The untold dangers of gardening ....

[harley]

Going to the doctor because you find a tick seems to be an over reaction to me. I've had ticks on me approximately a zillion times. I just pull them off and if they were latched on I keep an eye on the spot for a few days. I don't like them and don't understand why God needed them or leeches here, but they're just part of the world.

 

[MissMolly]

I hardly ever see bugs. I guess I am lucky that my vision is not good enough to see most of them! Besides, growing up in Hawaii and overseas, I'm used to sharing my living space with bugs and having them crawl on me, I suppose. My termite guy sprayed outside for other bugs while he was here, for free, so that helps to keep them down. F sometimes kills bugs and lizards with his cane when he sees them, but I never even notice them so they are totally safe when I'm around.

As for gardening, it is hard, hot work, and I don't like doing it one bit. That was why I had that big re-landscaping project done immediately after moving in here. I have nothing in my yard but grass, and in the New Orleans climate all it needs is mowing (and my lawn guy does that for me). So, I haven't spent even 5 minutes gardening in the past 3 years since I bought this house.

I do have a small planter (maybe 3' in diameter and 3' high) that I could grow something in if I wanted to garden, but so far I have not been inspired to plant anything in it.

Why would he kill the poor little lizards? They eat the bugs. Lizards are cute.

 

[always_learning]

I had to look that one up. I'm very allergic to poison ivy (hospitalized by it twice as a kid), but always "knew" that Virginia creeper wasn't poisonous. I've pulled hundreds of vines of it over the years, no reaction. But it does appear that some people can get a rash from it. I learn something new here nearly every day.

Same here. I have lots of Virginia creeper and some poison ivy. No one here has any reaction to the Virginia creeper but I have read that some people are allergic to it.

It took me three times of getting the rash before I realized it was the Creeper and not the Ivy that I was allergic to. It's not that I'm a slow learner (or so I tell myself), it's just that the first two times, it *could* have been the Poison Ivy but last summer, I ONLY pulled the pretty vine and the next day both my forearms were covered in blisters from my wrists to above my elbow. It turned out to be the Virginia Creeper as that was the only thing I touched.

It's not reassuring when doctors don't believe me when I say it wasn't Poison Ivy but Virginia Creeper.

My research led to interesting tidbits, though. The "new school of thought" is that more people are allergic to Creeper than previously thought and most rashes are blamed on Poison Ivy because they usually grow in close proximity to each other and most doctors don't think it's possible to be allergic to Virginia Creeper so P.I. gets the blame.

Also, it seems that those of us who are allergic to Virginia Creeper are not allergic to Poison Ivy and vice versa (which coincides with my childhood of running through Poison Ivy without issue) and that one folk remedy for Virginia Creeper is to grab Poison Ivy leaves since they grow close by, crush them to activate the urishol oils, and rub them over where you think you were exposed to Virginia Creeper. Yeah, no thanks. I'd rather not try that theory. Each of my run ins with Virginia Creeper required a week of meds AND a shot in the hiney so I can only imagine what medical intervention rubbing Poison Ivy all over myself would lead to!

At least now that I know I'm allergic to it, I'm very careful in watching where I step. Now, if I could only stop the yard critters (chipmunks? rabbits?) from eating the stuff and spreading it around, I'd be happy.

 

[always_learning]

Why would he kill the poor little lizards? They eat the bugs. Lizards are cute.

I'm also confused as to why one would kill lizards. I love lizards. It's one thing I'm looking forward to when we retire back to Florida. I miss the little things.


Skinks, however.... *shudder* Me no likey. I wouldn't harm them, but they've always given me the creeps.

 

[Red Badger]

We have mostly assorted lizards, frogs, and toads lurking in our ~10 raised bed gardens. When DW comes across the occasional black snake, it takes me a couple of hours to get her down from the second story roof.

 

[Bruceski44]

In Florida our bugs look like small pets .

