Ticks!!!!

[bk21701]

I don't know about some of you guys and gals.. but I'm pulling 5 to 6 ticks off of me every time I check my hives.

This is by far the worst year for them, before I've maybe pulled one tick off of me and at most 3. Anyone have any tricks they know of to keep them off? I don't know how bees would react if I gave myself a good spray of "off". I like working my bees without a vail, I just hope the bug spray wouldn't make the girls mad.

[Swobee]

They can be tough if not impossible to prevent. Some of our outyards have ticks and all have one thing in common - tall weeds & grasses. Tall weeds & grasses need to be kept well-mowed or trimmed. I weed-eat around the hives pretty regularly, although one landowner would argue that:) The best I can advise is to keep the material in your path and around the hives well-trimmed. They hide/live in plant material until a likely host comes along. Check yourslef regularly for ticks after servicing hives or have a partner look you over. They crawl slowly until they find the perfect spot, then dig in for the feast. On me that seems to always be under my chin or above an ear in my thinning hair. If there are other means to prevent them without massive chemicals, I'm all ears.

I also treat my ankles with DEET or some other insect repellent for chiggars. They are worse than ticks IMO.

[bk21701]

Chiggers.. I've heard about them; they're horrible from what I hear. I live in Maryland and I hear that they are more populated towards the watery and bay areas around here. I hope I never run into a bunch of them.

[saltcube]

If at all possible get some guineas they eat ticks and chiggers i don't have a problem with them. If not i can work the girls with "off" on and they don't seem to mind.

[DiverDog]

I dont have a problem with ticks here at home, but we have a cabin in Potter County PA, and the ticks are horrible up their in the fall. Last year while grouse hunting I pulled 20 off of me, and I don't know how many off of my lab. I treat her with Frontline and it works excellent. They will get on her but will not attach, and quickly jump back off. I often thought about treating myself with it, but havent gotten drunk enough to do it yet. If they can make something like this for animals why not make a preventative for those of us that live in or frequent tick country quite often. The only defense I know of is DEET, and white or light clothing if possible. There was a post not long ago on ticks, and some recommended guinnea fowl, or mascoby (sp?) ducks. They are both supposed to do a great job at bug control. My father in law has both at his stables and I never see any bugs or grasshoppers. The do a good job over there.

[Rebel Rose]

I had the same tick problem earlier this spring and still get a few ticks each time I visit the bee yard. This year the weather has been perfect for ticks!

Also, if you do not have them already, the buffalo gnats are producing a bumper crop of offspring this year as well.

Brenda

[vaBee]

can you keep Guinea Hens on your land? they march along all day like a skirmish line and eat every tick in sight. They roost in low trees at night and generally stick around, but fencing helps.

[dsquared]

bk21701, I'm surprised you haven't encountered them in Frederick MD. I'm just east of Winchester VA and have lots of them.

[honeyshack]

oh the ticks are bad this year

[m.zook]

Chiggers.. I've heard about them; they're horrible from what I hear. I live in Maryland and I hear that they are more populated towards the watery and bay areas around here. I hope I never run into a bunch of them.


Ill take the tics any day over the chiggers. and I got plenty of both this spring and they are still going strong:(

[the kid]

they say if you eat garlic they stay away ...
I never eat garlic as I hate the stuff ....

[lars1322]

I have had good luck using Permethrin. You spray it on your clothes and it binds to the cloth and lasts at least 2 weeks even if you wash your clothes. I haven't had a tick when I use it, but have had several without it. It is simple to use, just spray your clothes and let dry, then you are ready to go.

One thing to remember is that Permethrin is an insecticide so you don't want to spray it on the vegetation around your hives to kill off the ticks as you would probably get some residual in your hives. The stuff that they sell for clothes actually binds to the cloth and I haven't had a problem with it. The bees don't seem to mind and it doesn't smell. The clothes that you buy from the store that are bug resistant are usually treated with Permethrin although they must have a little different process that they are usually said to have a repellent affect for more than 2 weeks.

[Tom G. Laury]

I saw a catalog posting saying good for 26 launderings.
Permethrin

[AstroBee]

I have had good luck using Permethrin.

Me too. Actually, it is acceptable to use around bee hives. In fact, it is exactly the same thing in Gard Star, which is recommended for SHB as a drench around hives. Of course be careful not to spray bees or get it airborne so that it can contact bees, but I have used it around hives and it works very well. Its not cheap, but seems to last a good long while.

[10hive]

get 500 ginny hens for every 3 arces and you'll have the problem licked, I've been thru the doxiciline pill cyle 3 times in 5 years. I usually get wood ticks every week out near the rabbits or the bees, or handling hay. about one in every 50 ticks in me turns out to be a deer tick and about one of them in 50 give me a bulls eye--lyme desease

[bk21701]

I'm looking into getting some of those ginnys, I think the high fox population may cut off my efforts, but its worth a try. I'm going to actually try everyone's suggestions. I'm about sick of pulling off ticks!

"get 500 ginny for every 3 acres" LoL with the amount of acreage I have I think I'd have more ginnys than Bees! (haha bee jokes, my wife calls my Mentor my "BEE FF")

[DiverDog]

One thing you should know about guineas is that they are ridiculously noisy. It doesnt bother me, but I'm sure it would bother some.

[10hive]

I'm looking into getting some of those ginnys, I think the high fox population may cut off my efforts, but its worth a try. I'm going to actually try everyone's suggestions. I'm about sick of pulling off ticks!

"get 500 ginny for every 3 acres" LoL with the amount of acreage I have I think I'd have more ginnys than Bees! (haha bee jokes, my wife calls my Mentor my "BEE FF")

like diverdog stated they are noisy and a great watch dog, they usually roost on the roof of the highest building so they don't get attacked by anything at night.

