July Banter 2025

[H2O]

1 hour ago, CAPE said:

After getting chiggers on my ankles and multiple seed ticks in a place no man wants them, I always immediately shower or at least take a damp towel and brush down my legs and feet. Worse than normal this Summer. This morning I put knee boots on to pull some weeds lol. Skeeters aren't bad but the Asian Tigers usually show up for the last third of Summer and into early Fall(second summer).

Being a surveyor for 30 years I know all too well how bad ticks can be for where they like to hide. I could tell horror stories about ticks. 
 

I used to be more afraid of poison ivy than chiggers early on in my career. But as time went on and I got into places with chiggers frequently, I can say now that I would run thru fields of PI happily than get eat up by chiggers. 
 

Those damn bugs are the single most useless creature on earth

[ravensrule]

4 hours ago, nw baltimore wx said:

I just walked through my garden with a cup of coffee for about five minutes, came back in, and now my lower legs are itchy af. 

Summer here has a lot of annoyances.

You sure it's not because of something you did late last night?.  

[toolsheds]

My aunt said to use Johnson's & Johnson's creamy baby oil with Aloe----the green bottle.  Have used it this summer before i go to work outside and it seems to keep the bugs away. 

 

[Bob Chill]

11 hours ago, CAPE said:

All that digging and playing in the dirt you do, have you managed to avoid chiggers? I do a lot of the same stuff here(to a lesser degree now) and every time I have been lazy and not sprayed myself, I have paid for it lol. I try to do my 'playing in the dirt projects' in early Spring and later in the Fall for the most part.

 

8 hours ago, H2O said:

Being a surveyor for 30 years I know all too well how bad ticks can be for where they like to hide. I could tell horror stories about ticks. 
 

I used to be more afraid of poison ivy than chiggers early on in my career. But as time went on and I got into places with chiggers frequently, I can say now that I would run thru fields of PI happily than get eat up by chiggers. 
 

Those damn bugs are the single most useless creature on earth

Chiggers are straight devil spawn. Got me good 3 years ago. I didn't know much about them. An army got into my socks and it was 2-3 weeks of hell before it was finally over. A big bag of WTF. Hit me a few other times since and in areas that no man wants to get chiggered... pure evil...

Ticks are off the chain everywhere and alpha gal is no joke. Our neighbor got alpha gal and hasn't eaten red meat in 4 years. Apparently it eventually goes away but F that ish. I'm taking no chances anymore. Premethrim on my shoes, socks, and work pants on the regular. Picardin or however you spell it on my skin twice a day. I like that stuff a lot. I hate deet. Picardin is the way. Works great and no stinky slime on your skin. 

Honestly, i have no fear of anything except insects in the woods. Friends ask about snakes and bears and stuff like that and I always say the only thing to worry about is insects. Take em seriously 

[CAPE]

33 minutes ago, Bob Chill said:

 

Chiggers are straight devil spawn. Got me good 3 years ago. I didn't know much about them. An army got into my socks and it was 2-3 weeks of hell before it was finally over. A big bag of WTF. Hit me a few other times since and in areas that no man wants to get chiggered... pure evil...

Ticks are off the chain everywhere and alpha gal is no joke. Our neighbor got alpha gal and hasn't eaten red meat in 4 years. Apparently it eventually goes away but F that ish. I'm taking no chances anymore. Premethrim on my shoes, socks, and work pants on the regular. Picardin or however you spell it on my skin twice a day. I like that stuff a lot. I hate deet. Picardin is the way. Works great and no stinky slime on your skin. 

Honestly, i have no fear of anything except insects in the woods. Friends ask about snakes and bears and stuff like that and I always say the only thing to worry about is insects. Take em seriously 

What brand do you use? I buy Sawyer on Amazon. Good Stuff but crappy pump spray dispenser. Super annoying.

[mappy]

Friends, there is a Doppler on wheels at my conference and when I say I squealed when I saw it, I mean I SQUEALED, handed my phone to a coworker and the jumped in for a photo. 

 

[Jebman]

Congrats Dale City! You guys have just eclipsed 32 inches of rain this year!

[Jebman]

2 hours ago, Bob Chill said:

 

Chiggers are straight devil spawn. Got me good 3 years ago. I didn't know much about them. An army got into my socks and it was 2-3 weeks of hell before it was finally over. A big bag of WTF. Hit me a few other times since and in areas that no man wants to get chiggered... pure evil...

Ticks are off the chain everywhere and alpha gal is no joke. Our neighbor got alpha gal and hasn't eaten red meat in 4 years. Apparently it eventually goes away but F that ish. I'm taking no chances anymore. Premethrim on my shoes, socks, and work pants on the regular. Picardin or however you spell it on my skin twice a day. I like that stuff a lot. I hate deet. Picardin is the way. Works great and no stinky slime on your skin. 

Honestly, i have no fear of anything except insects in the woods. Friends ask about snakes and bears and stuff like that and I always say the only thing to worry about is insects. Take em seriously 

My left knee is getting better. Soon I will have to get on my knees and pull weeds for months and horrific Texas chiggers will eat me alive. I will have hundreds of bites all over. This will not be fun. I will wish I had been at Kerrville in Camp Mystic the night of July 3 asleep.

I love that Guadalupe River so much, it hurts. Even more than I miss my friend A.B. I am DYING to undertake an truly EPIC walk up the entire Guadalupe just to get a damn good look at all the damage!!!!

[Bob Chill]

12 hours ago, CAPE said:

What brand do you use? I buy Sawyer on Amazon. Good Stuff but crappy pump spray dispenser. Super annoying.

 Sawyer bottles are awful. We buy the biggest sawyers on amazon and transfer into a good pump bottle that actually has a nice wide spray lol

[GramaxRefugee]

48 minutes ago, Bob Chill said:

 Sawyer bottles are awful. We buy the biggest sawyers on amazon and transfer into a good pump bottle that actually has a nice wide spray lol

Most of the mix-ur-own are petroleum based, (lasts better and stronger), but you can get water based, which we use for clothing:

Martins Permethrin 10%  (hope that's the right one)

Unfortunately, it's a chore to mix a batch and do all the clothing, hang it in the barn to dry, etc. But, if you're the organized type, (I'm not), it's good. Also have a Sawyer aerosol can so I can quickly spray my boots and hat anytime. Lazy but convenient.

Part of our aggressive tick management plan, started after wife caught Lyme disease some years ago.