FEW PEOPLE walk on the west coast without picking up the odd tick – but an Argyll man may have the answer to this pest problem.
The blood-sucking parasites are annoying enough in themselves, but they also spread Lyme disease, which can cause arthritis and heart problems while affecting the nervous system, eyes, kidneys and liver.
In severe cases, the effects of Lyme disease can be life-threatening. It was after con- tracting the disease that Lochgair man Ian Smith discovered dried marigold flowers as an ingredient for a tick repellent which became ‘Nontix’.