WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.360 --> 00:00:07.440 It's Night Side with Dan Ray on WBS Boston's Radio. 2 00:00:07.799 --> 00:00:09.839 All right, well, you can't win them all. 3 00:00:09.919 --> 00:00:11.640 Okay, the Red Sox got a little bit of a 4 00:00:12.240 --> 00:00:16.519 winning streak going, but obviously you know you're not gonna 5 00:00:16.519 --> 00:00:21.359 win every game. But we we're not worried about the 6 00:00:21.399 --> 00:00:24.000 Red Sox. Too early in the season to worry and 7 00:00:24.079 --> 00:00:26.320 fret about the Red Sox. I mean, you want them 8 00:00:26.359 --> 00:00:30.719 to win, but you know no, you know, no, no 9 00:00:30.920 --> 00:00:33.280 doing anything drastic. This team will be okay at the 10 00:00:33.320 --> 00:00:36.719 end of the day. I have something that you can 11 00:00:36.759 --> 00:00:40.320 worry about, but I also have something that can solve 12 00:00:40.359 --> 00:00:44.039 you worries. This is sort of our annual visit with 13 00:00:44.280 --> 00:00:48.200 tick Man Dan. Tick season is upon us. I know 14 00:00:48.320 --> 00:00:52.479 that it's been a nasty cold winter and it really 15 00:00:52.560 --> 00:00:55.439 hasn't warmed up a lot, but it doesn't need The 16 00:00:55.479 --> 00:00:58.840 ticks don't need much to get active. And we're delighted 17 00:00:58.880 --> 00:01:02.719 to be joined by tick Dan tonight once again to 18 00:01:03.200 --> 00:01:06.200 answer any and all of your questions about ticks. 19 00:01:07.079 --> 00:01:09.599 There are more ticks around every. 20 00:01:09.400 --> 00:01:11.640 Year, and if you haven't been bitten by a tick, 21 00:01:12.079 --> 00:01:15.239 you're very lucky. We tick Man Dan's going to tell 22 00:01:15.280 --> 00:01:18.959 us how to prevent or decrease the likelihood of you 23 00:01:19.079 --> 00:01:21.599 being bitter one of your family members being bit and 24 00:01:21.680 --> 00:01:24.680 also he's going to talk about what can be done 25 00:01:25.040 --> 00:01:28.799 if the unfortunate happens. Tick Man, Dan, welcome back. You 26 00:01:28.920 --> 00:01:30.480 had a sweat in there for a moment. 27 00:01:30.519 --> 00:01:32.519 I don't know what was going on. How are you tonight? 28 00:01:33.319 --> 00:01:36.280 Yeah, some technical issues, but it's always great to hear 29 00:01:36.680 --> 00:01:40.079 your voice, Dan, and it's wonderful to be back. And 30 00:01:40.159 --> 00:01:42.719 every time that I'm here, it means that it is spring, 31 00:01:43.239 --> 00:01:46.480 So that's that's something enlightening and uplifting. 32 00:01:47.000 --> 00:01:48.920 Well, you know the funny thing about it is we're 33 00:01:48.959 --> 00:01:51.200 about a third of the way through spring. Actually, I 34 00:01:51.200 --> 00:01:53.359 believe we're a couple of days beyond a third of 35 00:01:53.400 --> 00:01:57.000 the way through spring. And spring has, like all the seasons, 36 00:01:57.040 --> 00:02:02.680 about ninety one days burned about thirty one of those days. 37 00:02:03.079 --> 00:02:06.680 We haven't had much spring. But the ticks know what 38 00:02:06.799 --> 00:02:09.479 time if here it is, and they are out and 39 00:02:09.520 --> 00:02:10.520 about already. 40 00:02:10.560 --> 00:02:11.879 What's going on with the ticks? 41 00:02:12.800 --> 00:02:17.719 Yeah, Well, it's typical ticks season is upon us, and 42 00:02:17.759 --> 00:02:20.960 we're entering into the most active time of the year 43 00:02:22.199 --> 00:02:25.520 for them and also the most likely time where people 44 00:02:25.520 --> 00:02:27.639 are going to pick these suckers up and their pets 45 00:02:28.039 --> 00:02:31.240 and where they're going to start biting us, And it 46 00:02:31.360 --> 00:02:34.479 is really important to do whatever we can to reduce 47 00:02:34.680 --> 00:02:39.000 our risk of being bitten. And the prevention part of 48 00:02:39.039 --> 00:02:41.439 it is so important, and I'm here to help you 49 00:02:41.520 --> 00:02:45.599 with some of the basics. Unfortunately, there's no guarantees when 50 00:02:45.599 --> 00:02:48.680 it comes to ticks because they are insidious little suckers 51 00:02:49.080 --> 00:02:52.840 and they will find their way to a meal at 52 00:02:52.879 --> 00:02:55.479 some point. So if you're up here in the Northeast 53 00:02:55.520 --> 00:02:58.479 or other areas where they're abundant, you got to really 54 00:02:58.479 --> 00:02:59.039 be careful. 