In most places, when you turn the lights on, the cockroaches scurry away. In Florida, when you turn the lights on, the cockroaches all yell, in unison, "TURN THAT LIGHT OFF!"

 

[Dash man]

A couple of years ago we found a copperhead snake in our vegetable garden. No one was bitten, fortunately. We’ve been very careful going out there since then.

 

[JoeWras]

Nothing scares me more than ticks. I received the lovely bullseye rash from a walk in the woods in WI. Went to ER and was on antibiotics for a month. I'm not afraid of spiders, ants, bees, wasps...but a tick is another story.

By the way, the one animal that kills more people than any animal on earth is the mosquito. I'm not even afraid of a tarantula, for the most part they are harmless. I work in the forest preserves so bugs are my friends. Spiders eat mosquitos and decomposers turn dead vegetation back to dirt. It's all good, except for those ticks and mosquitoes.

+1000.

I'm dealing with a few tick bites from earlier this spring. No symptoms after a month. I'm probably in the clear. Just really scary stuff. Lyme is uncommon here. Instead, we get a few cases of Rocky Mountain Spotted fever, which is no joke.

 

[always_learning]

In most places, when you turn the lights on, the cockroaches scurry away. In Florida, when you turn the lights on, the cockroaches all yell, in unison, "TURN THAT LIGHT OFF!"

Word.

Last fall, we were at the beach in FL, six stories high, enjoying the balcony well after dark and close to bed time. Not a tree to be found anywhere--- just the sea oats on the dunes six floors below. I came in from the balcony, flipped on the kitchen light, and saw the biggest Palmetto bug I had ever seen. It had to have been four inches end to end, and then the antennae added to that. It just stared me down, as if it owned the counter it was on. My size 8 1/2 shoe almost wasn't big enough to kill it. It required three furious whacks to do it in. Yes, I kept the lights on that night so I could sleep. Hey, I'm a girl. Don't judge. Dh took one look at my face as I said I was leaving the lights on and said "OK. Good night".

I hate Palmetto Bugs with every bone in my body. I am not looking forward to those again when we head back to FL. Ugh.

I was traumatized by one when I was about eight years old and still have flashbacks about it. *shudder*

Growing up in the 70s, my dad used to swear that he could see them just licking their lips after he drenched them in Raid.

Snakes, gators, and hurricanes don't scare me about living in FL, but those Palmetto bugs.... ugh. Not looking forward to that at all.

 

[GravitySucks]

Did you gain any super powers?

 

[JoeWras]

Word.

Last fall, we were at the beach in FL, six stories high, enjoying the balcony well after dark and close to bed time. Not a tree to be found anywhere--- just the sea oats on the dunes six floors below. I came in from the balcony, flipped on the kitchen light, and saw the biggest Palmetto bug I had ever seen. It had to have been four inches end to end, and then the antennae added to that. It just stared me down, as if it owned the counter it was on. My size 8 1/2 shoe almost wasn't big enough to kill it. It required three furious whacks to do it in. Yes, I kept the lights on that night so I could sleep. Hey, I'm a girl. Don't judge. Dh took one look at my face as I said I was leaving the lights on and said "OK. Good night".

I hate Palmetto Bugs with every bone in my body. I am not looking forward to those again when we head back to FL. Ugh.

I was traumatized by one when I was about eight years old and still have flashbacks about it. *shudder*

Growing up in the 70s, my dad used to swear that he could see them just licking their lips after he drenched them in Raid.

Snakes, gators, and hurricanes don't scare me about living in FL, but those Palmetto bugs.... ugh. Not looking forward to that at all.

You know they can fly ... sort of. Seriously! I hate to say it, but I "got used to them" while living in FL. I couldn't believe that one time while entering the house, one decided to lift off and fly (drunkenly) into the house. For pete's sake, I'm trying to keep them out and keep a clean house and now they fly into the house? You gotta be kidding me!

They don't resort to flight often, but when they do, they just add to the nightmare.

 

[MissMolly]

Word.

