To cancel holiday due to ticks

[worrier7]

Myself, DH and our two young sons are going on holiday this month. We'll be staying in the UK, in a very rural, self-catering cottage. We're hoping to enjoy some country walks and also spend time at the local beach.

However, I recently read an article about Lyme Disease and how it's caught from ticks living in long grass. I'm now terrified that one or more of us could get a tick on our skin and catch Lyme Disease, which sounds terrible.

I'm wondering whether to cancel the holiday altogether and book somewhere in a town instead. We were really looking forward to our countryside holiday but I'm now hugely anxious about the ticks - especially as my sons are very active and will no doubt want to play in the long grass. What would you do?

[onelittlefrog]

It's a pretty daft reason to cancel a holiday. You would have other risks if you had a city holiday.

Just wear trousers if you walk in long grass, avoid long grass, or check yourselves at the end of each day.

Chances are you won't get a single tick, and if you do, just remove it safely (you can look up how to do this online, it's not complicated).

Lyme disease is pretty rare and you're more likely to be hit by a car in the city.

[WeAllHaveWings]

@UrAWizHarry

YABU.

Just wear long trousers in grassy areas and give yourself and the kids a checkover at the end of the day. Get a tick remover (or just pack a pair of tweezers) just in case.

Make sure you read how to remove a tic correctly if you are using tweezers.

The tic tool kind of prises or twists the tic off from underneath.

Do not use tweezers to grab the tick and pull off as it will possibly leave the head embedded or squishing it while still attached can also cause infection.

[ohthatbloodycat]

Are you normally this anxious, OP?

[MoiraNotRuby]

I know about ticks, grew up rurally , but don't know anyone who has ever had one.

[NautaOcts]

Don’t be ridiculous
What do you think those of us who live in the countryside do?
And ticks do live in towns and cities too in parks where there’s long grass or are your kids never allowed to play in grass?

[Intherightplace]

A friend of mine has Lymme Disease from a tick in a park about a half mile from the town centre.

It's a valid concern, but you don't need to be in deepest countryside.

You just need to check for ticks after your walks.

[LittleBearPad]

I really wouldn’t cancel a holiday!

[TheTallOakTrees]

Wow

Just Wow

[samthebordercollie]

I run trails on footpaths with overgrown grass every day. I always check for ticks after, there are generally a few to remove every week. Had one today the head got stuck so I had to gauge it out with a needle then apply bleach to discinfect but they usually come out quite easily.
If you are that worried, make sure you wear long trousers and long sleeved T shirts (I sometimes get them on my arms when I run in forests, ticks love ferns). With the weather being so cold and wet this summer you probably won't be in shorts and T shirts anyway.

[eightyfourandahalf]

@Scrowy

Do you think those of us who live in the countryside wander round in a permanent state of fear or as Lyme Diseased Zombies?

It's about as silly as me refusing to come to whichever urban area you live in because 'crime' happens there.

you haven't seen the threads about posters panicking and forbidding their teenagers to go to London because of crime and DANGER!

[eightyfourandahalf]

dog poo can cause blindness

pigeons droppings can cause lung disease among other things

foxes can bring parasites

If you start looking at any potential risk, from wildlife, humans, pollution, crimes, stairs, wet bathrooms.. you wouldn't get out of bed. Which in itself is dangerous anyway.

[twinklemom]

You can take some steps to protect yourself and your kids, Worrier, and still enjoy the vacation.
Wear long pants tucked in socks. Wear brighter coloured clothes as ticks are easier spotted on them.
You can use picaridin based spray or lotion, on the skin (make sure it does not go on the face/eyes - picaridin is less toxic than DEET, but in some cases it may cause allergic reaction if it gets on face. Note: I know there are a lot of DEET based products in stores, but the concentration of DEET you need to protect from a tick is only "safe" for adults, so kids' DEET-based versions of sprays are useless as there is not enough DEET in them for protection from ticks, so picaridin based product is a better option. Natural sprays are not reliable in real life, unfortunately.).
Another option would be clothes pretreated with permethrin or getting a permethrin spray for treating clothes and pretreating clothes with it. Make sure you get the instruction on how to do it correctly. Maybe you can ask in stores where they sell hiking outdoor clothes if they have anything like that or where you can get it. Do not use permethrin on skin.
Inspect the clothes regularly and bodies of kids at the end of each day from feet to head, especially feet, ankles, wrists, armpits, back of knees/elbows, neck, even head. If you find one, get special tweezers to pull it out and store it in the ziplock bag. Wipe the bite place well with rubbing alcohol. Go to the doctor (bring the tick as well!). Some places they will give you antibiotic treatment right away as a precaution, as early antibiotic treatment may prevent Lyme disease. I mean they will want to inspect the tick to see if they are a carrier of the parasite, but by the time the results are in it may be to late for the antibiotic.
Bath/shower every night.
Relax! I find when I am nervous I attract more pesky insects than when I am relaxed.
Ticks can be found not only in tall grass but also in the woods, where there are dry leaves, low bushes, etc. They are active at temperatures of 4 degrees Celsius and up. The only way to avoid them completely is not to go into the nature at all (or go only when it is freezing cold), but that is not good for you either. Being a worrier myself, I know how important trips to the nature are for your mental health. Fact: your kids and you may have already bitten by a tick before without you or them ever knowing it. I hope you can use some of these tips and you have a great, well-deserved vacation with your kids!

