Ticks

Yeah Donkerr, they are very common at this time of year. I've pulled 6 out of my dog in the last month! A pair of tweezers that don't have flat tips to get around the base of the tick are the go to pull them out. [Using flat tips can squash the tick on the way out & pump some poison into you] Apparently, ticks are more common in areas with large possum & bandicoot populations as they carry lots of them. Good luck with the removal.

The further north on the Northern Beaches you go the more you get. We get heaps around our place.

Or the right length finger nails do just fine. Even though ticks can do a lot more damage leaches still freak me out more. Gotta love the Aussie bush

Just on protecting your pets. If you have a dog (and no cats) in my experience Advantix works much better then Frontline+. You can't use Advantix if you have cats though and you still have to check them every day regardless of what you use.

Me and my riding partner both got ticks at the Glenrock open day. I had one on my hip, he had 2 in his neck and one on his shoulder.

Check yourself out after your rides....

... should a tick be removed with tweezers without first being killed. You are dicing with your life. My daughter's maths tutor has had a horrendous time with a tick bite since March 2010 and has basically had to take a year off work to recover. Fortunately his business had been able to run without him, so money has kept coming in the door, but there has been an obvious cost to the business's prosperity. He's back running things, but is easily fatigued.

From: http://medent.usyd.edu.au/fact/ticks.htm#remove

Tick Removal

If a tick is detected that is attached, never attempt to place any chemical such as methylated spirits onto the tick, nor should it be touched or disturbed, as the tick will inject saliva into the skin, which could make the situation worse. Rather the tick should be sprayed with an aerosol insect repellent preferably containing pyrethrin or a pyrethroid (if a repellent cannot be found which contains a pyrethroid, then Lyclear, a scabies cream containing permethrin will work fine). The combination of hydrocarbons and the pyrethrin acts as a narcotic and a toxicant, and prevents the tick from injecting its saliva. The tick should be sprayed again one minute later (or dabbed with the Lyclear) and left. After 24 hours it should drop off naturally or be gently removed with fine-tipped forceps. It is normal for a tick bite to remain slightly itchy for several weeks, however if other symptoms develop, then a doctor should be consulted immediately.

We get heaps of ticks up here at our place (Blue Mtns), and we've always pulled them out with no adverse reactions. As long as you get the whole thing everything should be groovy.

Vaso or a goppy sun block as they can not breath so drop off or pinch and pull.I got a few last landcare day at yella grass ticks are every were.

OK, on further research, removal techniques look to be a bit more contentious than i first thought.

Given that link comes from a respected institution (The University of Sydney), and I doubt the tick population would have evolved in the last 7-8 years, I know whose advice I'll be taking. I also note that advice from authoritative sources I've been able to find that contradicts it (eg NSW govt) is even older... 2002 or even late 90's.

Another link that discusses a variety of options is found here:
http://www.lowchensaustralia.com/pests/paralysis...

That link seems to be from a veterinary products site, but most of the material covers impact on humans, and it quotes a lot of interesting sources, such as the St John's Ambulance First Aid Manual, among others.

Cant you use an open flame like a lighter just behind them and they drop themselves off? No one has mentioned this method, maybe theres a reason.

I've also heard, if you want to build up an immunity to them you eat them after removal. I'd kill them first as well.

PS. I'm not recommending this and I'd probably do your own research first.

I have seen a little removal tool at the supermarkey the other day. Looks like a little plastic spoon with a tapered notch in it.... was in the pet section.

Online there are a whole heap of them.. obviously meant mainly for pets but I think fine on us animals too.

There seems to be loads of different methods on the internet about the best way to remove ticks, but my vet said that it doesn't really matter how you do it. The vet just used her fingers to turn the little bugger upside down & pinched it out of my cat's neck. It came out cleanly without leaving any of the tick's mouth parts embeded, but she said it doesn't really matter if any bits get left in. The most important thing is to get the little buggers out. If the tick's been on for any time its already been injecting toxins into the bloodstream, any residual mouthparts left in the skin aren't going to be as much a problem - especially if its a paralysis tick.
Obviously, if the tick is too small to grab with your fingers, use some smaller fingers (kids can be handy sometimes) or get some tweezers.
For protecting cats - the vet recommended the Advantage product even though its not labelled for ticks, something to do with the manufacturer not having bothered with going through the certification process, even though their equivalent product for dogs is labelled & certified. A bit weird....

There's some debate whether or not Lyme Disease exists in Australia or not, which is something that can be transmitted by ticks. Otherwise I'm not aware of anything else that ticks may carry, just the usual adverse reactions that some people can have - just like mozzie bites or bee stings, i guess.

you have to twist clockwise on the ones we get
may be a different species

I'd been avoiding reading this topic and so wish I had left it that way. I think I'll just stay in doors (without any pets)