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Barriers to the outdoors come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Here, Ken Daykin talks about one of the smallest - ticks. The threat of being "midged" or worse, puts many off venturing into the hills during the summer months. Find out here what you can do to reduce the risk of serious complications...

Virtually every time I talk to friends and acquaintances about modern tick removal methods they seem unaware of them. Some are unaware of ticks or that ticks can spread to humans a very, very nasty disease, Lyme Disease. So maybe there are lots of people with a similar lack of knowledge?

I have been getting tick bites for 50 years and have not had an infection, so why worry now? The first confirmed case of Lyme Disease in the UK was in 1985 and since then cases have been on the increase. From 2001 to 2014 there was a four fold increase in cases. Public Health England has stated that not only have the number of ticks been increasing but the number of those infected with Lyme Disease is also on the rise.

OK, so where are the hot spots? Ticks carrying Lyme Disease are present in all areas of the UK but the highest incidence and greatest number of cases is in Scotland, followed by the south west of England.

The O Tom Tick Twister...

Most folk seem to know that burning ticks off with flames, putting salt or alcohol on them does not work. Using tweezers can be effective but it's tricky - it is important not to squeeze the ticks body during removal as this can transfer fluid from the tick into the bloodstream, potentially carrying infection with it. Also, I've noticed that I am getting much smaller tics these days. These small ticks, only a fraction of a millimetre across, are very hard to grasp with tweezers. Ticks seem to be attracted to me, I pick them up more often than other people I know. As I say, I've been dealing with the problem of removing them for over 50 years. The best device I have come across is the ‘O Tom Tick Twister’. These are like little forks that you can slip under the tic and grasp them below the head. With a twist and a gentle pull the tick is removed cleanly and intact every time. My pack has two sizes but interestingly they are now advertising a set of three, with the new one being for very small ticks. Has anyone else noticed that ticks are getting smaller?

I also have a Tick Lasso. This works like a retractable ball point pen. You press on one end and a loop of nylon comes out of the other end. You use this to ‘lasso’ the tick under it’s head and as close a possible to your skin. Release the pressure on the top and the tick is grasped by the loop. Again twist and gentle upwards pull removes the tick. Whilst they work well they are not a simple as the Tick Twister and are much less effective against the smallest ticks.

The Tick Twisters are so small and light that everyone should carry a set in their first aid kit. Friends also report that the tick removal cards (like a credit card) also work well.

Should I panic? No! Public Health England reports that only about 10% of ticks carry the infection and it is thought that the sooner you remove the tick the less chance you have of getting infected. Still, in 2017 it was estimated that there were no fewer than 3000 cases of the disease per year.

What should I do? Get a modern removal tool and carry it with you. Have a spare one back at your base. Check yourself for ticks after a day out and remove any you find. They often hide in awkward places so it is best to get some one else to check the parts you cannot easily see yourself. Educate yourself about ticks and Lyme Disease. You can buy the Tick Twisters in many places now. I got mine from Ebay, from a company selling stuff for dog owners.

Trekmates Glenmore Gaiters

One way to keep ticks out is to wear gaiters. However these can be hot and uncomfortable. Last year I bought some Trekmates Glenmore Gaiters. They are ankle gaiters designed to go with approach shoes or trainers, they work on boots too and fit tightly around the ankle with velcro. They work brilliantly and I thoroughly recommend them. At about £20 they're a bargain. I can’t scientifically say they keep ticks out but they definitely keep those out annoying heather seeds and stones etc. Not hot at all. I recently used the gaiters for 4 weeks in Scotland this Spring and had no ticks at all, whilst others around me are still getting ticks.

Tick proof clothing: A friend who works in forestry in Scotland tells me that tick repellant clothing is now in widespread use in rural industries.

In addition, and possibly a cheaper alternative, I'd wash-in repellant which lasts for up to 20 washes. This can be applied to existing clothing or used to boost tick-repellant clothing. 

Thanks Ken! As a postscript I couldn't resist asking Ken what was his worst experience of tick bites. Here's what he told me...

The worst place? Ha! Ha! Fisherfield Forest. We hid our camping gear in a little cave while we went climbing. It had a sort of belevedere in front where you could sit with a superb view. After climbing we sat there a while, resting and eating some food. We camped that night and walked out early the next morning. Stopping for breakfast at a cafe I went to the toilet and while there investigated the itching on my back. It was absolutely covered in large deer ticks! We stopped in a lay by and my wife spent half an hour with tweezers picking them all off. We thought that a deer had probably been the last visitor to the belvedere and had sat there admiring the view, while the satiated ticks jumped off and waited for their next victim.

The first in the "Barriers..." posts can be found here.

Barriers (Part 6) can be found here.

Thanks for reading this post. If this is your thing why don't you take a look at other posts on the blog? Better still, why not join the British Mountain Medicine Society? More information can be found here

For more information about the University of Central Lancashire's Diploma in Mountain Medicine (DiMM) take a look at this.