I see northern guys...

[growalot]

Talking about ticks already...you'd think the winter would have knocked them down...I discussed this on another forum...it's worked pretty well for me Our dogs do not have worms and it is great as a duster for the chickens against lice and foot mites...keeps the flies down in barns as well.

 

I have thought on this a while and I use Diatomaceous earth for the dogs and the chickens...I'm thinking of finding some bedding areas and sprinkling it around in known beds...wish I had a way to get them to come in under a duster like used on cattle....I also put some in the watering tanks I use here...it can go along ways in helping to reduce internal parasites increasing weight gains. I will be sprinkling it around all the fruit and nut trees this year...especially after I had borer grubs kill 2 nice apple trees

 

[wooly]

I read an article a few weeks ago in a National Wildlife Federation magazine that talked about how effective opposums were at killing ticks while grooming themselves.

There was a study which included several small animals and birds that were each "infected" with a controlled number of ticks to see what would happen.

The opposums came out on top, with very few ticks that fed to completion before dropping off to chew on a new host. They found that possums would even eat many of the ticks themselves evident by what turned up in their stomachs.

 

If I recall correctly, something like 90% of ticks on possums dropped off before they were engorged (due to aggressive grooming tactics) or were killed in the process, or eaten....., while 90% of ticks on deer mice and other small critters fed to completion before dropping off to look for a new host.

 

I don't know what that has to do with your original post Grow, but I thought it was interesting.

Edited April 3, 2015 by wooly

[grampy]

I've heard this year will be a banner year for ticks in most areas. As the snow pack we had, kept them insulated from the bitter cold.

[jjb4900]

I've heard that snow cover actually acts as an insulator and allows the ticks to survive the winter.....

[dbHunterNY]

last year wasn't bad I thought.  every year I hear ticks are predicted to be really bad.  every year I just do what I can to prevent them getting at me and staying on me.  i'll be even more diligent due to my little daughter running around.

[wildcat junkie]

Deer Keds were awful in 2009. Both bucks taken from my place were covered with them. I thought they were ticks until I discovered they only had 6 legs. Ticks are arachnids & have 8 legs.

[Vince1]

Love d earth. Use it on both my dogs before we go in woods.

Permathin is great for me and my wife. But for my kids i dont like it. Iput garlic in there pockets and use a natural repelent. Wonder if a light dustjn of dia earth would work on them hehe.

Started a lavendar garden and gonna keep clippings from them on the kids as well when hiking tis year.

Stuff u do to enjoy the outdoors is crazy