There are quite a number of kangaroos on this property and when that happens there is generally a lot of kangaroo ticks, which become very active during cool wet weather. Around 4-5 days ago one bit me on the neck and as you cannot initially feel them on your skin, it was probably there for a while and only became noticeable when the bitten area started to itch.

I removed it without much trouble, but later my neck swelled up to some size and became very hot and incredibly itchy. Although the swelling has now subsided a little it still remains intermittently itchy. The itching possibly reflects an allergy on my part to whatever they pump into you.

Anyway, I was sitting at my desk just now when I noticed a dirty brown blob smeared on the inside of a lens from my reading glasses. When I took them off, there in the center of the lens was another tick and very much alive, which must have attached itself to me when I took the dog for a walk earlier and it had crawled up my clothing, onto my neck and over my face.

The area of my neck that had been bitten before had become incredibly itchy about the time the tick would have been on my neck and my scratching probably sent if further up onto my face and eventually my glasses. However, it illustrates how they can crawl over you completely undetected, although now I seem to feel them all over me, so extensive scratching is currently rampant.

PermeateFree said:

There are quite a number of kangaroos on this property and when that happens there is generally a lot of kangaroo ticks, which become very active during cool wet weather. Around 4-5 days ago one bit me on the neck and as you cannot initially feel them on your skin, it was probably there for a while and only became noticeable when the bitten area started to itch.

I removed it without much trouble, but later my neck swelled up to some size and became very hot and incredibly itchy. Although the swelling has now subsided a little it still remains intermittently itchy. The itching possibly reflects an allergy on my part to whatever they pump into you.

Anyway, I was sitting at my desk just now when I noticed a dirty brown blob smeared on the inside of a lens from my reading glasses. When I took them off, there in the center of the lens was another tick and very much alive, which must have attached itself to me when I took the dog for a walk earlier and it had crawled up my clothing, onto my neck and over my face.

The area of my neck that had been bitten before had become incredibly itchy about the time the tick would have been on my neck and my scratching probably sent if further up onto my face and eventually my glasses. However, it illustrates how they can crawl over you completely undetected, although now I seem to feel them all over me, so extensive scratching is currently rampant.

You poor bugger. I hate ticks because of the allergic reaction and the long-lasting sore that results from them. Stingose kills them (I think by suffocation) but doesn’t remove them.

I have a colleague who can use a pocket knife tip carefully on skin very close by. The slight pressure and slight twist he imparts causes the tick to withdraw, alive. (Try as I might, I can’t achieve that, unfortunately.)

Michael V said:

PermeateFree said:

There are quite a number of kangaroos on this property and when that happens there is generally a lot of kangaroo ticks, which become very active during cool wet weather. Around 4-5 days ago one bit me on the neck and as you cannot initially feel them on your skin, it was probably there for a while and only became noticeable when the bitten area started to itch.

I removed it without much trouble, but later my neck swelled up to some size and became very hot and incredibly itchy. Although the swelling has now subsided a little it still remains intermittently itchy. The itching possibly reflects an allergy on my part to whatever they pump into you.

Anyway, I was sitting at my desk just now when I noticed a dirty brown blob smeared on the inside of a lens from my reading glasses. When I took them off, there in the center of the lens was another tick and very much alive, which must have attached itself to me when I took the dog for a walk earlier and it had crawled up my clothing, onto my neck and over my face.

The area of my neck that had been bitten before had become incredibly itchy about the time the tick would have been on my neck and my scratching probably sent if further up onto my face and eventually my glasses. However, it illustrates how they can crawl over you completely undetected, although now I seem to feel them all over me, so extensive scratching is currently rampant.

You poor bugger. I hate ticks because of the allergic reaction and the long-lasting sore that results from them. Stingose kills them (I think by suffocation) but doesn’t remove them.

I have a colleague who can use a pocket knife tip carefully on skin very close by. The slight pressure and slight twist he imparts causes the tick to withdraw, alive. (Try as I might, I can’t achieve that, unfortunately.)

The dog gets quite a few, so I am reasonably well practiced, although if they have been there for a couple of days, they seem to dig in further and are difficult to get a good grip and the head part gets left behind. I recently gave her a flee shampoo and I notice now the ticks have moved from her to me, so I might have to do the same.

The best method for removal is freezing them off. There’s a product called Wart Off that is worth having handy if in tick country.

Any other method will cause the tick to inject.

roughbarked said:

The best method for removal is freezing them off. There’s a product called Wart Off that is worth having handy if in tick country.

Any other method will cause the tick to inject.

Sounds interesting, I’ll give it a go. Thanks.

PermeateFree said:

roughbarked said:

The best method for removal is freezing them off. There’s a product called Wart Off that is worth having handy if in tick country.

Any other method will cause the tick to inject.

Sounds interesting, I’ll give it a go. Thanks.

