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Post by HighCotton on Aug 28, 2014 20:59:50 GMT -5
What a difference in environment and little bitin' critters a hundred miles makes. My buddy has some land down near Scottsburg. We head out to set some stands and just got ate up with chiggers. I've never worried much about skeeters. Never been much of a fan of insect repellent. Until now. Dang chiggers anyway. A couple days later and the ankle's all pocked up:  Interestingly enough, I was able to get a pic of one with the Droid through a magnifying glass. I used a set of feeler gauges to try to get a size and would say somewhere between .007" and .009"  |
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Post by Woody Williams on Aug 28, 2014 21:09:23 GMT -5
Ohhhhhh....... What I think that you have is a bad case of seed ticks.. not chiggers.. Pound for pound the meanest critter to ever walk the planet earth.. www.orkin.com/other/ticks/seeds-ticks/ |
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Post by HighCotton on Aug 28, 2014 21:22:16 GMT -5
Ohhhhhh....... What I think that you have is a bad case of seed ticks.. not chiggers.. Pound for pound the meanest critter to ever walk the planet earth.. www.orkin.com/other/ticks/seeds-ticks/Really? Well now I've got some more research. I found 2 of them and saved one in a zip lock bag. Might just get it scoped for confirmation. Thanks Woody. Do they leave bites like chiggers? |
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Post by Woody Williams on Aug 28, 2014 21:29:49 GMT -5
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Post by duff on Aug 29, 2014 3:04:11 GMT -5
Yup ticks not chiggers
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Post by parson on Aug 29, 2014 6:26:10 GMT -5
Never gotten into the seed ticks, but if they are worse than chiggers I don't want anything to do do with 'em!
Skeeter bites don't much bother me, but them there chiggers have me scratching till the blood flows!
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Post by freedomhunter on Aug 29, 2014 9:18:40 GMT -5
your lucky, they can put you in the hospital if you get enough of them on you. I've left my clothes in the woods before to keep them out of my vehicle, terrible.
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Post by drs on Aug 29, 2014 10:32:44 GMT -5
With all the seed ticks along with chiggers, has there been any reports of Lymes Disease up in Indiana? Personally, I'd be more fearful of catching West Nile Fever (Virus) from a mosquito bite; but Lymes can be very bad causing many health issues.
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Post by HighCotton on Aug 29, 2014 14:14:45 GMT -5
I stopped in and had one of these critters under the microscope thanks to a friend with Marion County Health, biologist/entomologist Matt Sinsko and his colleagues. It turns out the tick is a seed tick also known as turkey ticks or turkey mites. It is a lone star tick in the larva/nymph stage. I now get to watch for the possible symptoms of Ehrlichiosis over the next few weeks. Apparently southern Indiana has been hammered with these ticks in the last few years. I stopped at Wally world and got loaded up...  Here is a recent article of a case just down the road from where I was setting tree stands: www.wbiw.com/local/archive/2014/08/washington-county-sheriff-claude-combs-became-ill-after-tick-bite.php |
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Post by featherduster on Aug 29, 2014 15:12:04 GMT -5
Cotton,thanks for sharing this story and I hope you don't need any further regarding this.
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Post by Woody Williams on Aug 29, 2014 17:56:31 GMT -5
The permethrin will not only repel them but kill them deader than a hammer.. Welcome to the Southern Indiana Seed Tick Club - not too exclusive of a club though. Every hunter in southern Indiana has got into them a time or two.. After that we smart up..  |
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Post by raporter on Aug 29, 2014 18:12:00 GMT -5
Keep a set of clothes saturated with Permethrin. Wear rubber boots also sprayed with Permethrin and you should be tick and chigger free.
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Post by ms660 on Aug 29, 2014 18:54:39 GMT -5
People call them seed ticks, turkey ticks, turkey lice etc. but what they really are is the larvae stage of the lone star tick. They hatch out in glob like clusters and when you are unlucky and walk into a batch you usually get several 100-200-300 of them on you. They claim the larvae doesn't carry any disease yet, but they can drive you insane with itching and the thought of having that many ticks on you. I will not go to the woods from now until a heavy frost without spraying down with permethrin and taping my pant legs shut with duct tape and tucking my shirt tail in deep. They are out in Pike county as I have found several cluster on me, but they die very quickly if you have sprayed down. I pity those that don't realize that these are out there and take a stroll though the woods in shorts and flip flops. 25 years ago we did not have these here. I remember the first time I encountered these . Mom thought I had chicken pox. I will never forget that misery.
