NH TICKS: ALIVE AND WELL IN FALL ANDÂ WINTER:
At the bottom of this post is information about ticks taken from: Fact sheet by Alan Eaton, UNH Cooperative Extension Specialist, Entomology: May 2009 (thank you for this helpful information.)
Many of us believe that colder weather and snow is synonymous with saying goodbye to Ticks, those nasty spider-like creatures that threaten humans and pets alike, and welcoming the newfound freedom of long walks along nature trails. Unfortunately, this is not the case at all. Each year, it has been commonplace to find at least one or two ticks walking around on or even attached to our dogs. A little research into the subject brought to light that anytime in the winter when the weather raises to above 40 degrees those nasty ticks resurface and are ready to feast on an unsuspecting host.
I have been patiently waiting for at least the first frost to take my own dog into the beautiful nature trails, one of my favorite, is Mill Pond in West Newbury, Ma. Today, I was tempted to do just that but settled on taking Beauty, our Golden Retriever and our guest Tiny for a walk in the fields of Rebecca Farms Homestead in Danvers, Ma. Mindful of ticks, we remained on the wooded paths and away from the tall grassy fields.
Curious, about the upcoming chilly weather and the fate of ticks in NH, I consulted the UNH Extension website to learn more about the incidence of ticks in our area and the life cycle of this nasty creature. I have taken the liberty to include information from their website for your review. It is clear that ticks are alive and thriving all year in our area. Soft and hard ticks are of concern to us and pose the threat of serious health risks. Here is what the folks at the UNH Extension have to say on the subject of the winter ticks we encounter, and be forewarned, it is not pretty:
NEW HAMPSHIRE TICK SPECIES – WINTER TICK UNH EXTENSION FACT SHEET BY ALAN EATON, UNH COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SPECIALIST, AND ENTOMOLOGY: MAY 2009
“In New Hampshire winter ticks have been collected as far south as Durham, Nottingham, Wilton, and Roxbury, but the species is more common farther north. Hunters or other people active in the woods in October and November occasionally sit on, or place a hand on the ground in a group of larvae waiting for a host. As many as 50 larvae have been found on a glove or pant leg after such an encounter. The larvae are brown, slightly smaller than a pinhead. Sometimes moose are found in winter with large patches of bare skin, carrying hundreds of winter ticks. Such heavy infestations sometimes kill the moose. Normally ticks are found in lower numbers (not hundreds per animal) on moose and deer. Adult winter ticks look like slightly elongated versions of the American dog tick.
The brown dog tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus, is uncommon in New Hampshire, though it probably occurs throughout the state. This species is slightly smaller and slightly different in shape than the American dog tick. It is reddish-brown in color and lacks the mottling the Dermacentor species have. It has a life cycle very similar to other three-host ticks (like the Ameri¬can dog tick). It can be a problem in kennels and zoos, but rarely bites people. It has a strong tendency to crawl upwards and hides in cracks in kennel roofs or in ceilings or porches. In heated buildings, it can appear at any time of the year. It is unlikely this tick would be found anywhere but in or adjacent to kennels or houses where dogs are kept. This species can spread two diseases to dogs: canine Erlichiosis and canine babesiosis.
The blacklegged tick (deer tick), Ixodes scapularis, is our second most common species. Until 1993, northern specimens were considered a dif¬ferent species, called the deer tick (Ixodes dammini). It looks similar to the tick species mentioned above, but is smaller and more rounded. It lacks the mottling of Dermacentor species. Adult males are very dark brown, almost black. Adult females are two-toned: dark chestnut browns on head, legs and sputum, and orange-red on the rear half of the body. Nymphs are about the size of a pinhead (1-2mm), and adults are just over 1/16″ (2-3 mm) long. When fully engorged with a blood meal, an adult female-blacklegged tick can swell to 3/8-inch (10 mm) long.
This species has received much attention because it is the vector of (transmits) the organism that causes Lyme disease. A 2007 study also found two additional pathogens in some NH black legged ticks: the pathogens that cause babesiosis and anaplasmosis in people.†Alan Eaton, UNH Cooperative Extension Specialist, Entomology: May 2009
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