A Conversation about tick, tick, ticking

I know... you are sick and tired of hearing (or reading) the tick talk. Sadly, there is a reason for that. Historically, people don't like to think about bad stuff. Also historically, for hundreds of years, ticks were mostly something people removed from their dogs. So what's the harm in pretending there's no problem and the scientists are just panicking?

Unfortunately, there's a problem. Ticks have developed a taste for human blood, and now they are transporting a whole bunch of really awful diseases. And there are two huge co-conspirators in transmitting these awful diseases. Climate change has resulted in our environment becoming more hospitable to ticks, with a migration of ever-more-dangerous types into the formerly “safe” areas of upstate New York. Deer are an ideal transporter of ticks.  They're kind of like a mass transit , because ticks hang around doing the arachnid version of hitchhiking (science nerds call this behavior “questing”). They hop a passing deer and are on their way to wherever you are in contact with nature. By the way, those pretty little deer mice are part of the chain, and bring ticks even closer to the house! So fending off the deer and the mice can help reduce the risk. Less challenging ways to help keep the invaders at bay are simple “housekeeping” things like keeping leaf litter and too-high grass under control.

For those of you who don't remember the awful arrival of Lyme disease, here it is in a nutshell. I am removing any conspiracy theories for brevity's sake. Here goes: in 1975, Lyme disease was officially recognized as a disease. It's been around forever in harmless amounts, but became a monster in Connecticut when it hit epidemic levels among children. For the language purists among us: it is named after the town in Connecticut, not the citrus fruit. Also, it is not “Lymes” disease. So what's a person to do? It's pretty straightforward, actually. Spray yourself and the family with one of the many products available over the counter for insect (and tick) repellents. These are also helpful against mosquitoes and blackflies. There is also a product called Permethrin to spray your outdoor clothing, that lasts over several washings. Long pants with socks pulled up over them helps block access to your skin, and some of us resort to wrapping our ankle area with duct tape to trap and count the little fiends. Once you go back inside for the day, check for passengers. Personally, I hop right into the shower and toss the clothes into the dryer.

I frequently wander into the gardens and forget to spray first and always pay a price and acquire a pest. If I'm lucky it is still strolling around and hasn't latched on. If it's attached, I freak out. If there's somebody nearby, I ask for help. If not, I'm probably a candidate for a viral you-tube scene as I contort myself to remove the wee beastie. If I have to remove one, I call my GP or go to the neighborhood “doc-in-a-box” facility. Usually they automatically administer or prescribe a dose of antibiotic. This covers most tick borne diseases, but to be sure, the corpse of the little girl (yup) tick should be brought to a Cooperative Extension Office for identification. Different ticks carry different problems, and some are viral. When in doubt ask for a blood test. There's an episode of “Nature Calls” about this:  

http://ccecolumbiagreene.org/gardening/nature-calls-conversations-from-the-hudson-valley/episode-59-all-about-ticks 

Be careful out there. Next week we'll go back to more pleasant topics, I promise.