55 00:03:00.120 --> 00:03:04.879 Let's just talk about for this winter, the ticks go away, 56 00:03:05.240 --> 00:03:08.800 and you know this, I remember some of it. When 57 00:03:08.840 --> 00:03:12.240 the first freeze hits in the fall, Is that the 58 00:03:12.360 --> 00:03:15.000 end of the tick season sometime in late October early 59 00:03:15.080 --> 00:03:16.199 November for the most. 60 00:03:15.960 --> 00:03:19.039 Part, No, not at all. As a matter of fact, 61 00:03:19.759 --> 00:03:22.919 people often think, you know, they always said to me, oh, 62 00:03:22.960 --> 00:03:25.919 after the first prost of freeze, then the ticks go away. 63 00:03:25.960 --> 00:03:29.719 But no, that's what happens with mosquitoes and some other 64 00:03:29.840 --> 00:03:35.159 pesky biting insects. Ticks are not insects, and they possess, 65 00:03:35.520 --> 00:03:39.960 you know, just naturally some really cool things I mean, 66 00:03:40.080 --> 00:03:44.159 if they weren't so yucky, they wouldn't. I mean, regardless 67 00:03:44.199 --> 00:03:45.759 of their you don't have to use. 68 00:03:45.680 --> 00:03:46.800 By the way, tick mak dan. 69 00:03:47.639 --> 00:03:50.319 You do not have to use the technical medical terms 70 00:03:50.360 --> 00:03:56.199 like yucky by audience, No, only DZ. They are pretty disgusting. 71 00:03:56.280 --> 00:03:59.319 They are pretty disgusting. So they live through the winter. 72 00:03:59.439 --> 00:04:00.879 They lived through in New England winter. 73 00:04:01.639 --> 00:04:05.080 Oh. Absolutely. Ticks have been around for centuries, you know, 74 00:04:05.199 --> 00:04:09.319 since pretty much the beginning of of Earth, and they 75 00:04:09.360 --> 00:04:13.879 have some great adaptations that will make them successful and 76 00:04:14.280 --> 00:04:17.000 staying around to bite you. And one of those is 77 00:04:17.439 --> 00:04:21.600 it's a substance in their cells. It's called glycerol, and 78 00:04:21.639 --> 00:04:26.399 it's an anti freeze. So basically they they've become inactive. 79 00:04:26.480 --> 00:04:29.319 It's not like they're hibernating. They go into a state 80 00:04:29.399 --> 00:04:33.199 called diapause, which is just sort of like suspended animation 81 00:04:33.360 --> 00:04:36.560 where where they'll hide underneath the leaf later underneath the 82 00:04:36.560 --> 00:04:41.240 slope snowpack, and their their bodies shut down. But as 83 00:04:41.279 --> 00:04:43.959 soon as the temperature starts to warm up a little 84 00:04:43.959 --> 00:04:48.160 bit for for a day, two three days, it wakes 85 00:04:48.199 --> 00:04:51.040 them right up and they're like, let's go find a meal. 86 00:04:52.000 --> 00:04:56.079 And the unique crazy thing about glycerol, which is which 87 00:04:56.079 --> 00:04:59.160 helps the tick survive, is that it's actually a food 88 00:04:59.240 --> 00:05:02.839 source for the line bacteria if it's present within that tick. 89 00:05:03.519 --> 00:05:04.720 So that's crazy stuff. 90 00:05:05.399 --> 00:05:08.120 Oh man, I'll tell you how many years have you 91 00:05:08.160 --> 00:05:09.920 studied this? Now? I know it's been a while. 92 00:05:10.839 --> 00:05:14.839 Yes, I've been studying ticks for going on twenty five 93 00:05:15.040 --> 00:05:20.040 ish years. And that's been using myself as a guinea 94 00:05:20.120 --> 00:05:22.759 pig when it comes to that, because I've personally been 95 00:05:22.759 --> 00:05:26.120 bitten and not intentionally, So don't get that idea in 96 00:05:26.160 --> 00:05:29.920 your head. Everybody more than two hundred and fifty times, 97 00:05:30.399 --> 00:05:34.240 and those numbers are so highs not because I'm dumb. 98 00:05:34.600 --> 00:05:36.319 It's because I'm old and I spend a lot of 99 00:05:36.319 --> 00:05:37.199 time out in the woods. 100 00:05:38.480 --> 00:05:41.120 And you do it intentionally, I assume to do research. 