I am referred to as "the tick magnet" in my household. It is not uncommon for me to walk across the lawn, spend 10 minutes in the veggie garden, and come in with a tick. I've gotten so I can spot a wood tick sitting on the top of a plant, waving its little legs and waiting to grab hold. I'm going to repeat what I said in the post from last fall that Claire linked. I live on an old farm with a mix of field, brushy growing-up field, and woods. I use bug dope with DEET, though I put it only on my clothing and I don't always use it. I own several pairs of the pyrethrin impregnated socks and I tuck my pant legs into them. (Along with my bug net during black fly season I usually look pretty dorky when I am out in the garden.) I don't really worry about ticks because during the height of the season I might find 6 or 8 on me over the course of a day, but I do take them seriously. Instead of worrying, I do a complete visual and touch check whenever I come into the house in the spring and fall. Clothes get stripped off and examined along with my body. I again do a complete visual and fingertip check at bedtime every night (until it gets too cold for the ticks to be active) standing nekkid in front of a mirror so that I can see places like under my arms and the middle of my back, etc. in case I missed any the first time around. I also comb my hair with a comb having close-set teeth and do a careful touch examination of my entire scalp. Clothing I take off doesn't go into the bedroom. I view that nightly 15 minutes as the dues I pay for being able to get out beyond the lawn areas at my house. When we first moved here I used to freak out about getting a tick, but there are so many (mostly wood ticks, though there are some deer ticks) that I just don't have the energy to get worked up about them. I'd rather put the energy in to doing careful checks afterwards since it takes a day or more for a tick to get seated and spread disease. I do this check religiously, every single night, even if I have not worked in the garden. It's part of my bedtime routine, like brushing my teeth. It is my understanding (and fits in with my observations here) that rodents are a large part of the cause of the "deer" (more accurately referred to as "black-legged") tick problem, so the tick tubes, which target the application of permethrin specifically to rodents, make good sense. I haven't used them, however, and studies vary in their evaluation of effectiveness. Last season was the first we had appreciable numbers of black-legged ticks, so we are just starting serious consideration of management for them. I haven't previously seen reference to nematodes as good for controlling ticks, so I did some reading. It seems like around here they aren't too effective since nematodes live in the soil, and when are ticks are in or on the ground, it's too cold for the nematodes to be effective. They are also more effective on adults that the nymphs that often spread disease. However, I did come across a fungus that it supposed to be better in this part of the country, Metarhizium anisopliae, that has met with EPA approval for tick control. Unfortunately, it appears to still be in the product development stages. As others have mentioned, keeping areas with brush or long grass mowed will help reduce shelter areas for ticks, and reducing areas like stone walls where rodents hide will help as well.

Hello, IMO Dallas is a good place for quality work at reasonable prices. Last year, I read one post that was quoted $27,000 for a 3-ton system installation. I also read a post of a $2500 3-ton replacement. This is a lot of difference. The typical price is between $3000-5000 for a 3-ton system replacement. Duct work during the summer can be very expensive. I have heard of guys charging $2000 a day to work in the attic during the summer. These are not dishonest companies, just guys that do not want to work in the attic on a 100+ degree day. If your system is in the attic, do it while it is cool. (Now) There are so many quality HVAC companies in Dallas. Quotes like yours are for people made of money. I read and heard of many 3-ton replacements last year in the $10,000 range. I can not imagine what caused the cost to be so high. A typical system can be installed in a day with 2 men. Labor and 2x markup is nowhere near $10,000. Even in Legacy, this is a high price. I am helping someone that was hosed last year with a 5-ton installation. He now has the state of Texas involved. He was hosed so bad, that his case was placed in front of 30 previous cases waiting for proscution. The sad thing is the company that did the hose job has a fair reputation. The installation was incomplete, yet he spent $6200 for a 5-ton replacement. The company tried to charge him an additional $2k for a 1/2 days work replacing a couple of ducts. His summer bills were over $1000 a month for a 2600 sqft house. Get multiple bids. I know of one wholesale installer that will replace a condenser for under $200 labor. (Last spring) This is very cheap for Dallas. This is less than I charged in the 1980's. If you intend to replace all three units at one time you should talk to this company in Austin. He manufacturers a system designed for Dallas and hot climates. His equipment is like commercial equipment, and is truly efficient. http://www.alliedenergysystems.com/thermal.html Replacement of lines depends on the requirements of the new equipment and not age or condition of the lines. Sometimes this is needed for maximum efficient operations. Any handy person can install new duct. The key to a good job, is to seal all joints and seal the insulation properly. Many installers use a mastic to guarantee the joints are sealed. For a very efficient duct system consider using foam spray insulation on the ducts. Installing a system requires a few tools. Guages, Vac pump, torch for silver solder, Volt-amp meter, and a few sheetmetal tools. Basic mechanic tools also. For legal service work you need a recovery machine. By law, you need a CFC certificate to buy freon, or systems. You are also required to have it to adjust freon. Most cities require a permit to replace HVAC equipment, but less than 20% of the residential work is permitted in the Dallas area. Now, for the good news. The state of Texas will issue you a voucher that allows you to purchase equipment for your house, if you have a cfc certificate. Kinda neat. If you have specific questions email me. I am in N. Texas area.

So sorry to hear that you are going through this. Hope you get some relief soon. On "keeping your hands busy" - I think Bama's suggestion is a good one - the sketch book of ideas...excellent! And how about cross stitch - have you ever done that? That would keep those hands very busy!! They have some absolutely gorgeous kits with everything you need in them.

Several weeks ago, my neighbor Lisa brought my neighbor Joanne's dog to my house and asked me if I knew where he lived. I thought it was odd, because I have lived here about eight years, and Rusty has never let me get my hands on him, yet he had gone straight to this lady's garage sale, walked up to her, and let her put a leash on him. I walked with her to Joanne's house. We were just about to knock, when we heard someone calling. Jo-Ann, who had just had both knees replaced, had tripped over an old fence lying on the ground at rhr edge of the lot next door to her house. Although this is in town, she lived on a 1/2 acre lot with a vacant lot next door,so there was no one within shouting distance. When she began to fall, she braced herself with one hand and hit the ground with all her weight on that hand, breaking her wrist. She was unable to get up. Her dog Rusty had gone to get the neighbor! Moral to my story is... keep your phone in your pocket!