More on Ticks

TICKS AND LYME DISEASE

Since writing last week’s article about ticks I have done nothing but itch. It’s probably just the thought of these spider like pests, but knowing that doesn’t really help. I put the article on the Gardening Matters blogsite and have been receiving letters from people in Ireland and the UK who have been affected by the Lyme disease these ticks carry. We are getting more and more ticks on the dog and I’ve even taken to smearing her collar with insect repellent to try to keep them at bay. The Co-op do a product called Spot On that is used on sheep, cows and horses so I might invest in some of that if the infestation gets any worse. Here are a few of the letters about concerns of Lyme disease and the difficulty getting diagnosis.

From: A representative of Tick Talk Ireland


"Encouraging awareness, prevention & treatment of Lyme Disease (Borreliosis) in Ireland."

Hello - I loved the topic of ticks and the problems with repellents. I was infected in the States. My 3 dogs would be treated with frontline flea & tick repellent and yet every time they came in I had to kneel down & pick the little blighters off them. Unbeknown to me, as I was kneeling down a tick decided to run up my leg and feast on me instead. Only after 18 months of ME did I realise I had Lyme disease. Sadly now, it may be too late to completely eradicate the disease due to delays in my treatment.

A lot of emphasis is given on the Elisa tests for Lyme but the test kit manufacturers themselves state that a negative result should not be used to exclude diagnosis. Sadly this information never seems to filter down to the physician who requests the test. There are some private labs that will test for Lyme in the States and Germany at the expense of the patient and even then patients results are disbelieved, so getting treatment can be very hard indeed.

We are very keen to encourage the Department of Health in Ireland that Lyme is made notifiable - hopefully in time it will be so that more doctors can be made aware of its existence and of its seriousness if left untreated.

Thanks again for highlighting a problem unknown to many. Lyme disease can have the potential to afflict anyone of us, including doctors themselves!

With best wishes,


Tick Talk Ireland


From: Joanne Drayson Surrey
Re: Ticks. There can be dangers with ticks, especially:

1. In removing the ticks by hand.
2. If removed by any other means than thin nosed tweezers or a tick remover you don't just risk squishing the contents on yourself but if stressed the tick regurgitates it's stomach contents into the host.

3. Not all ticks carry Lyme but they can also carry other difficult to treat infections and we cannot ask the tick whether it is infected or not. One leading professor of entermology said at the 2008 Lyme Disease Action conference that an unknown percentage of ticks carry Lyme Disease. The infection comes from other small mammals rats etc.

4. Ticks do not need to be attached too long. If they have already had a partial blood feed they can transfer the infection sooner. There are many case studies, which show infection in less than 24hours.

5. Not all patients get the tell tale bull’s eye rash but if you do you are infected and should take immediate antibiotic treatment.

6. There are increasing numbers of patients very very sick with Lyme disease in Ireland and England.

7. Sadly our health authorities (in the UK) say the tests for Lyme Disease are 100% accurate but research shows that doctors can miss 50% of cases.

8. Patients can present with such an array of symptoms that they are often misdiagnosed such as, ME/CFS, Fibromyalgia, Arthritis, Muscle weakness, Neurological illnesses such as MS, MN, Parkinson's and even Alzheimer's as well as psychiatric illness, ADHD, OCD and autism. Sadly most of these people will receive only symptomatic treatment and may be refused the inadequate Lyme disease test. People can spend years suffering, not realising that specialist doctors will treat on long term antibiotics helping to improve symptoms and their life.

To read more about this awful illness I would suggest you read ILADS and/or Burrascano Guidelines found on www.ilads.org. The UK charity www.lymediseaseaction.org.uk also has much information on this matter.

It took 5 doctors and 3 rheumatologists 4 years to diagnose me and 3 years to treat me on long term antibiotics but I am no longer crippled with arthritis and muscle weakness and can cycle and enjoy my gardening once again.



From: Denise from iPetitions

Hi there - I really would like to warn you that Lyme disease is a real problem for dogs and humans, and horses too. I've got Lyme disease, caught in Scotland on holiday in 1985 when I was 33, happy and very fit. No one diagnosed it, not until private tests 20 years later. Too late for me now to get better and the NHS won't give any treatment anyway, so I buy my own antibiotics when I can afford them. Without them I go downhill even worse than I am now.

By the way, Ireland is absolutely rife with Lyme disease; even in the mid 90s they found it in about 8% of the blood supply. Some people can carry it for a while before they get ill. They actually don't know what to do about it, except pretend there is no problem.