101 00:05:41.360 --> 00:05:43.800 I mean, you're not out there looking to set some 102 00:05:43.920 --> 00:05:46.920 sort of Guinness Book of records for the man who 103 00:05:46.959 --> 00:05:49.279 has been bit by the most ticks, right. 104 00:05:50.879 --> 00:05:53.160 Right, And I don't think I would have that record. 105 00:05:53.160 --> 00:05:56.639 But no, I don't do it intentionally. And I would say, 106 00:05:56.759 --> 00:05:58.439 as my mother used to tell me when I was 107 00:05:58.480 --> 00:06:01.079 a kid, do as I say, not as I do. 108 00:06:01.600 --> 00:06:04.319 And that has stuck with me like a tick. 109 00:06:04.519 --> 00:06:09.120 So okay, so is this what prompted your interest? 110 00:06:09.240 --> 00:06:11.319 I mean when you say you spent a lot of 111 00:06:11.360 --> 00:06:14.319 time out in the woods, I mean maybe you're an 112 00:06:14.360 --> 00:06:18.959 outdoors person, maybe you're a hunter, it doesn't matter. By 113 00:06:19.199 --> 00:06:21.920 being bitten by ticks. Has this led you to your 114 00:06:22.040 --> 00:06:25.759 vocation or did your vocation lead you to the ticks? 115 00:06:25.800 --> 00:06:27.920 I'm trying to get this sort of like the classic 116 00:06:28.240 --> 00:06:29.399 chicken and egg question. 117 00:06:30.279 --> 00:06:33.800 Yeah. No, Actually, you are correct in that the amount 118 00:06:33.879 --> 00:06:36.519 of ticks that I was getting on me did lead 119 00:06:36.560 --> 00:06:41.120 me to it sparked my curiosity what are these things? 120 00:06:41.439 --> 00:06:43.920 And of course when I first started getting bitten all 121 00:06:43.959 --> 00:06:47.680 those years ago, you know, it wasn't so bad even 122 00:06:47.720 --> 00:06:51.040 though we hadline disease, of course, but it was just 123 00:06:51.120 --> 00:06:55.360 starting to really become prevalent. Cases were increasing, but not 124 00:06:55.399 --> 00:06:58.279 a lot of people really knew much about it, the doctors, 125 00:06:58.360 --> 00:07:05.000 and there wasn't nearly as much awareness and prevention information 126 00:07:05.199 --> 00:07:07.519 out there. But I tell you, the real thing that 127 00:07:07.600 --> 00:07:11.639 led me to my to further my curiosity and turn 128 00:07:12.319 --> 00:07:19.319 this fascination and fear into a business was when I 129 00:07:19.360 --> 00:07:24.959 brought ticks home unintentionally and I noticed on My son 130 00:07:25.079 --> 00:07:27.920 was ten years old at the time, and he came 131 00:07:28.040 --> 00:07:30.480 downstairs and there was a tick stuck in his back. Now, 132 00:07:30.879 --> 00:07:34.399 of course I didn't you know. With me, I'm like, okay, 133 00:07:34.720 --> 00:07:36.439 I'll take care of it. But when it's your son 134 00:07:36.920 --> 00:07:40.879 or your family member and they're vulnerable, that really got 135 00:07:40.920 --> 00:07:43.120 me scared. So at that point I really turned the 136 00:07:43.519 --> 00:07:47.519 jets on and started to explore and research and teach 137 00:07:47.560 --> 00:07:49.040 myself all about it. 138 00:07:49.120 --> 00:07:52.199 So a couple of more quick questions about you and 139 00:07:52.240 --> 00:07:53.759 where you got to this, and then we'll take a 140 00:07:53.800 --> 00:07:56.279 break and we'll start talking about preventions and. 141 00:07:56.360 --> 00:07:57.360 What can be done. 142 00:07:57.720 --> 00:08:01.959 Have you developed an immunity having bitten this many times? 143 00:08:02.040 --> 00:08:06.680 Do you have an immunity at this point or or 144 00:08:06.759 --> 00:08:09.720 does such an immunity even exist in your world? 145 00:08:10.879 --> 00:08:14.120 Well, Jerry's out on that one. I have been approached 146 00:08:14.160 --> 00:08:17.839 to participating in the study that looks at people that 147 00:08:17.879 --> 00:08:21.040 have been bitten a large number of times and to 148 00:08:21.439 --> 00:08:26.000 have my blood looked at. But that actually involved the 149 00:08:26.199 --> 00:08:31.360 intentional implantation of ten ticks on my body and having 150 00:08:31.360 --> 00:08:38.440 them feed to completion. And the compensation wasn't The compensation 151 00:08:38.720 --> 00:08:41.159 wasn't quite enough to justify that. 152 00:08:41.679 --> 00:08:45.240 However, just just for curiosity, what will you offered, I 153 00:08:45.240 --> 00:08:47.200 mean like five bucks a tick or something. 