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The causes of the deer tick population explosion are probably the warm winters and the expansion of medium density human populations. It isn't that there are that many more people in Maine, but that there are more clumps of land where deer cannot be harvested. Monhegan Island was a perfect example, and we've got hundreds of those types of areas all over the state. One of the first was my home town, Cape Elizabeth. They, in their infinite Massachusetts wisdom, banned hunting decades ago. The end result was a HUGE deer population (with deer getting hit by cars almost every day) and an even larger deer tick population. Deer can live almost anywhere, and even live on the University of Maine Bangor campus in the middle of Bangor. These herds located in human populated areas cannot be harvested even if the will existed to do so. Then of course we have Little Massachusetts (southern Maine), where it is almost impossible to find land not posted.
If you look at the map in the BDN, you'll see the areas with low Lyme Disease infected ticks are those with low concentrations of humans.
When will people in these areas wise up and exterminate all, or at least most, of the deer?
Exterminate all or at least most of the deer in this entire state? Not likely.
I'm still waiting for when people don't think that every blessed deer tick that lands on them will automatically cause lyme disease.
I plucked one off my leg this hunting season. It was a deer tick. It was pretty buried when I found it, but when an ER doctor friend of mine looked at it, and asked me how long it was attached (less than 12 hours by my estimation) he promptly "pfffttt" it. We watched it for the next month for the telltale sign of the bullseye of Lyme. Zip, zero, nada.
He didn't recommend poisoning myself with doxycycline (and neither did my own PCP the next week when I saw her for something else). Antibiotics are resistant enough these days. Physicians are extremely hesitant to prescribe them as much as before because there are truly evil diseases which have become resistant to all but the few antibiotics that can nearly kill a human now. MRSA has been definitively linked to antibiotic overuse. You can't fool Mother Nature.
He did mention the ridiculous amount of panicky "bug inna bag people" tying up Emergency beds because they were convinced they were going to die in a year though.
Deer ticks are not going away. Ever. Being prudent about inspecting for them, preventing them from attaching to you in the first place, and keeping an eye out for the bullseye mark they may leave on you are good ways to deal with them.
Exterminate all or at least most of the deer in this entire state? Not likely.
I'm still waiting for when people don't think that every blessed deer tick that lands on them will automatically cause lyme disease.
I plucked one off my leg this hunting season. It was a deer tick. It was pretty buried when I found it, but when an ER doctor friend of mine looked at it, and asked me how long it was attached (less than 12 hours by my estimation) he promptly "pfffttt" it. We watched it for the next month for the telltale sign of the bullseye of Lyme. Zip, zero, nada.
He didn't recommend poisoning myself with doxycycline (and neither did my own PCP the next week when I saw her for something else). Antibiotics are resistant enough these days. Physicians are extremely hesitant to prescribe them as much as before because there are truly evil diseases which have become resistant to all but the few antibiotics that can nearly kill a human now. MRSA has been definitively linked to antibiotic overuse. You can't fool Mother Nature.
He did mention the ridiculous amount of panicky "bug inna bag people" tying up Emergency beds because they were convinced they were going to die in a year though.
Deer ticks are not going away. Ever. Being prudent about inspecting for them, preventing them from attaching to you in the first place, and keeping an eye out for the bullseye mark they may leave on you are good ways to deal with them.
Exterminating all deer though? Not practical.
My Dw was telling about about some article she read. The most effective method of preventing lyme? To take a shower after you have been out romping in the woods.
Apparently it takes a long time for the buggers to burrow into your skin; and they hate soap and water.
Of course it would not hurt if somebody did an inspection while you were all wet. Just to make sure, you know. So, ... that should keep everyone happy.
I don't think that exterminating all deer is necessary. Simply rolling the herd numbers back to what they were in say, 1975 might be a good start, however, for at least southern New England.
I can deal with a tick now and then. It's looking down on my pant leg and pulling them off 2 and 3 at a time, in February no less, that's getting tiring.
By the way, I have been bitten I would say, about 5 to 12 times per year, over the past 4 years or so, and still test negative for Lyme and feel fine. I probably brush off a hundred or more, loose ticks off my clothing in a year too. (Last spring I was bitten quite a bit less, however, when I really started blasting Deep Woods OFF with deet all over my clothing. In the winter, long underwear covering one's socks, and having the top underwear tucked into the bottoms, goes a long way towards keeping the ticks out. I've still had some crawl up my sleeves, however.)
Believe me, I got over the *terror* of finding a deer tick a LONG time ago. But they are still mighty annoying.
I pull them off right away, and do tick shower/inspections most every time I've been in the woods, at least near my relatives' houses in MA and my MA worksite, and douse the bite site before and after tick removal with hydrogen peroxide. I also have a special tool, called a Tick Twister, that looks a bit like a plastic crocheting needle, that gets underneath a tick and pulls it out without squeezing it (so as to keep from shoving it's stomach contents back into the wound.) Still, sooner or later, even with diligent shower inspections, I miss some. Mercifully, they are seldom on my back side. I think the reason they are mostly on my front side is because they naturally tend to be there, having brushed onto me as I'm walking around. If I were to make a habit of walking around the woods backwards, however, I suspect that's where I'd start finding them.
