[popeels2you]

There always someone with an opinion who has no fact to base it on. LOOK at the map:
DVBID: Risk Map | CDC Lyme Disease (http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/lyme/riskmap.htm - broken link)
Look at northern Vermont! A few years ago northern Vermont had none. I guess we will blame migrating deer mice for bringing it here!

If you come from NYC, NJ, MA or CT and can afford a Subaru, Volvo or Healthy Living you can afford to dip your purebread black lab BEFORE you come here. I'll put it in plain english.... Infected ticks dropping off vector animals (dogs) spread the disease.

Herds of deer have not migrated to VT from lyme CT. The pretentious have arrived in droves with their dogs in tow. Why does Burington have to have so many dogs running everywhere anyway?

[arctichomesteader]

Well the bugs are out...was in the woods yesterday for a couple hours and didn't think to bring the bug spray...ouch...earlier than usual.

[arel]

I have tons of small spiders in my home. The other night I killed about 10 of them. Then there are more.

My landlord says he has instructed his children not to kill the spiders, as the spiders kill the other bugs.

So I have hired some of my spiders as pest control. Their pay? They get to live.

But they are small, harmless looking spiders. Nothing from a science fiction movie.

I was picking ramps last week and the black flies were extremely annoying.

BTW, I only just learned about ramps, i.e. wild leeks. Yummy!!!!

[OhBeeHave]

Originally Posted by popeels2you

There always someone with an opinion who has no fact to base it on. LOOK at the map:
DVBID: Risk Map | CDC Lyme Disease (http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/lyme/riskmap.htm - broken link)
Look at northern Vermont! A few years ago northern Vermont had none. I guess we will blame migrating deer mice for bringing it here!

If you come from NYC, NJ, MA or CT and can afford a Subaru, Volvo or Healthy Living you can afford to dip your purebread black lab BEFORE you come here. I'll put it in plain english.... Infected ticks dropping off vector animals (dogs) spread the disease.

Herds of deer have not migrated to VT from lyme CT. The pretentious have arrived in droves with their dogs in tow. Why does Burington have to have so many dogs running everywhere anyway?

So you base your post on one map? Think hard. Deer ticks....deer. Have you seen many deer in NYC?

From the CDC website (from which you took the map link)
Lyme Disease Transmission[SIZE=3][/SIZE]
The Lyme disease bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi, normally lives in mice, squirrels and other small animals. It is transmitted among these animals – and to humans – through the bites of certain species of ticks. In the northeastern and north-central United States, the black-legged tick (or deer tick, Ixodes scapularis) transmits Lyme disease. In the Pacific coastal United States, the disease is spread by the western black-legged tick (Ixodes pacificus). Other major tick species found in the United States have not been shown to transmit Borrelia burgdorferi.


Let's look at the areas on the map which are black (elevated risk) and think about some factors those areas share in common -- relatively milder winters when compared with regions further north and inland (such as Burlington) Also there is a greater population density which means the greater incidence of Lyme disease per capita.

You can not simplify the spread of Lyme disease by blaming it on dogs brought to the state of Vermont by flatlanders. That's just plain silly. How would you explain all the risk areas on the map? Would you claim that everyone in the coastal north east is driving their dogs cross country in order to spread deer ticks?

[quickdraw]

Bugs are early and numerous this year. We have tons of what I think are blackflies-they usually hang around until the end of may. We have not been bitten, but anything that involves moving dirt-raking or digging etc. really brings them out.

Bugs are my only pet peeve of life in rural vermont. We wait all winter for spring and then we get these blackfly/gnats in May-deerflies from June to August-and of course mosquitoes. Bummer.

[arctichomesteader]

Originally Posted by quickdraw

Bugs are early and numerous this year. We have tons of what I think are blackflies-they usually hang around until the end of may. We have not been bitten, but anything that involves moving dirt-raking or digging etc. really brings them out.

Bugs are my only pet peeve of life in rural vermont. We wait all winter for spring and then we get these blackfly/gnats in May-deerflies from June to August-and of course mosquitoes. Bummer.

The little black flies are the worst bugs! I'd prefer mosquitoes...