154 00:08:48.600 --> 00:08:52.120 I think it was one thousand dollars total. 155 00:08:53.440 --> 00:08:55.600 No, not even no. 156 00:08:55.840 --> 00:09:00.440 But they were CDC guaranteed clean ticks. That's what they 157 00:09:00.480 --> 00:09:00.840 told me. 158 00:09:01.000 --> 00:09:04.399 Sorry, oh yeah, that's that's oh sure, right, yeah, okay right. 159 00:09:07.559 --> 00:09:10.600 Another point that my mother brought home, and I referred 160 00:09:10.600 --> 00:09:13.480 to her quite a bit in my life now, was 161 00:09:14.279 --> 00:09:17.360 are you crazy? Don't be stupid, and if you do that, 162 00:09:17.440 --> 00:09:18.279 I'm going to be mad. 163 00:09:18.360 --> 00:09:20.440 So I didn't do that. 164 00:09:20.440 --> 00:09:23.200 That's all good advice for mom. And so then my 165 00:09:23.320 --> 00:09:26.840 last question is, with all of the tick bites over 166 00:09:26.879 --> 00:09:30.399 the years, approximately two hundred and fifty, have you ever 167 00:09:31.879 --> 00:09:35.639 come down with a bad case or even a case. 168 00:09:35.440 --> 00:09:36.360 Of lime disease? 169 00:09:38.039 --> 00:09:42.240 I don't know, because I was vaccinated. There was a 170 00:09:42.360 --> 00:09:46.240 vaccine available on the market in the late nineties. It 171 00:09:46.360 --> 00:09:49.039 was available for only a couple of years. It was 172 00:09:49.240 --> 00:09:53.320 pulled because there was controversy and it was not making 173 00:09:53.480 --> 00:09:58.679 enough money for the pharmaceutical company that brought it to market. 174 00:09:59.120 --> 00:10:04.200 So I I did, and now I believe that my 175 00:10:04.480 --> 00:10:08.759 system is carrying antibodies for that particular strain of lime, 176 00:10:09.559 --> 00:10:14.759 and I haven't been feeling myself lately. You know, over 177 00:10:14.799 --> 00:10:17.080 the past couple of years, I'm trying to figure some 178 00:10:17.320 --> 00:10:21.600 stuff out. And I did test positive for lime within 179 00:10:21.639 --> 00:10:25.120 the past months, and that's the only time that it's 180 00:10:25.159 --> 00:10:31.279 ever really concerned me. However, given that the standard line 181 00:10:31.360 --> 00:10:36.200 test now initially tests for the antibodies or the body's 182 00:10:36.240 --> 00:10:41.000 reaction to a bite and not the bacteria itself, and 183 00:10:41.000 --> 00:10:44.279 there it has been proven to be highly inaccurate. 184 00:10:44.919 --> 00:10:49.679 So I was that the Western block test that you took, Well. 185 00:10:49.519 --> 00:10:52.440 There's two. There's a I think it was something called 186 00:10:52.559 --> 00:10:56.039 Elissa E L I S A and then they do 187 00:10:56.080 --> 00:10:58.279 a Western blot on one or the other. But I 188 00:10:58.519 --> 00:11:00.919 only had the first one done. But I'm out there the. 189 00:11:00.919 --> 00:11:05.120 Western But the Western blood test of according to you know, 190 00:11:05.480 --> 00:11:08.279 this expert that I deal with, he says that it's 191 00:11:08.360 --> 00:11:15.080 highly unreliable. Guest, Yeah, yes, doctor Miller, who's just brilliant, brilliant. 192 00:11:14.879 --> 00:11:19.519 On this issue. My guest is tick Man Dan. He 193 00:11:20.720 --> 00:11:22.440 can answer literally. 194 00:11:22.080 --> 00:11:26.360 Any question about different ticks, variety of ticks. All of 195 00:11:26.440 --> 00:11:29.360 us are going to spend more time outdoors in the 196 00:11:29.399 --> 00:11:33.960 next four or five months. Then we're virtually all of us. Uh, 197 00:11:34.080 --> 00:11:37.279 then we've spent outdoors in the last few months. Simply, 198 00:11:37.320 --> 00:11:39.440 this is the time of year when New Englanders want 199 00:11:39.480 --> 00:11:43.159 to get out, get out and spend time at the beach, 200 00:11:43.559 --> 00:11:46.279 maybe up in a New Hampshire or a main of 201 00:11:46.399 --> 00:11:51.039 Vermont or wherever this and and even when you're out 202 00:11:51.080 --> 00:11:54.480 in the winter time, if you're up skiing, there's no 203 00:11:54.519 --> 00:11:56.480 way that tick's going to get you anywhere. You're skiing 204 00:11:56.519 --> 00:12:01.399 too fast. So any questions you have about what works 205 00:12:01.639 --> 00:12:07.240 what doesn't work, Dan will give us some general suggestions 206 00:12:07.320 --> 00:12:09.039 on the other side of the break, and then we'll 207 00:12:09.080 --> 00:12:11.559 leave it open to you and you can deal with myths. 