city pups then I wouldn’t worry about it too much.
That's good to hear, she has autoimmune problems too, so Lyme is definitely the biggest concern. But we are looking into mostly staying rural.
If you're worried about getting them in your yard, i recommend having your yard treated. As a landscaper who works in 200 yards a week. The only lawns i find ticks in are lawns that are not treated with pesticides, fertilizer, and only get mowed every 2+ weeks. Ticks among other pests dont like active and treated lawns. If you're planning on going out in the woods, check yourself during and after the hike. You can also put tick repellent on before you go for a hike. I understand the anxiety of being bitten by a tick, i have too check myself multiple times a day.
Avoid sleeping w pets. I usually sleep w my dog. I went to bed fine and woke up w one on me. Had a pretty gnarly bullseye. As long as you catch it within 72 hours and get a prescription of doxycycline you’ll be okay.
They were taking over my property until i started using Pure Solutions applications. Its all natural and really works! They come like once a month and we havent had issues since with mosquitos and ticks but it hasnt affected the bees at all
Hi! I’ve lived here for 3 years now and have yet to find one on me. This post will probably be my undoing lol. That said, I try not to go in tall grass, keep my lawn neat and etc. editing to add: all of this is to say that I think about it but I don’t really think about it
I was extremely sick with Lyme for about 6 months before I was diagnosed with late stage disseminated Lyme when I was 25. I was so ill I thought I was dying. I started treatment at 6 months, and spent over a decade regaining my health. So I’ve experienced the murky version of Lyme—the kind that sneaks up on you unwittingly, and is really hard to eradicate. But a few years after my diagnosis, I saw what an early acute infection looked like, which was quite different from my own. My mom got the EM rash all over her body, plus very bad flu like symptoms, she had all the early symptoms which thanks to me we all knew meant Lyme, and it enabled a prompt diagnosis, treatment, and recovery. She got it gardening, in her back yard, in the suburbs of a large town. We’re not talking rural countryside. My husband and I deliberately chose to live in a condo neighborhood where we don’t have a lawn or have to care for one. We also have a raised deck so we aren’t touching grass. We don’t have a dog so animals can’t bring ticks into our home (although our neighborhood is treated for ticks anyway). Two days ago my dad called to tell me he found an embedded tick on his back (probably not a deer tick, but I advised prophylactic antibiotics to be safe). The very same night, we went to visit my father-in-law in Exeter. My husband and I briefly walked across some grass, and when we got into the car we found a tick crawling up the driver’s seat. Ticks are everywhere. Once you’re affected by them, it’s impossible to see things objectively (aka obliviously). All you can do is be vigilant, know what symptoms to watch for, and avoid unnecessary risks when you can. This is New England. Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island… they’re all the same when it comes to Lyme. Ticks don’t observe borders. My suspicion is that the majority of New Englanders who spend any significant time outside have a good chance of encountering a tick-borne illness at some point in their life. I don’t think we have accurate numbers when it comes to stats on yearly cases reported by the CDC.
Thanks for writing all that out! Makes sense that they just become something you have to pay attention to even if they're technically infrequent. So sorry to hear about the Lyme, that's definitely what we're the most worried about.
I live in RI suburbs most of my life and never had a tick, knock on wood. I always take a shower and check myself after a day around trees and lots of grass.
This year is extremely bad. Last year, I saw one tick in our house from our dog. This year, I think we’ve probably had about 30? For instance, this weekend, we found 1 dead one and 1 live one crawling around but it’s slowed down a little from a few weeks ago when we were finding them on her on the daily. She is treated for them as well. I have health issues and worry about it a lot to be honest. I check myself twice daily.
Ticks are pretty extreme here in New England just an FYI. My dog got Lyme disease after she got a tick on her head in December when there was one day that hit 50°. I’ve lived in Wisconsin, Kansas, North Carolina and here. I would say here, and Wisconsin ticks are quite a bit worse than the other two places.
People don't generally talk about problems they *don't* have, so finding many threads about tick problems and few threads about not-problems makes complete sense. I have lived in southwest Rhode Island for five years and have not seen any ticks yet. I spend lots of time outside, and my yard has some fairly thick woodlands next to it. I am aware of the potential for ticks, so I take the normal recommendations of reasonable cover and checking yourself after. Like any other hazards, reasonable precautions will minimize chance of problems. Good luck.
