Or a field biologist's badge of honor? Those tick bites I had while in the field two weeks ago gave me Lyme disease. A month of antibiotics is all I need to clear it up. But still... I am very careful in the field, always wearing long pants tucked into my boots and/or socks, always long sleaves, always have my hair tied back under a hat. I didn't even use a drop of bug spray that week, I didn't get a single other bug bite, I was so proud, even with as tempted as I was to douse my hat with the repelant to keep the insects swarming around my head lamp at bay. Ticks are everywhere, I always check myself thoroughly when in the field, I knew a tick had made it's way to my thigh, there were multiple bites clustered together. First a rash appeared, then went away, I didn't think anything of it. But last Wednesday I started experiencing flu-like symptoms, in addition to a mild fever, swollen glands and jaw/joint pain. 30 days of antibiotics and I will be fine, it's caught early and I'll be fine.