Thursday, April 26, 2012

Ticks are out - Meet the intruder!



Not too much bothers Cindy except for ticks. She felt something on her neck after a hike, saw it a tick and gave it a flick! It landed somewhere on the carpet. DOH!! Meanwhile after vacuuming to try and suck it up, it had not actually flicked, but had stuck on her clothes and once again she felt it on my neck!! I rescued the tick! lol Meet the intruder!

Spring is tick is season of the tick. This one came home with us from our trip up to Myra Canyon. These little things pose a danger to humans and animals.

Ticks feed on blood by attaching to animals or people with their mouth parts. Females are a little larger than males and when they're full of blood can be as big as a grape. Younger tick life stages are smaller and, when unfed, are lighter in colour. People and pets can pick up ticks by brushing against vegetation.

Lyme disease is an illness caused by the bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi, which can be spread through the bite of certain types of ticks. Lyme disease in humans can have serious symptoms but can be effectively treated. Lyme disease has been reported in parts of Europe, Asia, and throughout much of North America.




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