208 00:12:11.639 --> 00:12:14.639 You can deal with any question you want. There's nobody 209 00:12:14.679 --> 00:12:18.559 who I know who is more qualified to talk about 210 00:12:18.559 --> 00:12:22.000 how to avoid how to decrease the chances that you 211 00:12:22.120 --> 00:12:27.879 might actually deal with a tick bite which could lead 212 00:12:28.080 --> 00:12:30.720 to lime disease? Does it always lead to but could 213 00:12:30.840 --> 00:12:33.360 leave We'll take a quick break. The lines are just 214 00:12:33.399 --> 00:12:35.720 blowing up right now. Tick Man, Dan, you're one of 215 00:12:35.799 --> 00:12:38.919 my most popular guests. The only line that is available 216 00:12:38.960 --> 00:12:40.559 if you want to call in right now is there's 217 00:12:40.639 --> 00:12:44.080 one line at six, one, seven, nine, three, one, ten thirty. 218 00:12:44.159 --> 00:12:47.720 I don't want people to break their knuckles or their 219 00:12:47.879 --> 00:12:49.720 their nails trying. 220 00:12:49.480 --> 00:12:50.559 To dial in. 221 00:12:50.840 --> 00:12:53.000 We want to get as many people in as possible. 222 00:12:53.039 --> 00:12:55.399 Tick Man Dan is with us. We'll be right back 223 00:12:55.440 --> 00:12:58.279 here on Nightside after this very brief commercial break. 224 00:12:59.360 --> 00:13:04.039 It's nice with Dan Ray Boston's news radio. 225 00:13:05.279 --> 00:13:06.759 Pick Man Dad, I got full line. 226 00:13:06.799 --> 00:13:09.440 So let's do this real quickly, because one get at 227 00:13:09.519 --> 00:13:12.440 least one or two callers in before before nine thirty, 228 00:13:12.480 --> 00:13:13.039 we only got. 229 00:13:12.960 --> 00:13:13.559 A few minutes. 230 00:13:15.279 --> 00:13:18.240 What is the quickest and easiest advice you could give 231 00:13:18.279 --> 00:13:21.519 to someone who you know, lands here on a spaceship 232 00:13:22.120 --> 00:13:24.919 from Mars or something and says, we've heard about ticks. 233 00:13:24.919 --> 00:13:27.039 How can I protect myself? What do you tell people? 234 00:13:27.080 --> 00:13:29.919 What's the what's the let's go for the cliff notes 235 00:13:30.000 --> 00:13:30.840 version right away. 236 00:13:31.799 --> 00:13:34.399 Well, initially I tell them stay in their spaceship and 237 00:13:34.399 --> 00:13:35.720 and don't come out. 238 00:13:35.960 --> 00:13:38.480 But for a lot of reasons, by the way, for 239 00:13:38.519 --> 00:13:41.080 a lot of reasons not necessarily all related. 240 00:13:40.720 --> 00:13:44.120 To takes go ahead exactly. Well, I mean, there are 241 00:13:44.159 --> 00:13:48.080 the standard answers, and there's basic prevention, and they're very 242 00:13:48.080 --> 00:13:51.919 simple and common sense. You know, if you're hiking in 243 00:13:51.960 --> 00:13:54.600 the woods, stay in the center of the trails. Ticks 244 00:13:54.639 --> 00:13:57.639 tend to hang out on the tips of grasses and 245 00:13:57.720 --> 00:14:01.159 brush and leaves, and the deer tics which are the 246 00:14:01.159 --> 00:14:06.559 most dangerous around here in the Northeast. They're called ambush 247 00:14:06.679 --> 00:14:11.000 predators or ambush hunters. They'll just wait and they'll extend 248 00:14:11.039 --> 00:14:13.399 their front legs, which are a little longer than the 249 00:14:13.440 --> 00:14:16.000 rest of their legs, and they have like velcro type 250 00:14:16.039 --> 00:14:18.799 hooks on the very ends of their feet. They'll start 251 00:14:18.840 --> 00:14:24.480 waving them around and anything that brushes by will they'll 252 00:14:24.559 --> 00:14:28.279 be able to stick to it, like again like velcrow. Yeah, 253 00:14:28.279 --> 00:14:32.399 they hit, they're hitchhikers. However, there are studies and I've 254 00:14:32.440 --> 00:14:37.240 seen the videos and it's amazing that static electricity can 255 00:14:37.320 --> 00:14:42.200 also propel tics from their perch onto a passer by 256 00:14:42.720 --> 00:14:46.960 that has a static charge. Now, don't panic, they don't 257 00:14:46.960 --> 00:14:50.360 go flying through the air, you know, from across the trail. 