On: Google is releasing 20M bacteria-infected mosquito...

[LeifCarrotson]

They are really bad here in the Midwest US this summer (it's been consistently hot and wet). I have removed like 11 from the total of myself, my wife, my dog (accounts for 7 of the total, even on tick meds), and my son. Last year it was 2.

[polskibus → LeifCarrotson]

That is irritating, but ticks can pretty much end your life if you get rougher version of boreliosis or brain damaging infection (I forgot its name).

[kileywm → polskibus]

I think you're referring to Lyme disease.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyme_disease

[LeifCarrotson → kileywm]

Fortunately they seem to be all dog ticks around here, not the Lyme-disease carrying deer ticks:

http://www.tickencounter.org/tick_identification/dog_tick

However, that information only helps some people feel comforted when they find a tick on their person or in their home.

[petre → polskibus]

Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE)? Lyme also damages your nerve system, according to some newer schollary articles.

[lorenzhs → petre]

Well at least vaccines exist against that one... It's recommended to get it in the South of Germany if you're at risk of having ticks. There are a few hundred cases every year.

[polskibus → petre]

Yes that's the one.

[nickynickell → LeifCarrotson]

Is that number attached or crawling? If attached, how many have you caught before they dug in? I live in the same area and that number would be really low. Stumble on some deer ticks and you'd be lucky if you only end up with 10x that number.

[LeifCarrotson → nickynickell]

9 attached, 2 crawling. I don't stumble on many deer ticks, even though my dog and I put in some 30 miles a week running through the local singletrack parks!