Deer/Sheep Ticks

Thanks peedee, watched the episode, very enlightening. Enjoyed the ospreys and bat pieces. Certainly raised my understanding of the growing tick issues facing us. 
I never can understand those that criticise CF, it seems to be one of the most fair and balanced programs which highlights those problems farmers and the general public face in this rapidly changing world we live in. Many problems caused by own actions and lack of understanding.

We seem to lack a tick remover. 

I asked yesterday in the large chain chemist and was shown tweezers with hooks at the end. Instructions to get hook under ticks. Didn't sound easy....... Declined the purchase and will chat to the vet in due course.

Does anyone have recommendations please?

Ticks ramp[ant everywhere including Wales. You must be foolish to walk  in bracken or heather without long trousers and long sleaves.

I place a lot of reliance on Meg having her flea and tick treatment every month, without fail.  I've got it marked up as a recurring event on my Apple calendar. I use Advantix which is supposed to repel and kill ticks and - touching a very large piece of wood - I've never found one on her yet. Given how dense her coat is, they would be very difficult to spot but I always check her out after we've been walking anywhere we might come across them.

I used to be able to order a repeat prescription over the phone from the Vet's - but now the RCVS have changed the rules and, apparently, she has to be examined before they will issue one - putting the cost up still further. More than a bit naughty on the part of the RCVS methinks.

Interestingly, one cause of this rampant increase of ticks and the possibility of Lymes disease transfer is the introduction of  huge numbers of pheasants for shooting purposes into the environment. This is another example of how we cause many of these problems though our behaviours and pheasants specifically are a very serious vector for this disease..

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/466809.stm

I use Flea Away, spot on solution from B&M, as it donates all of the profits to the RSPCA.  The main ingredient is Fipronil which is similar to Frontline and I have never had any ticks on any of my dogs over the years, including any of my 3 GH crosses which had long hair.  It states on the box that it kills fleas, ticks and lice and is obviously far cheaper than buying from the vets.  In view of the increase in tick infestations I will keep an eye open for them on myself and my current lurcher though.  Better to be safe than sorry!

 Don't know how you can make that allegation, mickysf - given the following quotation from towards the end of the article:

"It has not been clearly established that the avian form of the disease is the most prevalent. Other forms which give arthritic and cutaneous symptoms are more widely reported," he said.

"Pheasants do not pass on these forms and indeed ticks carrying these strains of Lyme disease may actually be cleaned up by the pheasants - thus reducing human risk."

And he said other researchers in the field had disassociated themselves from Dr Kurtenbach's views."

Another bit of fake news! Especially given that the research was conducted in only one area of the UK and then extrapolated to cover the whole of the UK. Not particularly statistically sound!

I don’t! The article says it all. The fact is that pheasants do carry the ticks , those ticks do harbour Lymes disease and the number of pheasants released is absolutely huge as reported. Those facts are not refuted by anyone and the potential issues are real.  
For balance, and rightly so in my opinion. the report does provide the counter argument. Of course those with a vested interest will argue otherwise but the facts  I quoted remain.
Of course, the study was localised but who’s to say the findings are not transferable across the county. This is an example of trying to deflect the possible implications of mass release of such birds into our environments.

B2, we have used these for years now and they work fine for us. The smaller one is for tiny new arrivals while the other works best with those that have been present for a while and are bloated. Should you get a set just remember to twist it in an anticlockwise direction once you have the tick between the jaws. There are many others on eBay etc, just Google them.

These are called o'Tom tick removers.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/325982522604?itmmeta=01HX2HDE7BX5H3NYCX4BSHC5ST&hash=item4be6128cec:g:CwYAAOSwOGxinwWA&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAAA4LPKHy6jjaks12ih2AtAc6CI2sqgkxMzJVOn1LN5166Bc3tOo0ngTSHAPFFoCN4WBOmzHz1mp5zVexLQSVxq5qB1BrBJoKBO3IlGxyyNz9uY7WmHJVoVpGnlp29yoUZdJ3yfltOJtJ1ByD1qOTaCPA7sKUYCE5dEhHYFCo%2BQXFodE6EFpct8fqxFXF%2BWyJmE2xNQ7O6frQJjxZ044Bn1SnagWOC66OQDTCQYBBXvW%2BMn5I%2Buc4IPWGadJqwjT2mojSAGTalAbUfBG2CKwZMs2p0vQeEifHEKGudSwsk3fPFC%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR-TjtdHoYw

We used the same thing for years like you Nellie, so simple to use once you have found the damn Tick in a long haired German Sheppards coat.