Please have a look at our petition

We don't think the government are taking things seriously enough - there should be warning posters and leaflets in every doctor's surgery and at every park and forest and country walk.

If you go to the petition have a look at the comments and it will shock you how bad things are and how many people are suffering.

Perhaps some ticks are not infected, but it's best to think of them as if they were. They can even carry things such as nematode worms and flukes. Those of us who have been through hell with the disease are horrified at the thought of so many people not knowing about it and we want to prevent anyone from having to go through it. Some people die, from a stroke or heart attack, and others are paralysed or affected mentally.

CAUTION
So there you go. Become aware and informed and make sure you take every preventative measure when dealing with these parasites.

See the first post

TICKS

I’m losing the battle with our new dog for pack leadership. When she arrived we covered the best armchair in the house with clothes baskets and books to stop her using it as a bed. Consequently none of us could get the benefit from the chairs plump cushions and panoramic views. Nevertheless every morning we would come into the kitchen to find her wedged in the most uncomfortable looking postures wrapped around our deterrents The chair has since been covered with the dog’s own duvet cover and when I walk past the chair, she looks at me with a comfortable air of victory and supremacy. However, we have a more pressing issue this week that needs immediate attention, namely a parasitic invasion -Ticks

TICKS

The dog is covered in them so we are discussing the best way to remove the pests. “How about painting them with nail varnish?” I suggest. “You could burn them off with a cigarette like you would leeches.” All interesting suggestions from the family. “Yea, the chef Heston Blumenthal fed leeches up with goose blood and cooked them up for a gothic feast, maybe we could do that with ticks.” The topic is getting a bit bizarre now and for the squeamish amongst you I would stop reading this now……

REMEDY

April to July is the time of year that ticks are lurking in the grass to jump on to unsuspecting hosts. These ticks are tiny spider like creatures that attach themselves to animals, normally sheep or deer, and don’t let go until they have gorged themselves with the hosts’ blood. Our new dog tends to spend a lot of time up the hill and in the woodland terrorising the pheasants that are around this year (courtesy of the gun club releasing loads into the wild). She never manages to catch one but she is very persistent, if she had a tail it would be wagging. The only thing she does catch though are the ticks, at least twenty a day.

I’d be looking guilty too if I stole someone’s chair.

I rather enjoyed picking them off initially, but the novelty has worn off. Nothing seems to deter them. (We have been heaping spoonfuls of dry garlic into her food). I go to the chemists to get an over the counter remedy for ticks and fleas. “I have two types of liquid to put on the dogs skin,” the helpful girl behind the counter tells me, “One for small dogs and one for dogs over 25kg.” I thought anything over 25 kg was a horse, but convinced myself and the girl that my Springer Spaniel was very large and needed a large dose. The girl looked a bit concerned but I assured her I am responsible.

At home, I follow the instructions on the packet, smearing the liquid in four key places along the dogs back. Three days later I am still picking the ticks off and they seem none the worse for the chemical attack, in fact they are thriving. One has even attached itself to her eyelid, which is proving difficult to remove.

REMOVING THE TICKS

Removing ticks can be tricky without leaving the head of the parasite embedded in the skin. They need to be turned anti clockwise from as close to the skin as possible with the thumb and forefinger. The reason for this is two fold. One, the ticks burrow into the skin clockwise so they need unscrewing. Two, if you squeeze their bodies and they pop you will be left with a splatter of blood, risking the chance of infection if any gets into the host’s body. This can lead to Lyme’s disease. Lyme’s disease is very rare in Ireland, but a handful of cases do happen every year so it’s best to be wary.


NOT FUSSY

The problem with the ticks is that they are not fussy whose blood they suck and can attach themselves to us when we are gardening or walking in the long grass. We have all had them at some point, as do most people who spend a lot of time out of doors. The ticks will drop off eventually when they are full, but removing them within 24 hours of becoming attached reduces the chances of getting Lyme’s disease to practically zero. Treatment for the disease is possible if it’s caught quickly.

There are some things we can do to keep these tiny blood suckers off of us when working in the grassy, bushy or woodland areas of the garden

• Cover your arms and legs. Wear long trousers tucked into your socks or boots, and long-sleeved shirts with cuffs fastened
• Wear shoes or boots rather than open-toed sandals.
• Use a natural citric insect repellent on clothes or on limbs if it is not practicable to cover up.
• Inspect skin and clothing for ticks every three to four hours; check children's skin and clothes frequently.
• At the end of the day, check your and your children's bodies thoroughly for attached ticks, including skin folds such as armpits and groins.
• Remove a tick as soon as you see one attached to the skin remembering to unscrew it as the tick's head can break off and be left behind.
• Following a tick bite, there is likely to be an area of redness; the vast majority of these look like nettle or bee stings and are just allergic reactions to the tick's saliva and do not indicate infection.
• See your doctor if you develop a rash or become unwell with flu like symptoms after being bitten.