Last fall, we were at the beach in FL, six stories high, enjoying the balcony well after dark and close to bed time. Not a tree to be found anywhere--- just the sea oats on the dunes six floors below. I came in from the balcony, flipped on the kitchen light, and saw the biggest Palmetto bug I had ever seen. It had to have been four inches end to end, and then the antennae added to that. It just stared me down, as if it owned the counter it was on. My size 8 1/2 shoe almost wasn't big enough to kill it. It required three furious whacks to do it in. Yes, I kept the lights on that night so I could sleep. Hey, I'm a girl. Don't judge. Dh took one look at my face as I said I was leaving the lights on and said "OK. Good night".

I hate Palmetto Bugs with every bone in my body. I am not looking forward to those again when we head back to FL. Ugh.

I was traumatized by one when I was about eight years old and still have flashbacks about it. *shudder*

Growing up in the 70s, my dad used to swear that he could see them just licking their lips after he drenched them in Raid.

Snakes, gators, and hurricanes don't scare me about living in FL, but those Palmetto bugs.... ugh. Not looking forward to that at all.

This is the main reason I won't vacation in Florida.

 

[mystang52]

Going to the doctor because you find a tick seems to be an over reaction to me. I've had ticks on me approximately a zillion times. I just pull them off and if they were latched on I keep an eye on the spot for a few days. I don't like them and don't understand why God needed them or leeches here, but they're just part of the world.

Never had a tick on me before, and I'm immuno compromised, so I wasn't taking any chances.

 

[athena53]

Going to the doctor because you find a tick seems to be an over reaction to me. I've had ticks on me approximately a zillion times. I just pull them off and if they were latched on I keep an eye on the spot for a few days.

I'm glad I'm not the only one. I've found ticks under my skin only twice and removed them promptly. The first time was years ago, the second time only a week ago. I also watch the area and if there are no bizarre rashes, especially of the bulls-eye kind, I figure no harm done.

 

[JoeWras]

I'm glad I'm not the only one. I've found ticks under my skin only twice and removed them promptly. The first time was years ago, the second time only a week ago. I also watch the area and if there are no bizarre rashes, especially of the bulls-eye kind, I figure no harm done.

I get temporary or permanent granulomas from tick bites. My skin just doesn't like them.

I monitor my temperature for a month after any bite too.

All of this is just a pain. We must be vigilant just in case something more serious is about.

Finally, what I really don't like about ticks is they like your groin, navel and armpit. That just lacks class, man.

 

[Amethyst]

I am in the midst of that process right now. Found a tick so small I couldn't even see him, but I saw the red, pinched-up skin and knew something had to be chewing on me. Got the magnifying glasses and the tweezers and ripped it out...now we wait. There's a little red spot. If it turns into a bulls-eye, off to the Dr.

. I've had ticks on me approximately a zillion times. I just pull them off and if they were latched on I keep an eye on the spot for a few days..

 

[JoeWras]

I am in the midst of that process right now. Found a tick so small I couldn't even see him, but I saw the red, pinched-up skin and knew something had to be chewing on me. Got the magnifying glasses and the tweezers and ripped it out...now we wait. There's a little red spot. If it turns into a bulls-eye, off to the Dr.

Check your temperature too. Sometimes the rash doesn't happen. I know my "normal" waking temperature (which is about 97.3) and made sure it didn't differ from that for a while.

And of course, any joint pain, etc. You don't always get the rash.

You do live in a Lyme area, and they say the little ones are the typical vector, so just watch it for a while.

 

[bjorn2bwild]

This is what the CDC says about the transmission of Lyme disease (my bold) -

The Lyme disease bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi, is spread through the bite of infected ticks. The blacklegged tick (or deer tick, Ixodes scapularis) spreads the disease in the northeastern, mid-Atlantic, and north-central United States. The western blacklegged tick (Ixodes pacificus) spreads the disease on the Pacific Coast.
Ticks can attach to any part of the human body but are often found in hard-to-see areas such as the groin, armpits, and scalp. In most cases, the tick must be attached for 36 to 48 hours or more before the Lyme disease bacterium can be transmitted.
Most humans are infected through the bites of immature ticks called nymphs. Nymphs are tiny (less than 2 mm) and difficult to see; they feed during the spring and summer months. Adult ticks can also transmit Lyme disease bacteria, but they are much larger and are more likely to be discovered and removed before they have had time to transmit the bacteria. Adult Ixodes ticks are most active during the cooler months of the year.