258 00:14:51.000 --> 00:14:55.120 This would be like millimeters. However, you don't actually have 259 00:14:55.159 --> 00:14:58.679 to brush up physically against them in certain circumstances to 260 00:14:58.799 --> 00:15:01.279 have them, you know, catched to you. By the way, 261 00:15:01.360 --> 00:15:05.039 ticks do not jump, they do not fly. They don't 262 00:15:05.080 --> 00:15:06.840 get on you and the drop on your head and 263 00:15:06.879 --> 00:15:09.639 all that stuff. They are just physically incapable of that. 264 00:15:10.000 --> 00:15:13.919 So you can also do the basics. Again, light colored clothing, 265 00:15:14.000 --> 00:15:17.080 and that's not a deterrent, it's just allows you to 266 00:15:17.320 --> 00:15:21.039 visually see those ticks easier because the ticks are like 267 00:15:21.080 --> 00:15:24.919 little dark specs, and light clothing will help you with that. 268 00:15:25.159 --> 00:15:30.879 Tuck your pants into your socks. Use repellent a car asides, 269 00:15:30.919 --> 00:15:35.399 which is my favorite. It's it's called permethrone, which you 270 00:15:35.440 --> 00:15:38.600 can treat your clothing with, not your skin. You can 271 00:15:38.720 --> 00:15:42.159 use deep on your skin. And then of course I 272 00:15:42.320 --> 00:15:46.000 always say do your tick checks, do them often, and 273 00:15:46.279 --> 00:15:48.720 do not neglect your crevices. 274 00:15:49.159 --> 00:15:51.600 Yeah, where could people get promethrone? 275 00:15:52.600 --> 00:15:57.799 Permethrone is widely available at most garden centers or outdoor stores. 276 00:15:58.159 --> 00:16:04.440 In a self applying spread. However, I prefer the clothing 277 00:16:04.480 --> 00:16:09.639 when it's pre treated in a process from a factory 278 00:16:09.639 --> 00:16:13.840 from a company called insect Shield, and that binds directly 279 00:16:13.840 --> 00:16:17.279 to the fibers, so it reduces human error in the application, 280 00:16:17.879 --> 00:16:21.519 and it's so bound to those fibers that it last 281 00:16:22.279 --> 00:16:25.080 a really long time, much much longer than when you 282 00:16:25.159 --> 00:16:29.080 self apply. However, the self applying spray I recommend highly 283 00:16:29.200 --> 00:16:34.039 for your boots and shoes and other footwear. If you 284 00:16:34.080 --> 00:16:38.799 know if you're wearing promethine treated apparel. So that's really important. 285 00:16:39.519 --> 00:16:42.080 And realistically you always have to wear long pants and tuck, 286 00:16:42.200 --> 00:16:44.639 you know, tuck them inside your socks. 287 00:16:45.919 --> 00:16:48.279 That's a good idea and it just what that does 288 00:16:48.519 --> 00:16:52.399 is that it doesn't prevent them totally from getting onto 289 00:16:52.440 --> 00:16:55.600 your skin, but it makes it harder for them because 290 00:16:55.639 --> 00:16:58.919 they can get through little tiny holes in your sock. 291 00:16:59.279 --> 00:17:04.000 I mean, larvae and nympho stage ticks are very very small. 292 00:17:04.759 --> 00:17:06.319 Okay, let us do this. 293 00:17:06.519 --> 00:17:09.039 Let us try to get one quick call in before 294 00:17:10.039 --> 00:17:13.079 before the break. So let me start off with Ken 295 00:17:13.240 --> 00:17:16.240 in Topsfield. Ken, I'm going to get you in before 296 00:17:16.240 --> 00:17:17.400 the break. You go right ahead. 