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Post by gwhunter on Aug 29, 2014 19:03:07 GMT -5
I have yet to get the seed ticks but am traveling down by the Ohio river in the morning. I will definitely be spraying down with some 40% deet that I got at TSC. I only have the permethrin concentrate that you spray around livestock areas so I'm not spraying that toxic stuff on me. However, to me chiggers are the devil. I know that they got me when I wake up in the morning to bloody ankles and sheets. I would give up a toe to be able to not get them ever again!!!!!!!
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Post by bart1533 on Aug 29, 2014 19:07:06 GMT -5
Worse week of my life. . Went fishing last year with my son. .had to hike threw the woods to get there..by that night I was tore up. .All the way up to my thighs. After 3 day of no sleep and inching my self to death..i had to go to the hospital. .i still have the scares...i never was a fan of bug spray neither..but I am now even it I don't like it..
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Post by ms660 on Aug 29, 2014 20:37:02 GMT -5
I have yet to get the seed ticks but am traveling down by the Ohio river in the morning. I will definitely be spraying down with some 40% deet that I got at TSC. I only have the permethrin concentrate that you spray around livestock areas so I'm not spraying that toxic stuff on me. However, to me chiggers are the devil. I know that they got me when I wake up in the morning to bloody ankles and sheets. I would give up a toe to be able to not get them ever again!!!!!!! Good luck with your deet, it doesn't work with thes.It will help with chiggers.It's your choice,,,,,,,butttttttttttt you better mix up the permethrin and use it. That is exactly what I use. I get it at Rural King and mix it up in spray bottles. I have been doing this for 15 years and I'm still half way normal. Spray your jeans and a shirt and let it dry before you put them on. If you don't want to do this then I advise packing a small propane, butane torch You can fire it up and lightly go over your jeans when you see a cluster crawling 0on you and this will kill them, It doesn't take much flame to cook them. Chiggers are a cake walk compared to these things. You may get a few chigger bite, but you will get 100's of bites when these thing get you. I don't know about others, but for me the itch last for weeks and weeks not just a few days. |
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Post by hornzilla on Aug 29, 2014 23:15:10 GMT -5
2 years ago I had the joy of a case of these nasty beast. Was riding our horses in Green Sullivan forest.
These things will even take clumps of hair off the legs of horses.
I wouldnt wise a case of them on anyone.
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Post by drs on Aug 30, 2014 4:25:35 GMT -5
I have yet to get the seed ticks but am traveling down by the Ohio river in the morning. I will definitely be spraying down with some 40% deet that I got at TSC. I only have the permethrin concentrate that you spray around livestock areas so I'm not spraying that toxic stuff on me. However, to me chiggers are the devil. I know that they got me when I wake up in the morning to bloody ankles and sheets. I would give up a toe to be able to not get them ever again!!!!!!! One time I hunted Squirrels at Sugar Ridge in Pike County and my ankles & legs were COVERED with chiggers & small ticks!!! Just about scratched the skin off my ankles. I also use Repel 40% Deet or Deep Woods Off, but have never used permethrin. Chiggers & Ticks are the worst "critters" down here in KY. |
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Post by beehunter on Aug 30, 2014 4:58:28 GMT -5
I got into a mess of Turkey Mites 4 or 5 years ago while squirrel hunting. Both of my legs were completely covered in bites from my ankles to my knees and I bet I had over 500 and possibly a 1000 bites per leg. I eventually had to seek medical help to get my legs to heal up. It was one of the worst experiences of my life.
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Post by HighCotton on Aug 30, 2014 7:36:16 GMT -5
I'm surely getting educated here and very thankful for everyone's input. With some help from my wife, we are something over 300 bites. Today makes 2 weeks and the freakin' itching has not let up. It was kind of funny. As my wife was counting, she started itching just looking at my bites. She's one to scratch at a story about itching. I don't touch or itch them. Guess I'm just wired to mentally to put it out of my mind. That said, I've never had itching last this long. It sounds crazy. Must be why I'm a biologist...but I'm really intrigued with this whole process. I'll also say I've only had itching rival this from a serious case of poison ivy from baling hay and cleaning fence rows at "Uncle Charlie's" of the Oakland A's in 1978. That one required medical attention!
I'm also a fairly quick learner and through advice here and info online I'm sure of one thing... Permethrin and me are gonna become real good friends!
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