On Mon, 9 Sep 1996 07:07:36 -0700, you wrote: >>Also, what tricks do you use to remove ticks once the have you to be their >>new home? >The same thing we use to get rid of chiggers works well for getting rid of >ticks: plain old Vicks Salve or Mentholatum Rub. Just dab it on the ticks >and they can't breath, so they let go. Camphor also works well by itself. As a fellow beekeeper and an emergency room nurse I just have to jump in with my two cents worth when tick removal is talked about. There are ways to remove ticks and ways not to remove ticks. Generally, anything that is traumatic to the tick should be advoided. The reasoning behind this is as follows. Ticks are the vectors of many diseases. Their bites may result in envenomation secondary to salivary sectretions injected as the tick withdraws blood from an insertion point. Some of the illnesses that can be caused are Lyme Disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and tick paralysis (these are the common tick-borne diseases for Missouri and may vary in your area). Most of the viruses causing these illnesses are harbored in the stomach of the tick. When a tick is 'traumatized' it has a tendency to regurgitate it's gastric contents as it beats a retreat. Regurgitation into the wound in the host greatly increases the possibility of transmitting illness. Therefore, treatment of any tick bite generally follows this guideline: 1. Remove the tick using the following method. NOTE: Using a hot match or products to "suffocate" the tick are ineffective and may cause more injury. Immersion of the body part in very warm water (CAUTION: Make certain that water is not of a temperature that will burn human skin) will sometimes cause the tick to back out. Do no handle the tick with bare hands, use a blunt forceps or tweezer. Grasp the tick as close to the skin surface as possible and pull upward with steady, even pressure. Do not squeeze, crush or puncture the body of the tick (I presume this means 'while attached') After removing the tick, wash the area with soap and water and cleanse with isopropyl alcohol. If head or mouth parts are left behind they may need to be surgically removed. Note the date of attachment and save the tick in the event further reference is necessary. The remainder of the treatment guideline is essentially for medical personnel and includes updating tetanus status, treating any resulting medical symptoms, etc. If anyone is interested in chiggers and treatment, I can get that information and post it also. -- John Taylor -- Wild Rose Creek Apiary Southeast Missouri When in danger, or in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout!