A very late tick

[Errogie]

This may be of absolutely no interest to anybody else at all but I've just removed a sheep tick from my leg and have to say that after many years of pulling the blighters off I've never ever had one as late or as early as the 29th. of December before.

Probably picked it up when walking through very deep heather yesterday somewhere above Loch Ness.
Normally this doesn't happen during the winter months but perhaps it is yet another portent of global warming. It may only be a matter of time before malarial mosquitoes appear in the Romney marshes!

Has anyone else ever had a tick at this time of year?

[rockchick]

No offense meant or anything, Errogie, but...Ewww! I don't think I have the stomach for ticks, so close to New Years.

what a topic of conversation! Head lice anyone?

[Jeemag_USA]

There has been some strange things happening in my part of the world, its been unusually warm, today it was beatiful and sunny and about 60 degrees F. I have seen a couple of crickets scurrying about in my garage and some flies, pretty weird. Usually winter here puts paid to almost all insect life except spiders.

[Cedric Farthsbottom III]

Heard through the grapevine that a 21 mile square ice plate has just left its humble belongings off Canada,global warming is here,but wait a minute thats NATIONAL news.Here Errogie ma auld pal,ye get they ticks in order!!!!:lol: :lol:

[Errogie]

It's all right Rockchick there is no impropriety it had attached itself well below the knee.

As a matter of etomological interest I have now twice removed well bloated ticks from our cat which already had another tick feeding of their bloated, blood suffused intestinal organs. But the most annoying thing is when they drop of the cat fully swollen up and you stand on them, splat on the carpet!

Please accept my apologies for such indelicacy at this late hour but parasiteology is a fascinating subject and this thread may expand with contributions from some of the redoubtable orgers with a keen eye for such matters.

[Cedric Farthsbottom III]

Here ye watch standing on they ticks and aw that blood spurting everywhere ye might have the ghost o' Mark McManus coming in saying in his best Taggart accent"There's been a murder!!!!"

Ticks to worms , one o' the funniest things a dog trying to bobsleigh across the livingroom floor without a bobsleigh!!!!:lol: :lol:

[Jeemag_USA]

It's all right Rockchick there is no impropriety it had attached itself well below the knee.


HA HA HA sorry that was funny :lol:

[Saveman]

Errogie, sheep ticks are horrible things, but December? No way! Though I shouldn't be surprised, we've had midgies and moths plaguing us in Caithness!

Global warming? I think so.......what's next? :(

[canuck]

Well there was that attack of the killer flies when I was at Dunnet Head in mid-October. Very late, very swarmy!

We certainly haven't had any winter in Southern Ontario this year. I still have pots of geraniums at the back door. But I think that all six and eight legged nasties are dormant now.

[Ricco]

It is another indicator that global warming does exist. I do believe that we are in mortal danger of the mechanism tipping over into self-sustaining mode where we may not be able to stop it. What I find so infuriating is that our UK gov't is trying to get us all to save energy by cutting back on this and that.. but they are not. Industry still pump out huge amounts of heat in their wasteful processes (when did you last hear of a company modernising and cutting back on their emissions?) and even T Blair has travelled abroad for his winter holiday!

[rich]

Ticks??
How about alligators?
200 million years ago alligators and crocodiles were spread right across the planet which in those days was a lush warm swampy sort of a place.
WHen we started having ice ages the alligators packed up and headed off to Florida and Australia and other hot spots.
A sign of global warming would be the spread northwards of the alligator/crocodile population.
Errogie, take care with the peat dragging business and leave the digging to the scab labour from Mexico (which I know you employ, dont deny it...)
In the meantime please send cash and money orders to Rich Enterprises, Toronto Canada where I am spearheading a wild life charity to put warning fluresecent tail lamps on every croc.
Should you find an alligator has attached itself to your leg I would strongly advise against trying to burn it off with a lighted cigarette....it just gets them pissed off. Fling him an illegal emigrant instead....