Ticks in Missouri?

[mwtslf23]

My wife and I are thinking of moving to Missouri, probably around Lesterville or Piedmont area. I would like to know how bad the tick problem actually is, if some one could get me some information I would really appreciate it. Also if anyone could tell how they like these areas that would be great also.

Thank you,
Mike

[Corky]

I don't know what you think is bad.
some people think one is bad and if it carries a desease then it is.
We have several kinds of ticks in mo. There is an article on them in this last issue of Missouri Conservation mag. Its free to residents and at a low cost to others. I love to read it.
ticks are everywhere this time of year. You need to wear repellant if venturing out into a wooded area and you can even get them in your yard. Heck, I opened a dresser drawer and there was one crawling on a clean shirt in there.
The thing to do is check every member of your family over carefully each evening and remove all ticks found. The tiny ones we call seed ticks are usually deer ticks. the bad guys. Later in the summer ticks leave you alone just in time for the chiggers to get you! I'll take the ticks over chiggers anytime.
Buy lots of repellant and use it.

[Hears The Water]

I live in SW MO. The ticks are just a part of living here. You learn to look yourself over pretty good after being outside, to wear light colors and to stay out from under Oak trees. Once we parked under an oak tree on the edge of a prairie and I ended up finding something like 25 ticks that blew into the open windows. The first time I came out here to see this farm I live on, we where coverd in ticks. But when we move out here and brought our ducks, within a month, the ticks where gone. So, I let my chickens free range, and my ducks. Also Gunneas are great for taking care of ticks. All the above are good for chiggers too. In the Spring it takes a couple of weeks for the birds to get all the ticks. And we do get them in the house if the dogs run around out in the fields. But for the most part my birds take care of the critters near the house. One more reason to love chickens, ducks and gunneas! Corky is right, the term "bad" is relative.
God bless you and yours
Debbie

[Northman]

I live in the woods of Northern Minnesota and we have so many ticks you can't walk 10 feet into the woods without getting a few ticks on you. But, the ticks from MO. were the worst biters I ever seen. I still have scars fron over a year ago when I visited Licking, MO. for a WEEKEND!

[stonefly71]

Here in Ohio we or I find the most ticks around bodies of water Lakes, rivers and Reservoirs. As I find more in the wetter area then say in the woods. Don't get me wrong there there but just not as many. It's best if you can wear 2 pair of socks and put one pair over your pants or get some Velcro and wrap it around the bottoms of your pants. And all so wear long sleeved shirt with the cuffs done the same way and a hat on your head to cover the most of your body as possible. Hope this helps out Later Matt aka STONEFLY71 p.s. Avon has a good bug repelant for kids it's skin so soft Bug Gaurd Plus with IR 3535 spf 30. And for adults I'd use Ultrathon here is info on it. As this is off a Fly Fishing web site I vist all the time and folks on there swear by it. I know Gander Mountian sells it and you could call the number to find it in your area. Later Matt

Ultrathon
3M Scientific Anglers
3M center, Building 223-2NE
St. Paul, MN 55144-1000
USA
Call 1-800-430-5000 for the location of your nearest dealer

[frogmammy]

Ticks literally, fall from the trees here.

Mon

[MarleneS]

According to Corky's husband Milt - Ticks have tiny little parachutes and that's how they get out of trees....if you ever meet him just ask -- he might even be able to find you an example of a used tick parachute.

Marlene

P.S. Having a sense of humor is the best thing to have when you live where ticks live.

[Conni]

We live in NW Arkansas and are moving to SW Missouri within the year (possibly)... We have ticks in our yard in town because the dogs bring them home from Missouri and from the lake... When we go up to Missouri we spray ourselves down with bug spray as soon as we unload from the truck. Its a great family bonding time. Lets not forget when we get home we all look each other over for ticks too... Another great way to spend time with the family. lol NOT!!!

We use Frontline on the animals. It helps alot.

My 5 yo little man has had 4 ticks on him this week from our yard. So dh promised me he would spray the yard (again).

I *love* the idea of guineas when / if we move to the property!!! That will be my first investment.

You get use to living with ticks. You just take precautions and use the spray...

[ibcnya]

I live about 10 miles from the northern border of Missouri. Ticks here in these parts are really bad this year due to the mild winter. Especially the seed ticks. You can't feel them crawling on you because they are so little and when you find them they have already done left you with the itchinest welt you will ever know and it lasts for weeks. I don't why the good Lord made these buggers.

[bethlaf]

Well.....
ticks are everywhere, i tend to have sensitive skin and i can literally feel when one is one me ...
we eat a lot of garlic, and i make up bug away oil, similar to skin so soft from avon , but natural
when we plan na outing in taller grass, the kids get ribbons to tie around legs that have been dabbed with the oil , and they put it on thier skin , it works well

bring a dog and the dogs will get most of the ticks, sounds mean , but it just sort of happens , the dogs go through the grass first the ticks jump on them
my dogs know when mom says"icky ticky" they have to lay down and let me remove the ticks,
funniliy they dont seem to get on my goats nearly as much as my dogs and horse....
must be soemthing there

have lived in wisconsin and can say ticks are bad there too , i dunno , ticks are everywhere ....