[Saidtoomuch]

If no one has suggested it already, get some pure citronella oil and drop it into dry body oil. Spray it on legs before they go out.

[Meraas]

Get a grip, OP. Or just do some research.

[Quarantino]

You're actually not being unreasonable to be worried about Lyme Disease, as it can be awful.
However, as long as you're vigilant for ticks, remove any whole using a tick remover, and look out for symptoms of Lyme, you'll be fine. Even if you do get Lyme Disease it can be treated quickly and easily. It's only if it goes unchecked it can lead to problems.

I live rurally and have experience with kids getting ticks and friends' kids too - even one who tested positive for Lyme was treated successfully. I'm slightly cautious about playing in long grass but do check them afterwards. I would no way cancel a holiday due to it.

[BiteyShark]

You would hate it in my house then as my dog is covered in them when he comes back from a run in the forest. I have had them crawl over my phone when he has been sat beside me and picked up 4 off the floor once when he got up .

I guess you could avoid ticks by never venturing in any long grass ever or just do what we all do which is wear trousers if wandering through fern type areas or especially long grass. And just a quick check afterwards and make sure you remove any ticks correctly.

Btw in all the time I have had my dog DH has had two attached to him and I had one which I actually got after cutting some bushes down in my garden.

[Yahtze]

Long light coloured trousers tucked in socks. Then spray the bottoms with deet. Long sleeve light coloured top. Check for ticks when you get back. You'll be fine OP.

[OhForGoodnessSake1]

We spent half term (end of May) in an area with long grass, deer, etc. First time we're ever actually found a tick on any of us. DS had one on his leg, and I had one on my leg (it wasn't attached, suspect it walked off DS's shorts while I was checking them: they are mobile, hence the advice to tuck trousers into socks). We used a tick removal tool to remove the one on DS. checking every day means it couldn't have been on long. We watched for any bulls-eye ring etc but DS absolutely fine. But he is very good at checking for ticks at the end of the day, now!

Enjoy your holiday!

[Givemebackmylilo]

You can't be serious?

[Squidthing]

Just wear trousers! I have gone for countryside walks my whole life (mid 40s) and never have had a tick nor has anyone I've walked with. It must happen but it's really not worth cancelling a holiday over.

[Cyw2018]

There are adders (snakes incase op isn't familiar) living in the UK countryside, and they're poisonous. Best stay in the city. The countryside is overrun with tourists at the moment anyway.

[JustLoveYourselfALittle]

You do know u can get ticks in gardens etc
I recently had one. Had only been to a big field and my garden.

[sopositivelynegative]

@SirVixofVixHall

Where in the country are you going OP ? As risk varies by area.
Yes nymph ticks are a worry. They are the size of this full stop . So very hard to spot. Only about a third of people bitten by an infected tick will get the classic rash. DH got the rash without ever having seen a tick, even though it was in an easy to spot place on his torso.
A friend has Lyme disease and it has been pretty bad so I worry about it . I live rurally and I grew up around farms and sheep, it is definitely more of a problem than it used to be, there are a lot of ticks about.

I also only know one person with Lyme disease (so a tiny proportion of people I know!) but they had a horrendous time of it. Mainly because it took so long to diagnose.

[Ipanemama]

We live just inside the M25. On the last week of term, my teen dd came home and as she was washing her hands in the kitchen sink we noticed a tick on her arm. It’s a short walk home through woods or she got it on the school field. Anyway, they are everywhere. Like a pp said, you are right to be vigilant, but go on your holiday.