This morning I listened to an item on ticks on my favorite radio program on CBC. Ticks have been in the news lately as they have become more abundant. They were noted for passing on Lyme disease but now they pass on other diseases. They are annoying because they are sneaky little beggars that attach themselves and are on your body before you know it.
The expert being interviewed suggested that ticks were moving about 50 km further north every year and that this was due to climate change.
People remember when they've had a tick or when a pet has had a tick. One I remember is when I had a tick on my throat just below the edge of my beard. Luckily, my brother saw it and took it off before any harm was done.
I taught outdoor ed for a number of years. We took the students on 3 field trips a year. When you're taking out 35 kids for two nights and 3 days very strict routines have to be set up. One of the routines was for each student to have a buddy to check for ticks.
One time we had a couple of extra hours so we took them on a trail on the side of a mountain.. This was in late March and on a south facing slope where the snow had disappeared. So ticks were already active.
We got o the bus and one of the students found a tick. There was excitement and pandemonium and all the kids got off the bus. The checking was done and no more ticks were found. We loaded the bus and headed for home with an interesting event to tell about.
Whenever I go by I still look up on the mountainside and remember the tick episode
Ticks are awful little creatures as you know I have Chronic Lymes a gift from one. This year I have seen some on dogs Baxter had one on his lip, I had one crawling on my arm and one day one was crawling across the kitchen floor after dogs had visited. Ticks are no joke.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking about your situation when I wrote the post. As I said, ticks are very sneaky beggars. It takes a while before we know they're on us.
DeleteNot funny at the time but it brings a smile now.
ReplyDeleteWith kids they can think quite a few different insects are ticks.
DeleteTicks are quite common the past few years in the particular area where I live in Nova Scotia. It's a challenge I do not like! When they are very tiny it is so hard to see them, especially if you have lots of little moles on your skin. I can imagine your students and how vocal they would be once the tick was noticed. Everyone would think they probably had at least one tick on themselves too!
ReplyDeleteI'm sure they felt itchy and searched for bugs all the way home.
DeleteI just checked on ticks and I believe after spending 32 years in dry and very hot area I know nothing about creatures so thank you so much for reminding because now I’m remember them from childhood back in village with name of “chichar”
ReplyDeleteBlessings 🙏🥰
I wonder how many tick species there are in this world.
DeleteMy son-in-law contracted Lyme disease. We treat our dogs regularly for ticks as they are often in areas ticks enjoy.
ReplyDeleteI hope your son has recovered from Lyme's disease. It's nasty.
DeleteTicks are awful, I found one on my forehead this week.
ReplyDeleteTake care, enjoy your day!
Your lucky the tick was on your forehead as it would be easy for someone to see.
DeleteIn Colorado they were abundant when I lived there and had to take precautions whenever I hiked. Here, not so much. I've only seen one here in Washington state.
ReplyDeleteI guess there are many species of ticks.
DeleteI've lived with ticks all my life so if they travel north and leave me alone, so be it. Back in the day, I never worried about them other than to pick them off when found. These days, I spray my pantlegs well before venturing in the woods during the spring in my search for mushrooms. In the summer and fall, I just stay out of the woods altogether.
ReplyDeleteI have rarely thought of ticks until now.
DeleteTicks stick
ReplyDeleteYou bet!
DeleteJust the other day my daughter found a tick on one of their dogs. They check carefully whenever the dogs have been outside.
ReplyDeleteMy middle son came in with a tick when he was little - after sitting in the grass at soccer practice. It was in a VERY delicate spot for a boy and I had quite a careful job of removing it! :o
Usually ticks are on taller plants than grass but it's probably a lesson he will never forget.
DeleteI don't think I've ever been bitten by a tick, but when I was a kid our dogs used to get them like crazy. My dad would kill them with pliers. (Ugh)
ReplyDeleteFunny you didn't get ticks if the dogs got them.
DeleteI saw the title of your post in Ed's sidebar and had to come see! I hate ticks and sadly they are present here much of the year. It's a constant battle with our outside dogs (they are country dogs and free range), but have only had two over the years who contracted a tick-borne disease (eherlichia), treatable with antibiotics. When taking my morning walk in nature, I tuck my pants legs into my socks and spray my lower legs with OFF. I also spray the top of my hat since they can drop out of trees or brush off on me. Again, it's a content battle.
ReplyDeleteThey survive in many different situations. So yes, wear a good hat. Thanks for visiting Hiawatha house.
DeleteI thought we didn't have ticks here and then last year we found one on the back of my daughter's neck. She was plenty freaked out.
ReplyDeleteYes freak out would be a normal reaction.
DeleteI think I had ticks as a kid but then I grew up in North Dakota and went every year into Saskatchewan.
ReplyDeleteYou know, I don't remember ticks as a kid, but boy howdy, are they a thing now. It seems as if we are finding them every time we spend any time outside. I had three on me earlier this week. Luckily, I found them all before they attached, but they really, really give me the creeps!
ReplyDeleteNo on ticks!
ReplyDeleteThe last field trip I led was about 15 years ago, and I don't recall any issues with ticks.
ReplyDelete