This is the busy time for the ticks. Thankfully they ease off later in the summer. Just in time for the wasps to come out.

More on ticks

Gardener's Diary

DAY 1

Day 1- Sunday –8pm

In a bit of a grumpy mood, so Julie suggests I go away for a bit. I ask her how long I should go away for. Tells me to come back when in good mood. Might be gone some time.

Day 1 Sunday 10pm

Found great looking hostel in County Sligo called the Gyreum Ecolodge in Castlebaldwin. Looks like a spaceship built from wood and bitumen sheets. Was voted the country’s most unusual hostel. Just the ticket. Bags packed and ready to go.

DAY 2

Day 2 Monday 9am
Lads to school, dishes washed, bags thrown into the boot of car complete with pillow just in case. Kiss Julie. Off to ecolodge spaceship.

Day 2 Monday 3pm
Time on my hands. Stop off at Rossinver Organic Centre. Paid €5 to walk around garden . Great place, well worth a visit. Found Gyreum spaceship in middle of nowhere. Parked up and saw man called Brendan on roof patching up gaps. Told me I could have a 6- bed room to myself. Happy days. Asked more questions about ecolodge. It’s powered by geothermal pumps, wind turbines, has a reed bed system and eco toilets at the bottom of the garden should I decide to use them. Vegetable patch looking bare yet but showing loads of promise, just like at Rossinver.

Day 2 Monday 9 pm
Fixed TV. Owner Brendan hadn’t watched for two weeks. Thought it was broken. Pushed scart lead into the back. Can now watch Corrie in the morning. Great place, fine design with big round open plan area for gatherings, green weddings and sleeping. Welcoming hearth in the centre with seats. Rickety staircase going to library above. Big hole in floor upstairs, looks good but makes me feel a bit wobbly when I look down. Staff really friendly, feeling at home. Cook up some noodles and hot chocolate and off to one of my 6 beds for an early night.



DAY 3

Day 3 Tuesday 1pm
Long lie in. Great rest. Brendan still on the roof blocking holes. Has no problem with me hanging around looking lost. Decided to visit friends in Boyle. Warmly received. Get fed loads of healthy soup from home grown veggies. Tempted to stay the night but spaceship is calling me back.

Day 3 Tuesday 11pm
Get back to Gyreum Ecolodge. A couple have arrived, but still have the 6 beds to myself. All very friendly. Was told of a group of 15 people coming to visit for a Viking re-enactment fight on a neighbour’s field. Brendan going away tomorrow leaving them to look after the Ecolodge. Time to move on. Make cheese sandwich and plan the route for tomorrow.

DAY 4

Day 4 Wednesday 2pm
Got up late again. All quiet before the Viking warriors arrive. Decided to go to hostel in Donegal town as it’s on the way home. Don’t want to travel far. Hostel busy but room to myself. Have shower as couldn’t find the one in the spaceship. Go into Donegal town for a walk. Quite busy and bump into people I know. Too close to home.

Day 4 Wednesday 11pm
Woman that owns the hostel is a bit strange, comes into TV room and takes the remote control off me and turns volume down saying people need to sleep. No-one, but no-one takes my remote control. Woman locks up hostel complaining about latecomers, looks at me as though I should call it a night. Feel uncomfortable so creep upstairs to bed.

Day 5 Thursday 3am
Can’t sleep. Heating on all night, room like a sauna as only 7 feet by 5 feet. Open windows but traffic noise keeps me awake. Missing the spaceship.

Day 5 Thursday 7am.
Woman from hostel shouting giving early morning calls. Walk downstairs. Woman is sitting outside kitchen looking at us all wishing we would leave. Grab a banana from the fridge and duly oblige.

Day 5 Thursday 8am
Can’t get out fast enough. Strange woman with staring eyes turns cooker gas off at the bottle every time someone finishes eating and keeps looking at her watch. All my food still in kitchen. Daren’t go back in to collect it in case eyes meet. No doubt it will be in the bin by 9am. Leave the room keys on table near door to avoid seeing woman. Time to go home. I can be back for 9:30 am.

