[SA Chris]

Tick Borne Encephalitis has now been found in the UK too.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/apr/05/hikers-urged-to-check-themselves-for-ticks-after-deadly-virus-found-in-uk

[dunnyg]

Climate change is shit, but could it not be the change in chemicals that farmers use to treat sheep and the increase in deer numbers? Correlation != Causation etc.

[SA Chris]

It could. don't know if it is though. Allegedly there were a larger number of deer travelling up and down the Deeside Valley due to lockdown and less cars and walkers about, which has resulted in larger tick populations brought closer to Aberdeen City from the mountains. So you could blame COVID too if you wanted.

[Dingdong]

Climate change is shit, but could it not be the change in chemicals that farmers use to treat sheep and the increase in deer numbers? Correlation != Causation etc.

Longer summers and rise in average temperature along with wet British weather is basically the Goldilocks zone for mosquitoes to thrive. There’s plenty of articles from renowned institutions talking about this https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/197333/disease-carrying-mosquitoes-could-common-europe-2030/

[Johnny Brown]

Climate change is shit, but could it not be the change in chemicals that farmers use to treat sheep and the increase in deer numbers? Correlation != Causation etc.

I’ve always assumed it is all three. In the Peak areas there has been a big increase in deer numbers along with a significant decrease in sheep. On a positive note Pabbay used to be rife with ticks but now barely present due to a big reduction in sheep. Great benefits for the vegetation too.

[Eddies]

I returned from a kayaking expedition around Arisaig (NW Scotland) last weekend and have removed around 40 tiny (mite sized) ticks from my arms and legs!
At lest the ones I've found in the Peak so far are bigger and easy to spot.

[SA Chris]

What a pain in the Arisaig.

[Johnny Brown]

That area has always been bad, it was the first place I encountered them back in the nineties. Did you camp on the islands?

[CapitalistPunter]

I returned from a kayaking expedition around Arisaig (NW Scotland) last weekend and have removed around 40 tiny (mite sized) ticks from my arms and legs!

I saw loads of those tiny ticks recently at Torridon. Little Bastards!

[Duma]

Meant to post this earlier - we found a couple on us at Perch Quarry (Somerset) last week - keep an eye out if you pop in for some easy sport in the SW

[SA Chris]

I returned from a kayaking expedition around Arisaig (NW Scotland) last weekend and have removed around 40 tiny (mite sized) ticks from my arms and legs!

I was in Glen Affric 3 weeks ago and got the same. They all start out that size btw, you were probably first host, so less likely to carry infections.

[Bradders]

I hope you burned them all

[SA Chris]

I nuked the site from orbit, it's the only way. The estate owners are not happy.

I hope you don't mean burned them off? if so, it's not a good idea. Tick tweezers are the only things that get the tiny ones out complete. Even the small plastic tick hooks are too big.

[Bradders]

I nuked the site from orbit, it's the only way. The estate owners are not happy.

I very much meant this.

I hope you don't mean burned them off? if so, it's not a good idea. Tick tweezers are the only things that get the tiny ones out complete. Even the small plastic tick hooks are too big.

Not this.

[Hollinsend]

Our cat has just come back with ears covered in them in Meadowhead, Sheffield S8  . I've pulled off about 20, all tiny, some grey some skin coloured.

As far as I know he's only going in nearby gardens - no idea what they are living on round here.

[Dolly]

Are you from Hollinsend S12?
I’m asking as I grew up in Intake S12 as well

[Bonjoy]

BMC Access Network:

Notification of next session (No. 17) & zoom link

6:30 - 7:30 pm, Monday 1st  July

Ticks: distribution, disease & trends, with Dr James Douglas GP (Fort William)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-65203001

Zoom link:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86791610692?pwd=pl6N2u2BZahucngGxus9vct5uOpmVh.1


The Access Network is a series of evening presentations that the BMC's access team have been running for some time now. To date these have been limited audience only as the topics tended to be technical access related subjects and the aim was for half the session to be Q & A for the benefit of access staff and volunteers, with ample opportunity for everyone to be part of this element.
This one is being opened to a wider audience, as this is a subject with a much wider interest.
I'm just putting this out on UKB for now. In part because it is relevant to this ongoing thread. We'll see how this session runs and may in future open to wider participation. By all means pass on the invite to others who you think might be interested though.
This subject is annoyingly all too relevant for climbers today, and particularly boulderers who perhaps more than other climbers find themselves thrashing around in tick infested bracken. I'm looking forward to hearing what Dr Douglas has to say and putting a few questions. Hopefully I'll see some of you there.

[Bradders]

Thanks for sharing.

[shurt]

So telling that the doctor is from Fort William!! It's a  nightmare up there and down where I am in the SW.

[Muenchener]

I'm just back from a two week backpacking trip around Glen Shiel/Knoydart in the course of which I picked up precisely one tick, versus the four I've had this year so far at home in the Bavarian Alps.

Probably helped that - being rather afraid of there being loads of the bastards - I wore thoroughly-permethrined long trousers the whole time.

[danm]

More of a global tick watch, but Margo Hayes has posted on her IG that she's been really sick with Lyme's disease and other tick related illness for some time. Reckons she contracted it in RRG as a youth. Makes her achievements even more incredible, it's a horrible debilitating disease.

[Muenchener]

Indeed. I'm vaccinated against tick-borne encephalitis, as are most people over here who spend time out in the woods & hills. We had a big scare when it first became endemic/common in central Europe ten years or so ago. Am far more scared of Lyme's.

[Fultonius]

We've had our first TBE dose, second due in a few weeks. I'm now quite...considered...about when and which vaccines I get. Try to be "risk based", but the fact 1/100 confirmed cases leads to death and we're regularly in a reasonably highly prevalent area... Best get it done!

[sirlockoff]

another global tickwatch, but I've also had tick bite me on a spain beach without any plants or trees nearby, just by sitting on the sandy rock. Apparently that's a common thing and also amount of tick bites has grown 200% or so over the recent years because of the climate, detected it pretty fast, by pure accident, but now adding daily 1min tickcheck routine to the shower regime and I am nowhere near the forest!

[SamT]

Not ticks, but Chiggers,  just been absolutly nailed after a couple of sessions at the embankment in cheedale. I'm itching like a bastard so be warned!!