Speaking of being 'green' if you are out in the world on this gorgeous day, be mindful of ticks and check yourself and/or your children for ticks after being out in the green (grass, fields, brush, lawns, etc) This time of year is the active 'dog tick' season, but 'deer tick' are possible anytime too. These are the two most common 'tick types' in Maine. (which has up to 14 species of ticks- not all of them bother humans- so most don't get a lot of press).
Dog ticks have silvery-whitish markings; like streaks (male) or horseshoe shaped (female). Deer ticks are dark with no light markings. Nymphs are tiny but adults are similar sized to dog ticks, so can be mistaken for one. Deer ticks are the notorious ones for potentially carrying Lyme Disease bacterium.
BITE PREVENTION is the BEST DEFENSE.
Interestingly, the same prevention measures for ticks apply to mosquitos too, another disease carrying biter. Only female mosquitos bite.
2 great info sites:
http://www.mmcri.org/lyme/ (about ticks in Maine)
http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/boh/ddc/_lyme/ (about ticks and mosquitos in Maine)
No comments:
Post a Comment