[OldFarmGal]

:haha: :haha: :haha: Do we have ticks? ROFLMHO!!!

Interesting question. Will you base your decision on ticks?

If you live in a town, maybe you can escape them, but if you're in the country... well, dress right and spray. You can treat your yard area with sevin granules, and then get guineas and chickens. Mow a lot. It isn't hopeless.

I'm in south-central area. MO is beautiful. Some rather strange laws, but beautiful. I plan on dying right here where I am. (We moved here from TX. Ticks are ticks, and they're everywhere.)

[homebody]

Hey bethlaf,
Could you share your recipe for the bug away oil? Thanks.

[Corgitails]

I'm about 40 minutes from Piedmont and yes, we have lots of ticks.

[Holly]

We live in SW MO. Just moved here from NW WI in Dec. So far it seems like there are a lot more ticks than in WI, but that probably is just my imagination.

But I have to say that I have NEVER understood the paranoia behind woodticks, even the bearticks. Growing up in the counrty in WI I pratically lived outside in the fields and trees as a kid. And yes, I got had LOTS of woodticks on me through the years. And I know that limes disease is nothing to laugh at, but I must conclude from my own expirience and from all those around me, that it must be very hard to get. Just my opinion.

Since moving to MO, I have other things that I fear more much more than the ticks. Chiggers (which I have never had, but definitely sounds worse). The poisonous snakes and spiders. We have three small boys and they are my greatest concern. Though, we have been spending lots of time teaching them about the snakes and spiders and what to do when one meets one. My oldest son can probably tell you more about snakes than most adults. (He'll be 7 next month.)
I have to say that we are much more confidant moving out to our land now that we have taken the time to know everything we can about the snakes in our area.

The one thing that scares me the most, is the brown recluse spider. Do a search for it and take a look at the pictures of what it can do. That will surely ease you mind about ticks! :haha:

No real help here, I know. Sorry!
Holly

[fsmfarms]

I have lyme and I had Rocky Mtn spotted fever and possilbe other co infections. I have been on abx for over 4 yrs. I am better, but not back to myself. You can't hold a job and disability doesn't recognized. They go by othre dxs. So, don't mess w/ticks and if you feel sick at all go to the Dr. Also the standard 2wk tx does not work, it will return. My lyme dr says at least 6 to 8 wks initially. I am in 3 rd stage lyme. It comes in arthritis or neuro. I have neuro it causes personality changes, mood swings, unbelievable anger to where you don't even like yourself. You can't walk and have no stamina for anything. It affects all of your muscles and is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOo slow to get better.

[big rockpile]

We go in the woods for vtwo hours pick Ticks for two days.But their not bad Chiggers will start in soon,then the fun begins! :haha:

big rockpile

[Mutti]

We came to so.central Mo from MI....had never heard of ticks....imagine my freak out when finding a big fat grey one on my child the first time !!!!!!!!!!! Now they are just another part of life; look yourself and the dogs over nightly. Spray if you are gonna be in heavy brush. We keep everything mowed short and the neighbors guineas range thru here...a good/bad thing but they do like to eat 'em. Have learned to hate chiggers more as they seemed to really love me...DEE who hates skeeters more and rarely sees them on our Missouri mountaintop

[Maria]

Just don't let the ticks stay on you! My husband missed a small one last year, and got the lyme-like disease that is in Missouri. He never tested positive for Lyme, but had all the symptoms and was absolutely miserable for 4 months until he finally got over it. Not all people DO get over it. The only thing that would help his pain was Vioxx, and they've taken it off the market now. I don't know what we'll do if he has a relapse.

From what I remember, it takes 12-24 hours of biting for a tick to pass the disease to you. Just check yourself at least daily, and you probably won't catch it.

We don't seem to have any ticks near the house since we let our chickens free range.

[Mary in MO]

:haha: :haha: TICKS!!! :haha: :haha:

We got ticks. We got lots of them, and yes they DO parachute from the dang trees and bushes. Seriously, I did get Lyme disease from a bit 5 or so years back. Spent 3 weeks on my back in agony, 4 months on antibiotics and wound up with rheumatoid arthritis less than a year later. I was terribly paranoid after the Lyme disease but it calmed down and now I just keep checking all over the body for the little buggers :yeeha:

Oh, and by the way, Lesterville is nice and quiet till summertime....Lenny's is good eats . Our place is right up the road from there.
Mary

[mwtslf23]

Thank you all for your insight. I was just wondering about these ticks because we went to NW Arkansas to look at some property and when we got back to the hotel, we were all covered in ticks. Everyone we talked to said they are not as bad there as in Missouri. So was just curious. By the way I am in Texas now and we do have chiggers here also, not that bad though.

Thank you,
Mike