297 00:17:17.400 --> 00:17:20.880 You're wrong with tick man, Dan, what's your question of comment, sir? 298 00:17:21.119 --> 00:17:23.480 My wife got picked yesterday by a tech. 299 00:17:23.599 --> 00:17:24.319 We found it. 300 00:17:25.440 --> 00:17:28.799 We assume it was yesterday. I removed it and I 301 00:17:28.880 --> 00:17:31.319 got ninety nine percent. There was a little bit that 302 00:17:31.400 --> 00:17:33.480 I could not get with the tweets. As I dug 303 00:17:33.519 --> 00:17:37.880 at it, no success. Called the doctor's office, told them. 304 00:17:38.759 --> 00:17:41.720 They said that wasn't a big deal, don't worry about it. 305 00:17:42.759 --> 00:17:47.039 They issued a prescription for whatever. The standard thing is 306 00:17:47.079 --> 00:17:54.880 two hundred milligrams of high I forget the name doxycycling, Yeah, sir, 307 00:17:55.400 --> 00:17:58.920 And I want to know is there is their concern 308 00:17:59.039 --> 00:18:02.640 should if is to weep it something like you said, 309 00:18:02.680 --> 00:18:04.240 the end of it. I can't tell. 310 00:18:05.400 --> 00:18:09.039 They say, yeah, that's get Ken. That's a great question. 311 00:18:09.119 --> 00:18:11.440 And it's just something that a lot of people experience. 312 00:18:11.640 --> 00:18:16.839 And again, your chances of getting sick are not, you know, 313 00:18:17.039 --> 00:18:20.440 eminent here, And it depends on the type of tick, 314 00:18:20.839 --> 00:18:23.480 the stage of the tick's life, and how long it 315 00:18:23.559 --> 00:18:26.559 was feeding. Now, there's a few things that I will 316 00:18:26.559 --> 00:18:31.119 tell you guys, everybody should never ever do when they 317 00:18:31.160 --> 00:18:34.279 remove a tick, and that is to flush it, burn it, 318 00:18:34.599 --> 00:18:41.759 or dispose of that. Ken. Did you save the tick? Yeah, okay, perfect. 319 00:18:42.000 --> 00:18:44.480 What I recommend doing is putting it in a ziplock bag. 320 00:18:44.519 --> 00:18:45.799 You don't have to freeze it, you don't have to 321 00:18:45.799 --> 00:18:48.359 put in an alcohol. Just keep it in a sealed bag. 322 00:18:48.680 --> 00:18:52.160 Write your name or whoever the victim the tick bite 323 00:18:52.440 --> 00:18:55.799 victim was right, that person's name on the bag? Is 324 00:18:55.839 --> 00:18:58.400 the date? And how long you think you might have 325 00:18:58.480 --> 00:19:01.720 had it attached and what where you think you might 326 00:19:01.799 --> 00:19:06.319 have gotten it. Now, there's a few schools of thought 327 00:19:06.519 --> 00:19:10.200 regarding what to do as far as a prophylactic dose 328 00:19:10.680 --> 00:19:13.599 of doxy cycling, which is what you were prescribed or 329 00:19:13.720 --> 00:19:17.160 your uh you said your wife right, Yeah, as far 330 00:19:17.200 --> 00:19:20.480 as what she was prescribed, there's there's a lot of 331 00:19:20.559 --> 00:19:23.079 controversy around that, and a lot of people in the 332 00:19:23.119 --> 00:19:25.839 lime world and the tick world will say, don't do 333 00:19:26.039 --> 00:19:30.119 that because there's something called a tick rash or a 334 00:19:30.160 --> 00:19:35.319 bullseye rash, which is really a very very indicative sign 335 00:19:35.759 --> 00:19:39.880 that you are infected with lime and a prophylactic dose 336 00:19:40.079 --> 00:19:44.680 of doxy cycling I believe suppresses that rash. Now, not 337 00:19:44.799 --> 00:19:47.920 everybody gets it, but if you do get it, it's 338 00:19:47.960 --> 00:19:51.119 you're pretty much guaranteed that you should see your doctor 339 00:19:51.160 --> 00:19:54.440 and get treatment for that. The other thing that I 340 00:19:54.519 --> 00:19:56.039 recommend that people do is. 341 00:19:57.559 --> 00:20:01.640 In one question, because I got a question to the caller, ken, 342 00:20:02.720 --> 00:20:05.319 did your wife obviously you know where your wife was bitten? 343 00:20:06.519 --> 00:20:09.559 Can you look at that later today and when she 344 00:20:09.599 --> 00:20:12.559 got bit yesterday? Is that is that the time frame here? 345 00:20:13.960 --> 00:20:15.920 Did you see any sort of like what they call 346 00:20:16.039 --> 00:20:19.599 a bullseye rash, which is like a red a circle 347 00:20:19.880 --> 00:20:21.880 or you know, not a huge circle, but a red 348 00:20:21.920 --> 00:20:24.880 circle around the place where she was bitten. 