[petejh]

Another good reason for reducing sheep farming in the mountains.

[Fiend]

Particularly relevant to you Matt as you're in Torbay, but I climbed at Nudey Cliff yesterday (just near Babbacombe), and on arrival at the crag realised our legs and my dog were completely crawling with ticks.  Managed to clear my legs and get trousers on, and haven't found any since.  Had to give the dog a very close trim when we got home and they were tumbling off her.

I was really quite surprised as I didn't realise there was much in the way of animal vectors in those woods below the coast path, but I won't be going down there wearing shorts again.

Hmmm yes maybe we should have read this a few days ago. The only "animal vectors" I'd expect down there would be velociraptors and lost stegadons and I don't think they carry ticks... I was in shorts but as usual they don't like the compression stockings (I think they get bored half-way up and think "Sod this, we're going off to the tick pub instead"), I did get one on my hand but that wasn't biting. Anyway, good warning, as Duncan will confirm!!

And get well soon OMM, that sounds like prettyy bad luck.

[Ged]

Was that on the way to nudey cliff?

[Fiend]

I had one at the crag, Duncan had a few after.

[Ged]

Glad you found someone to get out with, how did you get on with the cobbles?

[Fiend]

See Duncan's Power Club report! The cobbles were not quite as character-building as the dried mud matrix they were embedded (or gently relaxing) in  It was good fun overall, despite the onsight sandbag grades throwing me off. DYTI6C was worth the price of admission.

[AMorris]

The only "animal vectors" I'd expect down there would be velociraptors and lost stegadons and I don't think they carry ticks...

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but...

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-017-01550-z

I dunno if this changes your future plans to visit the place

[tomtom]

I now have a mental image of a Fiend/T-Rex chimera wearing compression stockings.

Not quite cold war steve material

[duncan]

The only "animal vectors" I'd expect down there would be velociraptors and lost stegadons and I don't think they carry ticks...

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but...

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-017-01550-z

I dunno if this changes your future plans to visit the place

Great tick knowledge! 

This was the first time I've ever knowingly been infested, I'd thought I was of no interest to the blighters as I've hardly been careful in the past. My special tick extractor that has been travelling with me for the last 5 years was completely useless (they were just crawling and hadn't started biting) but a careful swipe with a sharp blade removed them.

[tomtom]

Last time I had a bad tick encounter - they seemed really atracred to certain items of clothing. Namely a grey soft shell and my moon satellite pad…

[SA Chris]

they were just crawling and hadn't started biting

Hairy legs seem to slow them down a bit, bad news for cyclists (do they actually shave their legs anymore?)

[sdm]

Anyone know if any of the tick borne diseases are prevalent in North Wales?

Rhiw Goch was absolutely swarming with them yesterday. I removed over a hundred in total (partly due to the sandbagged approach description leading to some unnecessary wading through the bracken). I had to remove more from my legs and the pad after each attempt on the Badgers in the Mist sitstart.

Have been there before, don't know if it's already common knowledge that there's loads of ticks there.

[teestub]

Some friends had a similar experience a weeks ago and they just bailed before even climbing as their dog got totally covered.

I’ve been there a few times in summer, although not for a few years now, with no tick issues at all, so this seems like a relatively recent infestation!

[RobK]

I've always been told to avoid Rhiw Goch in the summer because of the ticks. Don't think it's a recent thing, although wouldn't be at all surprised if it's gotten worse.

[User deactivated.]

I must be blind, lucky or not very tasty because I have never knowingly seen a tick in my life. If I arrived at a climbing venue having to swat them off my legs/mat between goes I would run for my life and never return!

[kelvin]

I must be blind, lucky or not very tasty because I have never knowingly seen a tick in my life. If I arrived at a climbing venue having to swat them off my legs/mat between goes I would run for my life and never return!

Exactly that! Despite been well loved by mozzies, I've never see a tick, not on me or anyone else human anyway.

[sdm]

I've removed plenty from the dogs but don't think I've ever had to remove one from me until yesterday either.

Will definitely wait until tick season is over before I return there.

[Fultonius]

As a kid and up to my mid 20s if never had one. Since then it's 20-30 per year.

3 more this weekend...

We now just do a thorough tick check every night if out in bracken etc.

[RobK]

92 in a day (+/- my counting accuracy) is my current record. It looked like my legs had black chickenpox. That was a fun few hours with the tweezers in the shower. Back in my fell running/orienteering days it was a question of how many rather than if I had any after a day in the hills/forest.

[SA Chris]

If I arrived at a climbing venue having to swat them off my legs/mat between goes I would run for my life and never return!

It's pretty unpleasant the first time, once you are used to it, it's just a hassle.

[Oldmanmatt]

If I arrived at a climbing venue having to swat them off my legs/mat between goes I would run for my life and never return!

It's pretty unpleasant the first time, once you are used to it, it's just a hassle.

Unless you actually get Lyme disease…

I was on antibiotics pretty quickly after the first symptoms, but it was a rather unpleasant week of flu like symptoms and two or more weeks of persistent, banging, headaches (so bad I started to wonder if I’d picked up a double whammy and an Encephalitis on the side). Plus the intestinal side effects of 21 days of Doxycycline…
Good now though.

[Fultonius]

If I arrived at a climbing venue having to swat them off my legs/mat between goes I would run for my life and never return!

It's pretty unpleasant the first time, once you are used to it, it's just a hassle.

Good now though.

Glad to hear it - it can be grim long term!  Get those Actimel (other brands available) down you now.

[yetix]

Never seen a tick before in my life. Warton was swarming! Fyi.

[r-man]

Warton and Hell Moss are awful for them. Ticks crawling on the mats. Yuck. I'm told it's better in winter.

[yetix]

I've always been in spring and autumn in the past with no problem, but there were so many yesterday! Pretty much as you describe...