Bramblings: Ticks of the trade

By BECKY NELSON
By Becky Nelson

About a week ago, I was settling into my recliner by the bay window when a hummingbird flew up to the spot that held a male ruby-throated hummingbird feeder all last summer. It was cold and windy and I felt for the little fella. I read somewhere that they precede their female counterparts, looking for a good place to nest and checking out the territory for food. They aren’t finding much food yet this spring, as lilac blossoms seem to be a ways away here at the farm. We have a few tulips and daffodils left, and the apple blossoms are opening, so they should be okay in time. We saw a hummingbird working the apple blossoms the other day, not an unusual sight, but knew we had better get the feeder ready for outdoor dining for our little feathered friends.

I make my own hummingbird food at a rate of 4 to 1 sugar to water, so it was just an exercise of a few minutes to locate the feeders, rinse them off, fill them up and hang them out by the windows both in the front and the back of the house. Within minutes, my little friend and maybe another (one looks smaller) were visiting regularly and the restaurant has been busy for days now.

While I was hanging the feeders, I managed to pick up a tick. Ticks seem to everywhere this spring: in the fields, in the forests, in the lawn, in the greenhouses, and even in the car and house. I think we carry the horrid hitchhikers with us on our clothing into our driving and living quarters, and they take advantage whenever they can.

I have been treating the lower parts of my pant legs and my boots with permethrin to try to keep them from crawling up my clothing when I work, and I think it has shown some limited success. There are so many this year, however, that it may be a futile attempt. The best check is the evening tick check. I think we miss some, however, as we sometimes have the nasty buggers attached to us in the morning when we do a shower tick check.

I was treated for Lyme disease a couple of years ago, catching it before it affected my joints and internal systems, but I have a friend who was not so lucky. She was treated for it for an extended time and it wiped her out with lots of joint pain and swelling and a long time of exhaustion. Lyme disease is nothing to fool around with as it can have long term detrimental symptoms. I wish there was a vaccine for it, as it is always in my mind when I work outside…which is every day.have to be aware of the ticks of the trade! The trade of farming requires me not to ignore the risks of the ticks around here carrying Lyme disease, Powassan virus, babesiosis and anaplasmosis. All of these diseases are carried by ticks in our area, and all can be devastating to health. It is imperative if you will be outside to take as many tick precautions as possible. Tuck your pant legs into your socks and tape them if possible. Wear DEET products to keep bugs away. Treat your clothing with permethrin if you work outside often. Be aware and tick-check several times per day. Wash your clothing immediately each day in hot water and dry with hot air. Shower in the evening if possible and tick check carefully as the nymphs are very small and easily missed.

New Hampshire has one of the largest tally of incidents of tick disease in the country. Keep safe. Stay ticked-off.

For more information about ticks in New Hampshire, visit https://bit.ly/3flQ9Bp.

Becky Nelson is co-owner of Beaver Pond Farm in Newport, New Hampshire. [email protected].