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Getting a tick is no big event. It is just something that happens if you live near woods. I own a forest, and get ticks on occasion. Gross, but no big deal. Gra
by codingdave 1mo ago
Getting a tick is no big event. It is just something that happens if you live near woods. I own a forest, and get ticks on occasion. Gross, but no big deal. Grab a tick-pulling tool and gently coax them out. Don't crush them or force them out with a blunt object, you are just as likely to tear their head off and leave it stuck in you, which just makes it more likely for you to get sick. Just remove them before 24 hours, and it is highly unlikely they'll give you a disease.
Ticks also get attached to humans in tall grass and forest edges, not from the trees. Walking through open fields is a more likely way to get a tick than walking through the woods, because that is where the deer sleep. They bed down in tall grass, and the ticks come along for the ride. So be wary of the grass, not the woods. As a matter of fact, the best thing you can do to keep ticks away from your home if you live out in the country is to keep 8-10 feet of grass cut really short at the perimeter of your property or wherever it meets the woods.
Young deer often walk towards people, too. They aren't born afraid of humans, and have natural instincts to freeze, not flee. So when their mama hides them, it is just as likely to be near humans, not in the woods with the coyotes. They'll learn the fear soon enough (definitely during hunting season), but until then they certainly have youthful curiosity.
Even so, "sign me up" is still a good answer. Home testing sounds great.
- dermacentor 1mo agoTicks can transmit Powassan and Heartland viruses within the first 15 minutes of a bite. Still feeling cool, suave, experienced, and fearless?
- codingdave 1mo agoHey, thanks - I wasn't aware of that. Glad to have learned it. But you can probably tell that there is no need to be snarky. Just your first sentence would have been more in line with how people engage with each other around here.
- faeyanpiraat 1mo agoI'd argue it's perfectly fine to have some snark reacting to a comment spreading a potentially dangerous sentiment. I have at least one serious regret about trusting someone on the internet saying something incorrect confidently.
- dermacentor 1mo agoYour comment's first sentence says "getting a tick is no big event." My response aims to inhibit and disrupt the complacency neuron of the reader that might have been activated by your comment. Sorry, but learning hurts sometimes.
- lima 1mo agoAnd tick-borne encephalitis, in regions where that is endemic. No need to be rude, though!
- dermacentor 1mo agoBeing rude to people spreading dangerous misinformation is mandatory on the internet, lima. Do you kindly and charitably respond to antivaxxers and drug dealers?
- lima 1mo agoHN has very specific rules for this: https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html You don't respond to them at all, flag the comment, and/or email the moderators. Being snarky does not contribute to the discussion and gets your comments flagged.
- dermacentor 1mo agoSo you (high karma user) are recommending that I (low karma user) simply flag (which I can't do) and not respond (leaving no trace) to misinformation? I should respond to bad info by continuing to lurk. Very smart!
- lima 1mo agoYes, if you're unable to be polite about it, just don't comment and/or email the moderators. Your comment would have been informative and well-received without the snark. You were right to call out the other person for trivializing the risks of tick bites, just assume good faith and be kind.
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- _puk 1mo agoI think you're being a bit strong with the "So be wary of the grass, not the woods" In the trees they drop down on you from above. Had them do that many times. The general consensus is to wear a hat when mushrooming in the places I've been.
- lima 1mo agoTicks do not drop from trees.
- dermacentor 1mo agoWhere is your proof? They have thermal sensors on their forearms and are known to climb trees. Why wouldn't they approach from above?
- lima 1mo agoTicks climb low vegetation (not just grass) and wait for a host to pass by ("questing"). If you're going to disagree with basic textbook biology knowledge, the burden of proof is on you.
- rnvannatta 1mo agoTicks don't exclusively hunt via questing. Some will actively pursue hosts if needed. The lone star tick is especially known for this: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/15/3/478 https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/15/3/478 > In contrast to D. variabilis, A. americanum is regarded as a hunter tick, which will walk/crawl rapidly across many meters when attracted by host odors. This behavior enhances its host range since these ticks do not have to wait for a passing host.
- dermacentor 1mo agoHumans walk to Burger King (not just McDonalds), provide payment, and wait for a cashier to provide them a hamburger. Everyone knows humans aren't capable of "hunting" with a "bow and arrow." You are taking the official, "please don't panic" story from CDC and trying to force it down everyone's throats while claiming it's as basic a fact of biology as chromosomes and the mitochondria. It's not. This is a contested area of animal behavior, not a microscopic process. Are you persistent in being dense because you want somebody to engage with and correct you, or are you genuinely trying to get people infected?
- stevage 1mo agoCan you explain how short grass on the perimeter helps?
- quacked 1mo agoFor me, getting a tick gave me a life-threatening allergy to the galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose molecule, which is manufactured in mammal cells. I will die if I eat red meat and go into possible anaphylaxis if I have dairy. There are also thousands of other foods I can't eat because they're either high in histamine molecules or they included mammal processing at some step (for instance red wine is often filtered through gelatin). This allergy is currently understood to be transmitted immediately at the bite. I definitely agree that without these nightmarish tick conditions it's a non-event, but with them...