I’ve yet to see a solution that doesn’t end up with the tick regurgitating it’s stomach into the victim apart from the one MV and Roughie have mentioned.
I was never affected by tick bites until the last one on the back of my neck that made me quite sick for some time and left a nasty angry swelling at the site that persisted for months.

…left a nasty angry swelling at the site that persisted for months.

a tooma?

roughbarked said:

The best method for removal is freezing them off. There’s a product called Wart Off that is worth having handy if in tick country.

Any other method will cause the tick to inject.

http://www.abc.net.au/health/features/stories/2015/02/12/4178721.htm
The tick debate: how should you pull them out?

“Webb thinks we should all following the advice of ASCIA, which recommends killing the tick in place by using ether-containing aerosol sprays that instantly freeze it (although some of these are not registered for use in humans). He suggests some over-the-counter products for freezing off warts may work.”

10 Set Pack 2 Sizes Tick Twister Remover Hook Tool For Dog Pet Horse Cat Human
http://www.ebay.com/itm/10-Set-Pack-2-Sizes-Tick-Twister-Remover-Hook-Tool-For-Dog-Pet-Horse-Cat-Human-/321973755881?hash=item4af7219fe9:g:X-kAAOSwyQtVxXt3

roughbarked said:

The best method for removal is freezing them off. There’s a product called Wart Off that is worth having handy if in tick country.

Any other method will cause the tick to inject.

Is that the dry ice in a pressure can ?

PermeateFree said:

Michael V said:

PermeateFree said:

There are quite a number of kangaroos on this property and when that happens there is generally a lot of kangaroo ticks, which become very active during cool wet weather. Around 4-5 days ago one bit me on the neck and as you cannot initially feel them on your skin, it was probably there for a while and only became noticeable when the bitten area started to itch.

I removed it without much trouble, but later my neck swelled up to some size and became very hot and incredibly itchy. Although the swelling has now subsided a little it still remains intermittently itchy. The itching possibly reflects an allergy on my part to whatever they pump into you.

Anyway, I was sitting at my desk just now when I noticed a dirty brown blob smeared on the inside of a lens from my reading glasses. When I took them off, there in the center of the lens was another tick and very much alive, which must have attached itself to me when I took the dog for a walk earlier and it had crawled up my clothing, onto my neck and over my face.

The area of my neck that had been bitten before had become incredibly itchy about the time the tick would have been on my neck and my scratching probably sent if further up onto my face and eventually my glasses. However, it illustrates how they can crawl over you completely undetected, although now I seem to feel them all over me, so extensive scratching is currently rampant.

You poor bugger. I hate ticks because of the allergic reaction and the long-lasting sore that results from them. Stingose kills them (I think by suffocation) but doesn’t remove them.

I have a colleague who can use a pocket knife tip carefully on skin very close by. The slight pressure and slight twist he imparts causes the tick to withdraw, alive. (Try as I might, I can’t achieve that, unfortunately.)

The dog gets quite a few, so I am reasonably well practiced, although if they have been there for a couple of days, they seem to dig in further and are difficult to get a good grip and the head part gets left behind. I recently gave her a flee shampoo and I notice now the ticks have moved from her to me, so I might have to do the same.

I do my first wash with a fistful of excelpet and follow it up with horse shampoo for a shiny coat

wookiemeister said:

PermeateFree said:

Michael V said:

You poor bugger. I hate ticks because of the allergic reaction and the long-lasting sore that results from them. Stingose kills them (I think by suffocation) but doesn’t remove them.

I have a colleague who can use a pocket knife tip carefully on skin very close by. The slight pressure and slight twist he imparts causes the tick to withdraw, alive. (Try as I might, I can’t achieve that, unfortunately.)

The dog gets quite a few, so I am reasonably well practiced, although if they have been there for a couple of days, they seem to dig in further and are difficult to get a good grip and the head part gets left behind. I recently gave her a flee shampoo and I notice now the ticks have moved from her to me, so I might have to do the same.

I do my first wash with a fistful of excelpet and follow it up with horse shampoo for a shiny coat

I bet you look lovely too.

PermeateFree said:

wookiemeister said:

PermeateFree said:

The dog gets quite a few, so I am reasonably well practiced, although if they have been there for a couple of days, they seem to dig in further and are difficult to get a good grip and the head part gets left behind. I recently gave her a flee shampoo and I notice now the ticks have moved from her to me, so I might have to do the same.

I do my first wash with a fistful of excelpet and follow it up with horse shampoo for a shiny coat

I bet you look lovely too.

best in show

PermeateFree said:

There are quite a number of kangaroos on this property and when that happens there is generally a lot of kangaroo ticks

Yes.

I know one caravan park in kangaroo country that used to have that problem. They solved it by giving the kangaroos the same tick treatment you would give to a dog or a cat.