Date: Thu, 21 May 1998 01:33:19 -0400 From: "Paul V. McCullough" <pvmcull@voicenet.com> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg1730$foo@default> Subject: Ticks and bogs...
Okay, Dave... you're probably right on most of your points... and I know
I'll make at least one voyage to Batsto this Summer (This is the
tickiest place I've ever experienced in NJ bogs, btw). Still caution is
the best defense.
There are now two types of ticks known to carry Lyme disease: deer (the
#1 transmitter) and Lone Star (no, they aren't texans... they have a
single white or silver dot on their backs_ ticks. My wife had the
latter on her arm- we've got the tick which will go into a baby VFT as
soon as we know she's symptom free. (When finding a tick of the
specified type, keep it in a plastic vial or ziplock bag- you can have
it checked for the disease if you feel you're at risk) So far, Lyme in
NJ comes mainly from deer ticks.
Dave:
As for your questions on Lyme, I found an excellent resource about Lyme:
http://www.lymenet.org/
This site has photos, info, newsletters, etc. Also, Lyme isn't the only
bug carried by ticks- there's a host of nasty maladies out there... but
then you could also get hit by a Fed-Ex truck in the Pine Barrens, I
suppose... :)
Finally, while ticks ARE especially rampant this year, you are generally
safer in suburbia then the woods- this do to insecticide chemical
treatments both public and private and of course, lawn treatments.
Since these chemicals are deadly to the flora and fauna of our natural
preserves- they aren't used there. Obviously, you do stand a better
(much better) chance of getting a tick bite in the bogs then in your
yard at home. My yard's getting doused tomorrow. (I don't have an
outside bog, but rest assured that I'd protect it from the chemicals if
I had to.)
Also, I'm more like ten miles from the nearest Pine Barrens... five
miles? What was I thinking?
Cheers,
Paul
-- Paul V. McCullough Webpage: http://www.voicenet.com/~pvmcull
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