Really Ticked!!!!

[fidowanttobe]

We tried guineas 3 times. Coyote population thrived. Did the coop training for the winter and gradually let them out for the early spring and they quickly became a meal. Too stupid and loud. I swear they call the 'yotes from other counties. We wanted them also for the ticks but never had the chance to see results.

 

[ultrarunner]

Tenant had assortment of laying hens and kept bugs in check but were always making a mess scratching around flower beds..

Plenty of Coyotes around but one dog was enough to keep at Bay.

Funny to see the hens suddenly scramble and then look around to see a hawk high overhead.

 

[Fuddy1952]

I didn't read all replies but if you feel sick after tick bites I would recommend going to a clinic have bloodwork for tick bite.
Happened to me last year, they didn't want to do bloodwork. I insisted, refused to leave unless they did. Few days later they called "we were right, no tick disease". Next day they call "well...test did come back positive for Rocky Mountain Spotted tick disease".
I immediately started antibiotics.

 

[ernemats]

Where do all these ticks come from, when I was a kid (many years ago ) we did not have them around here now they are everywhere.

 

[ponytug]

Where do all these ticks come from, when I was a kid (many years ago ) we did not have them around here now they are everywhere.

I have seen reports that point to two primary causes;
one, an increase in wild animals, especially deer, near humans, and
two, warmer/shorter winters. You can also track the tick explosion via the westward spread of Lyme disease.

I also think that more people live in forested, or semi forested, non-plowed areas today than fifty years ago, which places more people in tick habitat. Certainly, there is a lot less DDT being sprayed around. I think we tend to forget that most of the US was a malarial area in 1900, and heavy mosquito spraying in the 40-50s helped suppress the mosquitos and malaria. Of course, the DDT did a number on other insects, fish and birds.

We certainly had them when I was growing up on the farm, but then we had lots of deer, too. Due to DDT, I never thought that I would see bluebirds in the wild as a kid. For me, seeing them daily on the ranch is a special gift, and a reminder that things can change in a positive way.

All the best,

Peter

 

[oosik]

I live WAY out in the country. We have our good years and bad years. Hard to tell how this year will pan out - still too cold. However, it won't be long. We are into spring with its nice warm afternoons.

Just to be safe - dog got his first NexGuard chewable tick tablet yesterday.

 

[ArlyA]

We assume this ticks are out after X weather and prepare by spraying our clothing with Sawyer brand Permethrin. If we could get lyme disease vax we would, but that was discontinued after just one year. Protecting yoursef from getting it in the 1st place, is the best medicine.

 

[Fuddy1952]

I have seen reports that point to two primary causes;
one, an increase in wild animals, especially deer, near humans, and
two, warmer/shorter winters. You can also track the tick explosion via the westward spread of Lyme disease.

I also think that more people live in forested, or semi forested, non-plowed areas today than fifty years ago, which places more people in tick habitat. Certainly, there is a lot less DDT being sprayed around. I think we tend to forget that most of the US was a malarial area in 1900, and heavy mosquito spraying in the 40-50s helped suppress the mosquitos and malaria. Of course, the DDT did a number on other insects, fish and birds.

We certainly had them when I was growing up on the farm, but then we had lots of deer, too. Due to DDT, I never thought that I would see bluebirds in the wild as a kid. For me, seeing them daily on the ranch is a special gift, and a reminder that things can change in a positive way.

All the best,

Peter

I grew up in South central Virginia on farm.
Neighbor had 2500 acres, trails everywhere we walked, rode bikes on, spent most of our free time there. Extremely rare to ever get a tick, when we did we called them dog ticks. Neighbors who had dogs got those ticks sometimes.
We also never ever saw deer, until mid 60s grandfather ran over with binoculars showing us one he spotted off his porch. Amazing site.
Now it's not uncommon to see a herd of 50 deer standing in Moms front yard!
Now we see a variety of ticks also which were unheard of years ago, Lone Star, clear ones, Rocky Mountain Spotted fever, tiny seed ticks to name a few besides dog ticks.

 

[Bocephous]

Foxes and possums are two animals that lower tick numbers in an area. Mice carry lyme disease, ticks feed on the blood of mice, ticks become infected with lyme disease, pass it on to other animals. Foxes feed primarily on small rodents. More foxes=fewer mice=less incidence of lyme disease.

Missing Foxes Fuel Lyme Disease Spread

Coyotes are overtaking the red fox, which feeds on small mammals such as mice, shrews and chipmunks, animals that, like deer, can play host to the Lyme-disease-carrying ticks

www.scientificamerican.com

Are Red Foxes a Potential Hero in the Fight Against Lyme Disease in Massachusetts?

Don’t wait for the Red foxes to come wander around your property to scare away the mice spreading Lyme. Protect your family and pets from ticks with our 100% satisfaction guaranteed tick control program. Call today!

www.mosquitosquad.com

Possum feed directly on ticks, a lot of them. Did You Know That Opossums Eat Virtually All the Ticks in Your Yard?

Lesson: Don't shoot foxes or possum if you want to keep the incidence of lyme down in your area.

 

[Fuddy1952]

The problem here is we have horses. I had to shoot an opossum recently. I hated to but they transmit Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis (EPM) which can kill a horse.