Trip worked. I’m happy. Don’t have to go far or be away from home long before realising I’m onto a good thing.

More pics from Rossinver in April

More pics from the Gyreum Ecolodge

Lawn Care

Lawn Care

Is there anyone in Ireland that has a perfect lawn? I doubt it. It would take hours to create the perfect green space without rushes, moss, thatch or weeds.

My step dad tried for years to get a grass sward in his back garden so smooth that you could play snooker on it. He would be out there everyday with his penknife taking out weed seedlings and threatening earthworms for making casts. He was very particular in general. He once took the whole car to bits because of a rogue squeaking noise coming from the dashboard. He never found the source of the noise and it took weeks to put the car back together again. He never managed the perfect lawn either. Our two female dogs made sure of that with their acidic urine.

Thankfully for our nerves, most of us make do with the lawns we have and give them an odd feed and cut the tufty bits down when we get chance. As the grass is growing quickly now, let’s have a look at some ways to keep the grass healthy without becoming too obsessed (I did cut mine twice this week though. Where’s my penknife?)

Turf or Seed?
If you are laying a new lawn, April to May is a great time to be sowing grass seed. It's best to keep off the seedlings until this first cut so you don't trample and break the baby blades of grass. By the mid summer you should have a respectable lawn.
Turf is quicker but much more expensive and requires equally good soil preparation and lots of watering to help it settle in and grow. Try to keep the footballing kids and digging dogs off for the first few weeks. If you mow keep the cutting height up on the mower.

Maintaining the lawn

Feeding
Feeding properly with an organic lawn fertiliser will make grass greener and thicker. This also helps resist weeds and moss. Overfeeding can have really negative effects on the grass though as it increases the chance of disease because of the fast growth. It could mean cutting it more often too.
Filling hollows
If your lawn has a sunken patch, repair by making an H-shaped spade cut across it with a half-moon edging tool and then peel back the two flaps of turf over the hollow. Add some topsoil, level and firm down the flaps. Fill in the gaps left by the cuts with more topsoil.
Removing weeds
Learn to tolerate a few weeds in the lawn or you will be out every day pulling them up, but if small patches or single weeds need to be removed, pull up by hand with the help of a fork. This helps to get the deeper roots of perennial weeds out.
Surviving dry weather
During long dry spells, mow less frequently, let grass grow longer and resist the urge to use summer feeds that make lots of new growth. Don’t worry if the lawn goes brown this summer, it will recover in autumn.

Worn areas
If part of the lawn is used regularly as a path, prevent it from becoming worn away by laying stepping-stones. Dig out paving-slab slices of turf and set these just beneath the surface of the lawn so a lawn mower can pass over them safely. Try to keep off the grass if there are any late frosts.

Trimming edges
Tidying lawn edges keeps the grass looking neat and prevents it from spreading into borders. After mowing, trim any grass that overhangs the edges with long-handled edging shears or a rotary trimmer.

Repairing edges
Parts of an edge that have been severely damaged are easy to repair. Use a spade to slice through the turf, cutting out a small rectangular piece from around the damaged area. Lift from the ground with the spade and turn it around, so the damaged part now faces the lawn. Press down firmly and fill the damaged area with compost. Sow grass seed over the compost and water.

Bare patches
Bare patches attract weeds, so re-sow them now. Fork the soil to break it up, then firm and level it before applying an appropriate grass seed. Cover with fleece or polythene to keep the birds off and water regularly. Another method for covering bare patches is to use a strip of lawn from a rich growing area to patch the bare area (you'll need to re-sow the area where it came from).
Coping with moss
Show me a lawn in Inishowen that doesn’t have moss in it and I will be amazed. There is a tendency to scalp the grass to get rid of the moss but this isn’t really a good idea. Close cropping weakens the grass sward and gives the moss more room to grow. Correcting the drainage is the way to go but if this isn't possible give the lawn a dose of sulphate of iron. This will burn off the unwanted moss. It can then be raked out.

Clippings
Leave grass clippings on the lawn as they rot down and release up to 30 per cent of the lawn's required nutrients. Remove the clippings from the lawn at the beginning and end of the growing season when decomposition is slow and compost them either in your bin or a separate area set aside. Mix with plenty of coarse twigs or cardboard and paper, turning occasionally to let the air in.

Compaction and thatch build up
If your soil is compacted, fork over the area and brush some sharp sand into the holes to aerate it. If there is a large area to treat you could consider going mechanical. The hire companies have tools to cope with large areas of both moss removal and the build up of thatch, (dead matter) which can restrict growth.