Editor,
Ticks are out! For the past month, Ticks have been out on sunny days, and are out most of the time now. Some are the size of poppy seeds, and some a little bigger. The Black-legged deer tick, Ixodes Scapularis, are carriers of Lyme, Babesia, Erichiosis, Anaplasmosis, and other rarer possibilities – right here in Vermont. Ticks especially like spring when the ground is damp, or they are in shaded areas. They climb high or hitch hike on birds. It’s time to take your birdfeeders down if you have any ground feeders. You can also make tick tubes for small rodent nests to reduce ticks in your environment.
Children pick up ticks easily and can suffer severe neurological complications from Tick Borne Diseases. Our pets carry them into the house. Mobile pets give ticks rides from woods/fields to our walking paths and back yards, too.
Wear light colored clothing, tall boots, or tuck your pants in your socks, cuffs, kerchiefs around your neck and hair – all things to make physical barriers. Add clothing treated with specially formulated permethrin (you can purchase and apply to clothing only!) or buy clothing pre-treated. You can even choose your favorite outdoor gear and send it away to be treated with permethrin. Picaridin can be used on skin, Lemon-Eucalyptus Oil, Liquid Net, some herbals may also be effective, but most require re-application during the day. Deet over 30 percent works, but don’t use on kids!
Make sure your pets are protected, too. If you need to use a tick treatment for your yard, look into Cedarcide, a less toxic application that some others. Do frequent tick checks, bathe, check your kids at least daily (everywhere!)
Know the symptoms!
Bern Rose