adult ticks can be active in temperatures as low as 28 degrees F.

[Guest guest]

2 years ago during a warm winter, my son got deer tick bite with positive w

blot in FEBRUARY IN WISCONSIN!

I couldn't believe it. Searched web and found info that indicates in some

areas deer tick seem to be becoming more hardy to cold, lower temp, active

earlier. Also, whenever temps get almost to freeze or above, which means any

sunny day all winter where snow cover is not 100%, ticks will start moving!

So any south facing slope or hillside with no snow on sunny day in winter

could have active ticks. (unfortunately, can't now find links to source for

this info.)

" Deer ticks are among the first ticks to become active in the spring " iowa

public health

" deer ticks don't wait for spring to become active. The larger adult stage

deer ticks that were left over from the fall (didn't find a host) emerge

from under the snow as soon as the ground thaws. They can be active anytime

the temperature is above or even close to freezing as long as the ground is

not frozen or covered with snow. It is common at this time of year for adult

deer ticks to be quite active-they climb up shrubby vegetation about

knee-high and hope to latch on if a host comes by. In NJ, by late

March/early April, you may also begin finding Lone Star tick adults and

adult stage dog ticks. "

http://www.tickencounter.org/FAQ

from the tick identification

laboratory in Penn State's entomology department

s warned that without snow cover, these adult ticks can be active in

temperatures as low as 28 degrees F. " You could be hunting in a place,

sitting on a log -- which actually would be one of the worst places to be --

as the sun comes up and the temperature rises, " s warned. " It could be

30 degrees, and ticks could crawl off that log or from vegetation

surrounding you. You may not think that ticks would be a problem when it's

so cold, but in fact they can be active. "

Hunters also could encounter ticks on any deer they harvest. " Male ticks

will stay with deer over the winter, " said s. " It becomes sort of a

'singles bar' for ticks, with the males waiting for the off-chance of

finding a female hanging around to reproduce with.

" If you find crawling arthropods on the stomach or between the hind legs of

a deer, those are likely to be biting flies or 'deer keds,' which drop their

wings and attach to feed, " he continued. " But if you find what appear to be

ticks around the ears, eyes and neck, there's a good chance they're deer

ticks, which then could crawl onto people or pets. "

[Guest guest]

I found an engorged tick at the base of my daughters spine in December 1997.

It was a cold Winter - Nov. had been quite frigid. I assume tick had latched

2 wks before I found it.

Ticks also seem to be capable of activity if they hunker down in warm MULCH,

leaf piles, logs...

I think that the common place advice to only look for them in warmer months

is ill advised and actually erroneous.

They can live in all kinds of environments, and we have to think about this.

There are always " warm " places that bugs and arthropods can hide in.

On Thu, Mar 24, 2011 at 1:49 AM, kendra zoa <kendraz@...> wrote:

>

>

> 2 years ago during a warm winter, my son got deer tick bite with positive w

> blot in FEBRUARY IN WISCONSIN!

> I couldn't believe it. Searched web and found info that indicates in some

> areas deer tick seem to be becoming more hardy to cold, lower temp, active

> earlier. Also, whenever temps get almost to freeze or above, which means

> any

> sunny day all winter where snow cover is not 100%, ticks will start moving!

> So any south facing slope or hillside with no snow on sunny day in winter

> could have active ticks. (unfortunately, can't now find links to source for

> this info.)

>

> " Deer ticks are among the first ticks to become active in the spring " iowa

> public health

>

> " deer ticks don't wait for spring to become active. The larger adult stage

> deer ticks that were left over from the fall (didn't find a host) emerge

> from under the snow as soon as the ground thaws. They can be active anytime

> the temperature is above or even close to freezing as long as the ground is

> not frozen or covered with snow. It is common at this time of year for

> adult

> deer ticks to be quite active-they climb up shrubby vegetation about

> knee-high and hope to latch on if a host comes by. In NJ, by late

> March/early April, you may also begin finding Lone Star tick adults and

> adult stage dog ticks. "

> http://www.tickencounter.org/FAQ

>

> from the tick identification

> laboratory in Penn State's entomology department

>

> s warned that without snow cover, these adult ticks can be active in

> temperatures as low as 28 degrees F. " You could be hunting in a place,

> sitting on a log -- which actually would be one of the worst places to be

> --

> as the sun comes up and the temperature rises, " s warned. " It could be

> 30 degrees, and ticks could crawl off that log or from vegetation

> surrounding you. You may not think that ticks would be a problem when it's

> so cold, but in fact they can be active. "

>

> Hunters also could encounter ticks on any deer they harvest. " Male ticks

> will stay with deer over the winter, " said s. " It becomes sort of a

> 'singles bar' for ticks, with the males waiting for the off-chance of

> finding a female hanging around to reproduce with.

>

> " If you find crawling arthropods on the stomach or between the hind legs of

> a deer, those are likely to be biting flies or 'deer keds,' which drop

> their

> wings and attach to feed, " he continued. " But if you find what appear to be

> ticks around the ears, eyes and neck, there's a good chance they're deer

> ticks, which then could crawl onto people or pets. "

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

>

>

> There are always " warm " places that bugs and arthropods can hide in.

true, however with such low temperatures the ticks are not trying to hitch a

ride; so the risk of being bitten by just walking around is very low. Only for

children and others who 'roll around in the dirt' there is still some risk.

[Guest guest]

Perhaps my point was not clear: I am trying to say that whether they are

questing or not, there is hardly a time of the year when we should not be

vigilant and pay attention. That's all.

