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Our family is planning to move from Queens to Westchester...I've encountered a lot of articles about coyote encounters in some parts of Westchester and ticks...How big of a problem is the tick situation? We are thinking of settling in Mamaroneck...Do I really need to check my child every single day? I've read stories online where people suggest checking the belly button...in between the butt cheeks...It seems like a LOT of work...And it looks like there are a lot of deer in Mamaroneck...I am trying to weigh the benefit of good education against constant worry about Lyme disease and stuff...Thank you.
Yup, ticks are just a part of suburban life and they're all over the place, especially this summer after such a mild winter. We have a big backyard and always check the dogs, kids and ourselves. I've found keeping the yard as neat as possible helps, but ticks are tough little buggers and nothing works 100% of the time. If you have young kids a tick check can be quick and playful.
I think ticks are a problem anywhere outside of the city where the kids (or adults) will be playing in the grass, going to a park, hiking on a nature trail....
Oh sure. We have small dogs and the kids wrestle with them on the grass. We've occasionally found ticks on their heads and behind their ears. I had to pull one off my back the other day after pulling up old hedges. I was always casual about ticks, but with the spread of Lyme disease it's good to be more careful. There's videos all over about the proper way to remove them.
when you say on their heads...like literally on top or by the hair line....so if someone has long hair you really need to comb through it to see if there are any ticks? what I am concerned about if I live somewhere in Westchester, where ticks are an issue, and I also have a big yard and stuff...will it be part of my every day to check children for ticks? I am trying to assess how much of a big deal is it...like they come from school...I need to check them....they come in the evening after spending a day outside....I need to check them....they play with a dog...I need to check them....they go camping...I definitely need to check them...is it worth moving to Westchester then...? Is the risk worth it? Dockside?
Also, if there are people from the city who moved to the suburbs and went through the same thought process, please let me know...I am trying to see whether a good school district is worth it to be subjected to a potential health hazard?
We spray 3 times a year, keep grass mowed, and instruct kids to stay out of the woods unless they are on a maintained trail, or wearing hiking pants tucked into their socks. We check them at bed time, and they shower daily and check themselves too. I also put out treated nesting material around the wooded areas of our property so rodents who gather it and nest are likewise unknowingly helping out.
Advatix on the dog, and so far, so good. Dog got 2 ticks the first week we moved in, but once we took the precautions, we've all been clean so far, even with kids in camp, and with family hikes on the weekends.
We moved up from Long Island a few months ago, and it hasn't been so bad, although it has been a very dry summer.
For what it's worth, I've had ticks on me at Heckscher State Park, in the Hamptons, on Shelter Island and Fire Island, too, so this is an issue everywhere. A friend of mine who lives in Queens was bitten in Flushing Meadow Park and contracted Lyme! So, really, the precautions will serve you well wherever you decide to live, are not terribly onerous, and will become second nature and automatic over time.
"I am trying to weigh the benefit of good education against constant worry about Lyme disease and stuff."
There is nothing really to weigh here, you can get Lyme disease in Queens too, and every tick bite does not result in Lyme. A quality education will always outweigh this particular "health hazard." I would be more worried about pollution and traffic dangers in Queens than lyme in Westchester. Lyme disease is easily treated as long as it's caught early on (I've had it and am fine). However, anytime your child is outdoors in a grassy area then yea you should do a quick check if they are young and teach them how to do it themselves for when they're older.
Don't let the ticks and Lyme threat keep you from Westchester (the property taxes will do that on its own...LOL...)
My child was bitten at 2 y.o. and got Lyme but it was spotted early and defeated. We do quick checks after roaming certain areas but haven't had any issue since.
We did become shy from frequenting Stone Barns Center & Farm. She got bit in a tall grassy field there and only after the fact did we notice they had warning signs there about ticks.
Much more benefit to living in Westchester against a minute risk, though, IMHO.
1. If you see deer in or around your property then you WILL most definitely have to deal with deer ticks.
2. Ticks jump from host to host throughout the season, hence if you get bit late in the season you will have a higher chance of contracting Lyme. If you get bit early on, say March, unless you see the bulls-eye, just pull them right out.
3. To safely remove a tick grab it by the base and slowly pull them out so that you get the head out too.
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