On the Independence Trail today, after a hike, 30 ticks were removed from ONE dog.
These certainly aren't the only areas and trails with loads of ticks waiting to jump on you and your pets. Be aware in ALL grassy and treed areas. Where ever there are deer, there will be ticks.
WHY SO MANY TICKS??
The past three years have had higher than normal rainfall resulting in a higher mouse and deer population, the main carriers of the Black Legged Tick. Add the lush grass where they can hide and drop on any person or animal that brushes past, and we have a perfect storm.
BLACK LEGGED TICKS ARE A MAIN CARRIER OF LYME DISEASE
Approximately 10% to 30% of the ticks tested in our area are affected by Lyme Disease and can pass it to you and your pets. If not identified and treated quickly, Lyme can become a chronic and debilitating disease.
WHAT TO DO?
Wear light colored clothing, stay on the trails, and use DEET for you and Farnam BiteFree or other repellent for your animals. Perform a thorough tick check when you get home.
MORE INFO
To see all the information posted about Lyme Disease, and ticks in our area, and how to deal with them, just type in Lyme in the search function at the top of this page.