On Wed, Apr 6, 2011 at 2:27 PM, knot_weed <tek0nik@...> wrote:

>

>

>

>

>

> >

> >

> > There are always " warm " places that bugs and arthropods can hide in.

>

> true, however with such low temperatures the ticks are not trying to hitch

> a ride; so the risk of being bitten by just walking around is very low. Only

> for children and others who 'roll around in the dirt' there is still some

> risk.

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Knotweed, does that mean when my dogs roll in the tall grass the tick would

likely get on them? Doug

> From: knot_weed <tek0nik@...>

> Subject: [ ] Re: adult ticks can be active in temperatures as

low as 28 degrees F.

>

> Date: Wednesday, April 6, 2011, 2:27 PM

>

>

>

> >

> >

> > There are always " warm " places that bugs and

> arthropods can hide in.

>

> true, however with such low temperatures the ticks are not

> trying to hitch a ride; so the risk of being bitten by just

> walking around is very low. Only for children and others who

> 'roll around in the dirt' there is still some risk.

>

>

>

> ------------------------------------

>

> Buy Healing Lyme: Natural Healing And Prevention of Lyme

> Borreliosis And Its Coinfections by Buhner at one of

> these locations:

> http://tinyurl.com/3bgm5d

>

>

[Guest guest]

>

> Knotweed, does that mean when my dogs roll in the tall grass the tick would

likely get on them? Doug

Only in the warmer times of the year IMHO; the ticks are not questing in

wintertime, they stay below the leaves (or below the snow). But I guess that

often beneath the tall grass there is some dead plant material than can harbor

ticks.

[Guest guest]

Knotweed, I cherish my walks in the wild, which I tell myself are ok after a

couple of good freezes here in N.C., USA. I will accept your opinion, affording

me 4 good months of peace in the wild. Doug

> From: knot_weed <tek0nik@...>

> Subject: [ ] Re: adult ticks can be active in temperatures as

low as 28 degrees F.

>

> Date: Saturday, April 9, 2011, 5:22 AM

>

>

>

> >

> > Knotweed, does that mean when my dogs roll in the tall

> grass the tick would likely get on them? Doug

>

> Only in the warmer times of the year IMHO; the ticks are

> not questing in wintertime, they stay below the leaves (or

> below the snow). But I guess that often beneath the tall

> grass there is some dead plant material than can harbor

> ticks.

>

>

>

> ------------------------------------

>

> Buy Healing Lyme: Natural Healing And Prevention of Lyme

> Borreliosis And Its Coinfections by Buhner at one of

> these locations:

> http://tinyurl.com/3bgm5d

>

>

[Guest guest]

M. I will check my light colored pants, even though I do not contact any grass,

but my mostly black Springer Spaniels will be more vulnerable as I can't check

for small ticks on the black fur. Doug

>

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > >

> > >

> > > There are always " warm " places that bugs and

> arthropods can hide in.

> >

> > true, however with such low temperatures the ticks are

> not trying to hitch

> > a ride; so the risk of being bitten by just walking

> around is very low. Only

> > for children and others who 'roll around in the dirt'

> there is still some

> > risk.

> >

> > 

> >

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

I live in a heavily wooded area, where most of the neighborhood (people and

dogs) have tick borne illnesses. I got infected immediately after moving from

New York City. While it was winter and I was not spending time outdoors, the

family dog probably got them on her and they got on me. I had symptoms starting

in February, but did not see the rashes on my legs until skirt season in June,

when I finally made the connection between the bull's eyes and how I was

feeling.

Point is, I think I'm at risk here all year round.

Shelter Pups Rock!...find your new best friend @ http://www.awla.org

________________________________

From: douglas richey <dglsrichey@...>

Sent: Sat, April 9, 2011 11:38:17 AM

Subject: Re: [ ] Re: adult ticks can be active in temperatures as

low as 28 degrees F.

Knotweed, I cherish my walks in the wild, which I tell myself are ok after a

couple of good freezes here in N.C., USA. I will accept your opinion, affording

me 4 good months of peace in the wild. Doug

> From: knot_weed <tek0nik@...>

> Subject: [ ] Re: adult ticks can be active in temperatures as

low

>as 28 degrees F.

>

> Date: Saturday, April 9, 2011, 5:22 AM

>

>

>

> >

> > Knotweed, does that mean when my dogs roll in the tall

> grass the tick would likely get on them? Doug

>

> Only in the warmer times of the year IMHO; the ticks are

> not questing in wintertime, they stay below the leaves (or

> below the snow). But I guess that often beneath the tall

> grass there is some dead plant material than can harbor

> ticks.

>

>

>

> ------------------------------------

>

> Buy Healing Lyme: Natural Healing And Prevention of Lyme

> Borreliosis And Its Coinfections by Buhner at one of

> these locations:

> http://tinyurl.com/3bgm5d

>

>

[Guest guest]

Yep. Freezing temps don't protect us. Lymeover

Sent via BlackBerry by AT & T

[ ] Re: adult ticks can be active in temperatures as

low as 28 degrees F.

>

> Date: Saturday, April 9, 2011, 5:22 AM

>

>

>

> >

> > Knotweed, does that mean when my dogs roll in the tall

> grass the tick would likely get on them? Doug

>

> Only in the warmer times of the year IMHO; the ticks are

> not questing in wintertime, they stay below the leaves (or

> below the snow). But I guess that often beneath the tall

> grass there is some dead plant material than can harbor

> ticks.

>

>

>

> ------------------------------------

>

> Buy Healing Lyme: Natural Healing And Prevention of Lyme

> Borreliosis And Its Coinfections by Buhner at one of

> these locations:

> http://tinyurl.com/3bgm5d

>

>