TICKS

Two types of tick are commonly encountered in the Natal Drakensberg during summer and early autumn.  Both frequent tall grasses with the purpose of attaching themselves to passing animals (and hikers!).  The small red tick, which is about 2 to 3 mm in length at this stage, is easy to see lying in wait on blades of grass.  The so-called pepper tick, on the other hand, is so small that the first indication of its presence is a very irritating skin itch.  Both types seek out exposed skin, so they are most commonly found on ankles and legs, although in very tall grass they can even attach themselves to the head area.  They can also work their way under clothing, so you should check yourself all over very thoroughly after passing through a tick-infested area.  Insect repellents seem to be mostly ineffective against ticks.

Red ticks, once they have attached themselves to a host, grow rapidly in size and can become extremely bloated, their bodies forming a huge grey bubble which is easily seen on animals which have no effective way of removing them.  The danger with this type of tick is that it can give its human host tick-bite fever - or worse - Lyme Disease.  Fortunately the latter is extremely rare, but tick-bite fever is quite common.  The best way to remove them is to force them to let go by burning their backsides with a small flame or cigarette (since hikers are not usually smokers they may find it useful to include a cigarette in their First Aid kit!).  Simply pulling them off runs the risk of leaving their mouth-parts buried in the skin, which increases the chance of getting tick-bite fever or a skin infection.  If a tick is able to remain attached unseen for several hours or days, and the site becomes swollen and tender (thus drawing one's attention to its presence), you will probably end up with tick-bite fever within a week.  It is a fact that if you are able to weather the fever without antibiotics, you will acquire immunity.  However, the fever, which is extremely debilitating and is accompanied by very severe headache behind the eyes, can also reduce one's resistance to other ailments and expose one to pneumonia.  It is usually best to visit a doctor for antibiotics at the first sign of fever.

Pepper ticks are usually not a serious health risk, but the itching they cause can become so severe that the bite sites bleed and become swollen and red.  Since pepper ticks are almost invisible to the naked eye, itchiness may not at first be associated with them, and may in fact be caused by a mild allergic reaction to grasses and pollen.  Tell-tale proof that pepper ticks are involved is that small, translucent yellow crystals of puss form on the itchy areas as body fluid leaks from the bite sites.  If left untreated, the itchiness will return with frustrating regularity and may even spread as the ticks move around, and the problem may persist for weeks.  The simplest, cheapest, sure-fire cure is to apply Zambuk (a non-prescription, pleasantly pungent, translucent green herbal paste) to the itchy areas.  Zambuk not only reduces the itching sensation and acts as an antiseptic, there is something about it that pepper ticks do not like, and they either abandon ship or die after just one or two applications!

Last modified on 2011/11/10