[panubee]

My US Marine son uses brewers yeast (Diamond D brand) in North Carolina and claims the ticks, fleas, and mosquitos won't bite him, even while performing exercises in the swamp. The rest of his platoon gets eaten alive. I use it as well. I did have a tick on me today, but it did not attach.

Some of his friends comment on the "animal grade", but he just says, "Yum!"

I've heard it recommended for dogs, but not for people. I guess the pharmacuetical companies can't patent it.

Mike

[devdog108]

[QUOTE=panubee;434349]My US Marine son uses brewers yeast (Diamond D brand) in North Carolina and claims the ticks, fleas, and mosquitos won't bite him, even while performing exercises in the swamp.

First off, tell your son I said OORAH!, secondly, he is right. I did the same thing at Lejune....worked like a charm....

[terri lynn]

If at all possible get some guineas they eat ticks and chiggers i don't have a problem with them.

I was so glad to read this post! I have been wanting guineas but have been afraid they would eat a lot of my bees, since I know they are voracious insect eaters. Have ya'll had any problems along those lines? No one I've talked to that had guineas also had bees, so they had no idea. The cardinals are the only ones I've noticed swooping by the hives occasionally so far. Have been afraid to get purple martins for the same reason. Course then I'll have to go ahead and get a llama or donkey to keep the coyotes from going after the guineas...

[beyondthesidewalks]

Here in TX the chiggers are the worst. I encounter them some in my work. My solution for chiggers is to keep an old coffee can in my vehicle with an old sock full of powdered sulfur. I dust myself with the sock and chiggers stay away. I do smell a little unpleasant for the rest of the day but the sulfur smell goes away with a shower. Chigger bites last for weeks.

Not sure what the sulfur will do to the bees.

I don't know if the sulfur is effective for ticks. When I'm out working on our land I have my wife check me for ticks when I come in. And like the song, I'm always volunteering to check her for ticks also.:D

[jjgbee]

Brewers yeast??? Do you eat it? How much? Each day?

[wcubed]

Like this thread. Have often considered writing an article on beekeeper pests. Certainly ticks and chiggers would be treated.

bk21701
Grew up in Burtonsville. If you would like a sample dose for asessment, try picking wild huckleberrys in the woods.

The best cure for chiggers that I have found is a clean scrubdown fore and aft (shipboard Navy jargon) When you come in from the field, put your clothes in washer, and scrub yourself with a soapy wash cloth. Especially all those places that the chigger likes. Waist band, sock tops, between the lower cheeks, and other restricted spots. Rinse in the shower. Sometimes I forget - and pay the penalty.

I like guineas. Yes, they are raucus, but they have charcter all their own. No other yard fowl comes close. Like when they play king of the mountain on a rooftop. Loud, but fun to watch.

Several years ago, we had a very bad tick season here. Might get a dozen off me when I came in from the outyards. Ticks, like grasshoppers, go through a nymph stage where thay look like adults but are much smaller. My east TX friend calls them seed ticks. Had never encountered the little guys before the bad year, but I was particularly sensitive to their "bite."
One pin-head sized model between my fingers caused the whole hand to swell with infection. Look out for "seed" ticks. They are meaner than the big guys. And the damage takes weeks to heal. Had more than one.

Walt
Free advice is often overpriced.

[dwood]

Our tick problem used to be severe. Getting 5 or 6 after a short walk with Off! was always better than getting 10 to 15 without it. Then the fire ants moved in about 6 years ago. Now we have almost no ticks.

Or quail. Or turkeys. Or a number of other critters.

[bnatural]

I was so glad to read this post! I have been wanting guineas but have been afraid they would eat a lot of my bees, since I know they are voracious insect eaters. Have ya'll had any problems along those lines? No one I've talked to that had guineas also had bees, so they had no idea. The cardinals are the only ones I've noticed swooping by the hives occasionally so far. Have been afraid to get purple martins for the same reason. Course then I'll have to go ahead and get a llama or donkey to keep the coyotes from going after the guineas...

In the year that I had GF, before they decided to move out of the chicken enclosure and become coyote/fox/raccoon chow, I never noticed them hanging around my hives. I think there was too much other good stuff around for them to eat. They sure are fun to watch.

Bill

[terri lynn]

Thanks Bill, that's good to know. Although, I do have racoons as well as coyotes, so maybe getting coyote protection which I'd planned on getting anyway wouldn't help. I hadn't thought of the racoons, just the worry of the guineas eating my bees. Can you get them in enclosures at night? The racoons stay busy eating my bird food, along with mice the cat catches and discards and haven't ever bothered the cat. I haven't been around them much in the wild, just a couple rescued ones my dad acquired while a cop, so I don't really know much there. Just to put heavy rocks on the hives which have worked well.

I sure would like having guineas as bug eaters/ watch dogs, though, if I can keep both them and the bees alive! :scratch:

[bnatural]

I hadn't thought of the racoons, just the worry of the guineas eating my bees. Can you get them in enclosures at night?

Well, I read and was told that, if raised with chickens, they will stay with the chickens. I raised my GF from keets, and, at first, they stayed in the coop at night with the chickens. But then, one day, they realized they could roost in the pine trees outside of the hot-wired enclosure. After that, the raccoons picked them off at night. They are really good watchbirds, but they have their limits.

On the other hand, the guy, from whom I bought my keets, kept his outside in an open yard, and he had quite a large collection. So, maybe it depends on your location. He lived in the burbs in Massachusetts, and I live in NH out in the boonies. Or, maybe you just need to have a large enough group, so that they can out-breed the predators. I only had seven.

Bill