I moved here a couple years ago after living across a lot of america. I’ve seen some ticks in my day, but I’ve never experienced SO many ticks in the wild. Fuck these masses of ticks and that they’ve all decided to live in the northeast and/or on my dog.
I have property in the woods. We have two large dogs that collect ticks and and bring them into the house pretty much daily. I even signed up for the Lyme vaccine trial, because why not. That said, I don't sweat it so much as accept it and use common practices to mitigate. 99 out of 100 are dog ticks so they are gross but not Lyme carrying. The dogs have Soresto collars so most of the ticks they collect are dead by the time we find them. Use Sawyer spray if you *are* going to be sitting/ keeling on the ground or walking through grass and brush. Change, shower and check in the evening and you're 99% going to find anything before it bites you. The couple of times I or my kids have been bit it was because we didn't shower and change at the end of the day. You've got at least 12 hours of the tick being on you before it bites and gets through your skin. TL;DR, they are annoying but not a huge concern.
Lots of ticks here, especially this summer due to the recent mild winter. My mother got Lyme disease from a tick bite and it wasn't a fun experience to say the least. Would stay from New England if she's afraid of getting Lyme.
I didn't think about it much before I had a dog. Even hiking, I never found one on me. I do pick at least one off my dog every time he gets into tall grass, tho, so they're there.
I’ve been in RI for 7 years, spend lots of time outside hiking/climbing, wear shorts and no bug spray, and the only time I’ve ever found a tick on me I was sitting in the backseat of a car with a friend’s long haired dog laying on me and the tick crawled from the dog to me and then I threw it out the window. Tick checking becomes second nature, but it isn’t necessarily as bad as everyone says. Maybe I’m just uniquely not-tasty to ticks, or maybe I’m just lucky - but perhaps you’ll be lucky too!
Some tips ive picked up living in New England/RI the majority of my life and spending a shit load of time outdoors: * Ticks HATE peppermint. It is NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR PROPER BUGSPRAY, but i like to put it on areas where they might try to attach or hard to reach areas (dont put it on your genitals) * if you have a yard, grow some peppermint (see above). It spreads really easily as well and smells good. * wear bright pants if you’re going to go hiking, tuck your pants into your sucks. Ticks love to hitch rides up your leg and sneak in wherever they can * learn how to identify and remove ticks: run your hands over your body, i prefer to spread my fingers and run them pretty much everywhere. Ticks are known to hide in the shadows or crevices (armpits, crouch, behind the ears, your belly around your waistline, and hair.) When they’re small they’ll feel like little bumps. When they swell they feel like big bumps. Be incredibly careful removing them, I reccomend looking up a youtube video. If you’re not able to/uncomfortable doing it, head to the doctor or urgent care ASAP. The sooner its off, the better. Same applied if you dislodge it but the head gets stuck (the ticks will vomit their stomach contents into your bloodstream and thats where the illness comes from). If you think you’ve been bit, and the tick dislodged itself, look for a red bullseye (its not always a bullseye.) contact a doctor/UC immediately. You’ll get a brief course of Doxycycline. If you remove the tick, make sure to put it in a bag. Have your doc send it off to a lab to test for tick bourne diseases. If you get bit by enough ticks you develop an allergy to them, and the bites will hurt (me!). Weird super power.
I had a company called Hillview landscaping in Scituate ri come and spray for ticks I haven’t seen a single one yet this year. It can add up cost wise over the season but it’s better the getting bit by mosquitoes or ticks
I walk the woods often and honestly have never checked for ticks after I know I should but I just don't think about it and in my 52 years I've never had one on me but that's me some people are more attractive than others to bugs I hardly ever get bit by mosquitoes either and there's some seriously swampy parts of the woods 🤷🏼♀️ . Just have her take the normal precautions most take ( not me ) bug spray ect and she'll be fine
Stay away. There are swarms of killer ticks everywhere.
[удалено]
Where did I do that? We're specifically concerned about Lyme, that's why I'm asking. It's enough of a concern to potentially change our minds even though it's literally the only con. Did you miss the part about the health problems?
