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Ticks Don't Come Out In The Wash

ELKCHSR

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Ticks Don't Come Out In The Wash

Science Daily — Before venturing into tick-infested territory, you used a topical repellent on exposed skin and outer clothing. When you returned, you did a body check and threw your clothes in the wash. But clean clothes may not be tick-free clothes.

When he found a live lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum) on the agitator of his washing machine, Agricultural Research Service (ARS) entomologist John Carroll decided to find out how tough ticks are. So he bagged up nymphs from two species—the lone star tick and the deer tick, (Ixodes scapularis), the creature that transmits Lyme disease—and put them in the washing machine.

Carroll used a combination of water temperature settings and detergent types to wash the ticks. The majority of lone star ticks survived all the water-detergent combinations with no obvious side effects. Most of the deer ticks lived through the cold and warm water settings as well. But when one type of detergent was used with a hot water setting, only 25 percent of the deer ticks survived.

When it came time to dry, all the ticks of both species died after an hour of tumbling around at high heat. But when the dryer was set to "no heat," about one-third of the deer ticks and more than half of the lone star ticks survived.

Carroll placed the ticks in mesh bags, which kept them from draining away during the rinse cycle and perhaps increased their odds for survival. However, ticks might also survive a sudsy interlude by sheltering in the folds and crevices of a typical load of laundry. Some tick species have been observed to survive hours of submersion in fresh water.

Both adult ticks and nymphs can transmit disease. Carroll’s research reinforces recommendations by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to wash and dry clothes at high temperatures after spending time in areas known to harbor ticks.

Note: This story has been adapted from material provided by US Department of Agriculture.

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Wool clothing won't last long when washed and dried at high temperatures. |oo

But that's good to know. I never would have thought a tick could survive a washing machine, even using cold water.
 
I sent off an e-mail and will give the answer as soon as he responds

Hello John

I belong to one of the many hunting boards around the United States and read this article

It didn't say, but I would like to know what detergent it was that you used when one type of detergent was used with a hot water setting, only 25 percent of the deer ticks survived

An answer plus any thing else you may be able to give me which would help since this web site is seen by thousands to get the word out

Thanks a million

Russ
 
interesting. I sometimes will be sitting around at work or home mid-week and feel a tick crawling on me. Always a wood tick though, and don't need to worry about those. But I have had the little limey bastards on me mid week as well, you just don't feel them until they starts knawing on you.
I know i bring them home in my duffle bag and clothes.
 

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