Still, the shear number of black footed ticks and deer around eastern MA nowadays, is just not natural - or healthy.
As for antibiotic abuse, that would be the medicated livestock feed industry. Their use accounts for what, over 90 percent of the antibiotic use in this country, but I do agree, don't bother dosing yourself for every little tick bite.
One other casualty of the tick explosion is kids. I have a MUCH, MUCH tougher time getting kids and students out into the woods these days. One red, painful tick bite and most kids are done with the woods for the rest of their stay at our residential treatment school.
I will say though that many of you would have a different opinion of a few of these points if you actually got Lyme Disease. For me anyway, these last few weeks have been brutal. It is hard enough to get up at 3 AM and go to work and crawl around inside a ship all day, then come home from work and work with the sheep until 7 PM, all that without pain. Adding in severe pain just makes it almost unbearable at times. I realize I am whining here, but man it really sucks guys....
I also realize for many of you, contracting Lyme is a result of a leisurely walk in the woods, but for a few of us being in the woods and fields is part of our work load, for instance I got it when opening up a hay bale for my sheep. I remember the bite, but because of a lack of health insurance, it went undiagnosed for months. Two trips to the Emergency Room caused the disease to go undetected because most of the tell-tale symptoms like bulls-eye rash and stuff was long gone. In the end I know first hand how reluctant Dr's are at prescribing antibiotics now; in particular from the Thayer Hospital in Waterville.
As for the extinction of deer, we no longer allow deer hunting on our farm; partly to do with the disgusting behavior of hunters, but also because of the deer themselves. If coyotes (which we do allow to be hunted profusely) are dining on venison, they won't be snacking on lamb nearly as much. So yes I am still very glad there is a bounty on coyotes and not deer.
Sorry about the whining, I am just trying to give people a different perspective on Lyme Disease...
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Quote:
Originally Posted by OutDoorNut
Deer ticks need to feed on deer for the tick to be able to mate and produce more ticks.
Kill the deer, and no more ticks.
That's how some places, like Mohegan Island, solved their Lyme disease problem.
Kill the deer!
Just another example of over-the-top, extremism. Killing all or most of the deer is a ridiculous, inane, thought that hopefully is only taken as it it should be; foolish.
Just another example of over-the-top, extremism. Killing all or most of the deer is a ridiculous, inane, thought that hopefully is only taken as it it should be; foolish.
The other option is to get rid of the people. No more lyme disease.
As for the extinction of deer, we no longer allow deer hunting on our farm; partly to do with the disgusting behavior of hunters, but also because of the deer themselves. If coyotes (which we do allow to be hunted profusely) are dining on venison, they won't be snacking on lamb nearly as much. So yes I am still very glad there is a bounty on coyotes and not deer.
Sorry about the whining, I am just trying to give people a different perspective on Lyme Disease...
Well, you have my sympathies about the having contracted Lyme disease, but I'm not sure what your point is here. You have allowed where you work and live to become a reservoir for deer ticks. Because of that choice, you have substantially increased the probability of you and your family (and pets) being exposed to the disease. As with all choices, there are consequences.
For the safety of your family, I advise you to come up with a method of encouraging the harvesting of deer on your property (perhaps by permit) so you can reduce your exposure.
Just another example of over-the-top, extremism. Killing all or most of the deer is a ridiculous, inane, thought that hopefully is only taken as it it should be; foolish.
You'll change your tune when tourism drops off.
And when no more nature lovers want to move to Maine and buy homes and spend money.
I'm a hunter and fisherman, but I no longer go into the woods in any state where deer ticks and Lyme disease are prevalent.
I will say though that many of you would have a different opinion of a few of these points if you actually got Lyme Disease. For me anyway, these last few weeks have been brutal. It is hard enough to get up at 3 AM and go to work and crawl around inside a ship all day, then come home from work and work with the sheep until 7 PM, all that without pain. Adding in severe pain just makes it almost unbearable at times. I realize I am whining here, but man it really sucks guys....
I also realize for many of you, contracting Lyme is a result of a leisurely walk in the woods, but for a few of us being in the woods and fields is part of our work load, for instance I got it when opening up a hay bale for my sheep. I remember the bite, but because of a lack of health insurance, it went undiagnosed for months. Two trips to the Emergency Room caused the disease to go undetected because most of the tell-tale symptoms like bulls-eye rash and stuff was long gone. In the end I know first hand how reluctant Dr's are at prescribing antibiotics now; in particular from the Thayer Hospital in Waterville.
As for the extinction of deer, we no longer allow deer hunting on our farm; partly to do with the disgusting behavior of hunters, but also because of the deer themselves. If coyotes (which we do allow to be hunted profusely) are dining on venison, they won't be snacking on lamb nearly as much. So yes I am still very glad there is a bounty on coyotes and not deer.
Sorry about the whining, I am just trying to give people a different perspective on Lyme Disease...
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