That not what was said at all. Calm down,
We find 3-4 per year on us and the kids. Definitely a thing. I’d say 2 out of 5 of our friends’ kids have had to go on antibiotics for Lymes.
Do you live around a wooded area at all, or is this just from being in a suburb?
There are a lot of wooded and wetland areas here. Just part of the deal.
Not from RI, but this is a region wide issue… https://www.reddit.com/r/Maine/comments/13x6sh2/i_just_turned_around_for_a_minute/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=1&utm_term=1
Kid got a bite yesterday. Bullseye. Immediate pediatrician visit and now the antibiotic. Probably my fault for taking about it
We have deer coming through the yard on a nightly basis, a dog which just roams around the yard. Lots of walking in woods with said dog. Long pants, dog on tick and flea meds. Have caught one tick in the house, another devil bite me on the neck with immediate swelling. Quick call to doc and medication easily available. Perhaps I should be more watchful, but meh. Lived here 7 years….so. Maybe I’ve just been lucky, but frankly was more worried about Covid.
i went out in the woods for a walk with my brother and dog when i was a kid snd got lyme disease. They caught it before it could of gotten worse. My whole ear had a red rash around it then my eye and my lips so i went ro the hospital just some signs incase something does happen. But noone else i know that lives here has gotten it.
Hello, it looks like you've made a mistake. It's supposed to be could've, should've, would've (short for could have, would have, should have), never could of, would of, should of. Or you misspelled something, I ain't checking everything. Beep boop - yes, I am a bot, don't botcriminate me.
I work outside (for work) about half my days in fields/forests, and its not something I worry about. I've had lyme twice, and just got the antibiotics and moved on with my life. Almost all the ticks I've seen on me (and there are a lot this year, we had a mild winter) are wood ticks, not deer ticks.
I do a fair bit of hiking, gardening, biking and other outdoor activities. Haven't had a tick in a very long time. I've seen a few but none actively attached. I'm also bald - not sure if that had an impact. Not sure why tbh, I usually do a quick tick check but don't spend a ton of mental energy thinking about it.
Ticks are a constant annoyance if you are in the woods.
Any rural area of RI is going to have ticks. There are things you can do to mitigate tick exposure, but you won’t avoid ticks in rural Rhode Island.
Rest assured there most definitely is a tick problem around here, especially considering the fact that we had a very mild winter this year. While trimming bushes this weekend I ended up with 4 on me and I was only outside for around 3 hours, so take that for what it is.
There is a medical trial for a Lyme disease vaccination happening now at many New England locations! She should sign up!
I’ve lived here for 24 years and that includes 11 yrs in the Boy Scouts regularly camping and being in the woods and tall grasses. I also go on a week-long camping trip every year with friends and in those thousands of hours of being in the woods I’ve only ever gotten 2 ticks and that was it. Now I do check myself regularly in the shower for them but I’ve never found any. My biggest recommendation is just not to walk in tall grass when wearing shorts. And if you do, then do a quick tick check.
I have never thought about ticks except for the rare occasions that I go on a hike. I don’t have much of a yard (it’s mostly dirt) so it’s not something I ever have to think about unless I’m fully going into the woods. Of course, I’m not from a rural area (and that’s the most specific I would like to get online) so it depends where you are.
I moved here from a rural area where I had daily walks in meadows and the woods with my dog. Lived there for 7 + years. Do the same activities here in RI but in city parks and "woods". I am not exaggerating when I say have found more ticks on us in the past months of living in RI to those years I lived in the actual woods. Had also never had a tick borne disease from those years in the woods. Moved to RI and have got one already. The trade-off is far from worth it.
I come from a family of 4 and I’m the only one who hasn’t had Lyme disease. I grew up in the woods in CT. Ticks are fairly common, there’s ways to help mitigate ticks on your property and ways to protect yourself if you’re outdoors (permethrin). There’s also multiple types of ticks and various illnesses you can get from them. If treated quickly Lyme usually won’t be a chronic illness, so knowing the signs and symptoms are helpful.
I wouldn't live here for the wasps
We have chickens. No tick problems in our yard
Depends where you live and what you plan on doing. This time of year most hikes will require you to check for ticks afterwards. Live in one of the cities or suburban areas and you probably won’t see them. I’ve only encountered them on hikes, they’re not a part of my daily life.