blackberrying injuries

[the.fee.fairy]

you know when you go blackberrying...and the best ones are at the back of the bush...and you fall in.

Well, you know a few days later when you've got loads of little bumps on your skin where there's a few tiny thorny things (like the fine hair size ones).

How do you get rid of them without picking at them?
How do you stop the ones on your legs itching?

[baldowrie]

wear body armour next time

I have planted some thornless ones for myself..the wild ones are there and all the best berries are out of reach and I ain't climbing in to get them!

[chadspad]

My Mum broke her arm last year trying to reach the best ones by standing on an old milking stall that collapsed

[the.fee.fairy]

they weren't that high up, its a really wild bush, and its only about 6' tall. However, it is about 4' from the fence to the edge. I was standing at the edge leaning in, and i noticed a foot sized gap. so i lifted my foot, failed to realise that a bit had wrapped itself around my ankle, and went headfirst into the bush...

The big thorns were ok, i could pull them out and there's not a problem, but i've got all these little patches of small bumps where i've been got my hair-fine thorny bits. And they itch now...and i keep picking the ones on my arms and hands and they look horrible now!!

The blackberries should make excellent cordial, wine and jam though

[Dave]

Maybe try - Some tweezers, patience and a very bright light - then some tea tree oil or witch hazel to help the itching.

[Martin]

Lavender oil is great for injuries (burns too!) used to carry a bottle when we kept chooks - we'd often got cuts and scratches, and free-range poultry farms aren't particularly hygienic - just whack the lavender on, and forget them!
ps, next time, take a walking stick with a handle, and hook 'em down to your level!

[hedgewizard]

Sympathy, and not one useful word of advice. Sorry. Your white blood cells are working on dissolving the things, so they'll go in a day or two, never fear. In the meantime I recommend that you drink heavily to take your mind off it.

[the.fee.fairy]

hehehe, nice hedgie. if only it was that easy!!

I'll have a go at digging out the tea tree and lavender.

People at work keep looking at my hands really oddly (them and the tops of my knees took the worst of it)...the look like i've got some kind of strange rash, and every now and then a thorny bit sticks out..and i have to get my nails in and pull it out!!

[Wombat]

G'Day Fee!

Have you tried scraping a sharp blade over the top of the area perpendicular to the skin. It can catch and pull out the little bits....

Nev

PS Ooooouuch!

[Millymollymandy]

Here is a tip from someone who has to bramble on a very steep slope where the best ones are really high up and I have to get in there and there are stinging nettles galore too.

I wear a nylon waterproof jacket - it protects me from the stinging nettles (OK apart from my hands) and the thorns just don't seem to stick to my jacket, so I can really get in there without getting tangled up or ripped to shreds.

[legendaryone]

I have used this to get very fine cactus spikes from my arm, i got sello tape (any tape should work) and put it sticky side down on my arm to pull them out, it has worked very well for me in the past.

[cat]

Blackberrying is getting to be a dangerous occupation!! within 24 hours one of my friends was bitten by a snake and another attacked by a swarm of wasps, both had to go to hospital
When I go with the children we take a walking stick to bash around so the snakes hear us coming and leave, and we leave the out-of-reach juicy ones where they are.

Hope you're feeling better soon xx

[the.fee.fairy]

Eeek!
I hope your friends are ok cat!

There were a few flies at the bush i was picking from, and they liked to divebomb too...

[mrsflibble]

my hands are covered.

for any blobs on their own I would use magnesium sulfate(can't spell) paste and a dressing to draw anything out.
if you can see it, use an oral medicine syringe- available from pharmacies for under a pound, theyre for giving babies medicine. push plunger down, put the hole over the mark, and pull the plunger to suck.... works on blackheads and splinters.

[hedgewizard]

ewww.