 

[audreyh1]

That may be true, but running a lawn mower over a yellow jacket nest gets your attention.

How about starting the lawnmower and then realizing the yellow jackets are in the engine?

 

[W2R]

Why would he kill the poor little lizards? They eat the bugs. Lizards are cute.

I agree completely! In Hawaii, geckos were (are?) even a traditional housewarming gift that I have given or received many times. I told him about all that, but he is just that way about little creepy-crawly critters.

 

[MRG]

By the way, the one animal that kills more people than any animal on earth is the mosquito. I'm not even afraid of a tarantula, for the most part they are harmless. I work in the forest preserves so bugs are my friends. Spiders eat mosquitos and decomposers turn dead vegetation back to dirt. It's all good, except for those ticks and mosquitoes.

A buddy went to Africa and was told no need to take Malaria preventive as he wasn't going out in the bush. He came home to the US with a fever, saw his doctor who had no idea why he had a fever, but it went away.

Few years later he was told he was probably dying from advanced HIV/AIDS or liver cancer, they had no idea. Finally when those were ruled out his KC doc was stumped. Thankfully they sent him to a doctor who was not trained in the US, who quickly knew it was Malaria.

 

[audreyh1]

A buddy went to Africa and was told no need to take Malaria preventive as he wasn't going out in the bush. He came home to the US with a fever, saw his doctor who had no idea why he had a fever, but it went away.

Few years later he was told he was probably dying from advanced HIV/AIDS or liver cancer, they had no idea. Finally when those were ruled out his KC doc was stumped. Thankfully they sent him to a doctor who was not trained in the US, who quickly knew it was Malaria.

Wow, amazing the misdiagnosis. My sister suffered from malaria, so I don’t think I’d miss it.

 

[travelover]

How about starting the lawnmower and then realizing the yellow jackets are in the engine?

Yikes!

 

[Rianne]

I work with kids, kindergarten to 7th grade and teachers. We take them through prairies and forests. We talk about the European immigration into the Americas and how that changed prairies and forests, the ecosystems and so on. Nothing negative, just a historical account of the change from American Indians to now.

I'm amazed at how kids and teachers are scared to go on this field trip. One teacher asked to hold my hand. Are there bugs? Are there animals? Will a snake bite me? I have to reassure them animals and snakes are afraid of people unless they're threatened. So don't corner a snake or try to play with it or step on it. Bees will not bother you if you're still and act normally. Of course, a teacher and 3 kids saw a few bees and started screaming and waving hands like a monster was attacking them. I told them be still. They did not listen and got stung. We bring a backpack with medical stuff and all was ok.

There is nothing more beautiful than an orb-weaver spider, especially the bright colored ones catching bugs. Their webs are fascinating. I have sedum plants in my yard and the bee population is enormous in the fall. Coolest thing ever! Look close and a city emerges, busy and populated.

I fear humans will end up creating an earth of farms and humans. Our ecosystems are disastrous. Nothing political here, we just want perfect lawns, perfect fruit (no bruising), bug free farms, weed free crops and perfectly manicured forests. We have no idea what we're doing. And don't get me started about the oceans.

 

[Ronstar]

Used to get ticks on a daily basis. Had them surgically removed from armpit and navel. Now I spray deet and haven't had a tick in a while. Now poison ivy is my biggest nemesis. Plus a few bee stings. Have spiders, snakes, possums, raccoons, moles, gophers and a lot of other harmless critters. Deer are harmless to me, but eat almost every plant I have.