349 00:20:26.000 --> 00:20:30.839 Yep, there was there wasn't She feels that she hadn't 350 00:20:31.000 --> 00:20:33.680 had it long. You know, we can't prove that, but 351 00:20:33.880 --> 00:20:36.799 we felt that I was wondering how soon a bulls 352 00:20:36.799 --> 00:20:38.559 eye might show up when a person. 353 00:20:38.720 --> 00:20:42.599 Well, let's let's ask the expert, Dan, she's bit yesterday, 354 00:20:42.839 --> 00:20:46.039 how long should he try to monitor the presence of 355 00:20:46.119 --> 00:20:48.359 the appearance of a bullseye? Right? 356 00:20:48.400 --> 00:20:51.240 Well, the problem is that not everybody is typical, and 357 00:20:51.319 --> 00:20:56.920 bullseye rashes, if they appear, can appear within days or 358 00:20:57.000 --> 00:21:00.279 a week or so of the bite. Now, the big 359 00:21:00.319 --> 00:21:03.920 problem here, and I know we're pressed here for time, Dan, 360 00:21:04.440 --> 00:21:06.799 is that you have to know the difference between a 361 00:21:06.960 --> 00:21:11.519 bite site reaction and a target lesion or bullseye rash. 362 00:21:11.559 --> 00:21:16.039 And that's important and I you know, I'm happy to 363 00:21:16.079 --> 00:21:18.759 explain that. But Dan, you're running the show here, so 364 00:21:18.920 --> 00:21:21.000 are we? Are we good for time? 365 00:21:22.000 --> 00:21:25.119 Yeah, let's do this. Let's hold Ken over after the newscast. 366 00:21:25.200 --> 00:21:27.720 Ken you're too important to call. Stay there, we'll pick 367 00:21:27.759 --> 00:21:29.640 you up on the other side of the newscast. Okay, 368 00:21:30.160 --> 00:21:33.119 we have a newscast. We're with tick Man Dan. As 369 00:21:33.160 --> 00:21:35.039 you can see, this guy knows his stuff. He's an 370 00:21:35.079 --> 00:21:37.960 amazing guest to me one of my favorite guests. 371 00:21:38.480 --> 00:21:39.000 Every year. 372 00:21:39.680 --> 00:21:41.759 Sometimes we have him a couple of times in the springtime, 373 00:21:41.799 --> 00:21:45.000 but certainly every once every spring. We'll take a break, 374 00:21:45.079 --> 00:21:47.559 here's a newscast. We'll be back. We'll be start off 375 00:21:47.599 --> 00:21:50.839 with Ken in Topsfield and we'll get his questions answered 376 00:21:51.000 --> 00:21:53.119 in yours as well. Back on Nightside after this. 377 00:21:54.519 --> 00:21:59.640 Night Side with Dan Ray, I'MBZ Boston's news Radio. 378 00:22:00.799 --> 00:22:03.400 We're going to bring Ken from Topsfield back up here 379 00:22:03.440 --> 00:22:05.240 and we're going to try to move a little bit 380 00:22:05.279 --> 00:22:05.839 more quickly. 381 00:22:05.880 --> 00:22:08.240 But I didn't want to short change him. Ken. 382 00:22:08.920 --> 00:22:11.039 We're back in the ear. You're on with tick Man, 383 00:22:11.160 --> 00:22:15.039 Dan tick Man, you can pick it up. You're leading 384 00:22:15.079 --> 00:22:16.160 the stance, go right ahead. 385 00:22:17.599 --> 00:22:20.440 Yeah. So we were talking about the prophylactic dose of 386 00:22:20.480 --> 00:22:24.680 doxycycling after a tick bite. But I think what's also 387 00:22:25.000 --> 00:22:28.839 really important to look at is what do you actually 388 00:22:28.960 --> 00:22:31.480 need to do? What are the steps that you need 389 00:22:31.519 --> 00:22:34.119 to follow once you find an attached tick And I 390 00:22:34.160 --> 00:22:37.960 think if everybody had sort of a card or a 391 00:22:38.000 --> 00:22:43.119 protocol to follow, there would be a lot less anxiety 392 00:22:43.200 --> 00:22:45.839 and stress about it. Although you have to look at 393 00:22:46.480 --> 00:22:50.759 the situation, there's a potential for somebody to get very sick. Now, 394 00:22:50.839 --> 00:22:54.079 to put it in perspective, we have a majority of 395 00:22:54.119 --> 00:22:57.440 the people that get bitten by ticks that are positive 396 00:22:57.440 --> 00:23:00.440 for carrying lime that don't get lime at all. We 397 00:23:00.519 --> 00:23:03.440 have a lot of people that actually do get lime, 398 00:23:03.599 --> 00:23:07.279 and most people can get treated and recover just fine. 399 00:23:07.599 --> 00:23:10.519 But there's a small percentage of people that it just 400 00:23:10.720 --> 00:23:13.839 screws up their whole life and they can have terrible, 401 00:23:13.960 --> 00:23:18.279