Icky, icky, TICKS

Tickety, tickety, BOO!

If you've been out walking lately in Niagara; you've probably see some hitchhikers on your dog. Maybe found one crawling across the floor? Maybe found one in your bed? Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

My kids call them vampire spiders, and they look something like this;

 I'm not a "Wiki as main source of information" kinda gal; but there is some good basic info. with links; and of course google is your friend; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tick.

It is only March (albeit a wet + hot + dry + wet + hot), March; but they are already out crawling around. 

From this website; http://www.newswise.com/articles/for-ticks-and-lyme-disease-2012-might-be-a-very-bad-year Paul Curtis, a professor of natural resources and an Extension wildlife specialist at Cornell University, has coordinated the university’s Wildlife Damage Management Program during the past 18 years.

“With the warm, early spring, ticks are already active in central New York State, and this will likely be a bad tick year.
“In areas with abundant oaks and mice, it appears tick numbers will be very high based on data collected at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies. The current mild winter weather does not cause a rise in tick populations, however, it can change tick behavior. Adult ticks, which are slightly larger than a sesame seed, are normally dormant in winter. Ticks start to seek a host for a blood meal whenever temperatures rise well above freezing. The warm winter of 2011-12 induced earlier than normal tick activity.
“People should be especially aware when outdoors during the May-July season for nymphal black-legged ticks.

Areas in the Niagara Region that are home to the black-legged ticks are;

Areas Where Black-legged Ticks are Commonly Found

There are areas in Ontario that are considered high risk with an established tick population. However, it is important to note that you can be bitten by a tick anywhere outside of these high risk areas as well. These areas include:

• Long Point Provincial Park
• Rondeau Provincial Park
• Turkey Point Provincial Park
• Point Pelee National Park
• Prince Edward Point National Wildlife Area
• St. Lawrence Islands National Park
• Wainfleet Bog Conservation Area

for more information, check out the Niagara Region health website.

Some preventative measures;

• groom your hairy dog. Granted hair can slow the tick's progression from fur to skin; but and it's a bit BUT, once it gets to the skin ~ how on your doodle's coat; are you ever going to see it? 
• flea comb your pet after every jaunt outside, inspecting armpits, groin, base of ears, under jaw, belly and of course on their back
• groom your cat -- if your cat is outside/inside; maybe you should stop blaming your dog; there is a very real possibility your cat is bringing them in the house; as they sit in the brush waiting for mice/birds/etc.
• flea/tick treatments -- check labels; many kill ticks too (after biting) most are not a repellant
• check this website out for a natural tick repellant -- uses a carrier oil, an essential oil (either rose geranium or american pennyroyal) DO NOT USE ESSENTIAL OIL PRODUCTS ON CATS -- and be careful using essential oil products on dogs that are groomed by cats -- no American Pennyroyal oil in a house with pregnant animals or humans
• check yourself and your kids; use either a mirror or monkey-check each other -- remember to remind children to check their groin
• save your ticks -- in a bottle -- sounds really gross; but I guess you can have them checked for Lyme at your local health service --- yuck
• put clothing in the wash immediately - perhaps remove clothing away from carpeted and sleeping areas -- ticks can survive without a blood meal, on your floor, in your dirty clothes, in your bedding
• remove ticks as soon as possible; the less time (24-36 hours are needed) they are one you feeding, the less time they have to pass on the bacterium responsible for Lyme disease
• when removing ticks that are embedded in skin, use tweezers to carefully grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible and pull slowly upward, avoiding twisting or crushing the tick. 

• apparently they puke if burned or smothered; so don't let that tick puke on you OR in you; blech
• stay out of long grass, ticks don't jump or fly, they have sticky legs; so as your pet brushes against them; they will attach to your warmer pet; stay to groomed areas; lessen your chance of picking up "vampire spiders"

 Happy walking! A little bug control goes a long way.