Tick-Eating Guinea Hen (as) Weapon Against Lyme Disease - MA (CBS-WBZ-TV 6/14)

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Tick-Eating Guinea Hen (as) Weapon Against Lyme Disease

BELCHERTOWN, Mass. (CBS) ― There's another summer health threat on the rise

in Massachusetts and other states with tick populations -- Lyme disease.

Lyme Disease is spread by ticks, and it can be debilitating. Tiny ticks are

barely noticeable to humans. But they survive by sucking blood.

Wayland police Officer Mark Wilkens, like many, was bit by a tick and now

has Lyme diseases.

" I ached and broke out in sweats, " he said. " It was just under my vest --

the bulls eye -- the typical identifier that you have Lyme disease. There's no

real cure for it. It's just one of those things. "

Because of a wet winter, Massachusetts is bracing for a bad tick season.

" There are just more ticks out there, and I think we are going to have a

bumper crop of ticks this year, " said Department of Public Health epidemiologist

Dr. Alfred Demaria.

One woman has discovered a weapon that gets rid of the bugs by eating them.

" They've dropped off dramatically to the point where we no longer put flea

and tick powder on the dog, " said Tetrault, who owns a farm with two

llamas, a dog and a yard that used to be filled with ticks.

.. Tetrault is using guinea fowl -- an African bird that is a bit bigger than

a chicken and has a very healthy appetite for all kinds of bugs, and worms

-- to rid her yard of ticks.

" They see things that you and I wouldn't see, " Tetrault explained. " Their

eyesight is very good. They see even tiny things. They just take steps and as

they go they gobble things up, and they do that everyday. "

She has even trained them to come running when she rings a bell. Otherwise,

they roam not far from their coupe, and all day long peck away at the tick

population.

They even warn when a stranger is approaching.

" They will even let you know when the mailman is coming down or a salesman,

or a mother-in-law. "

So, they eat lots of ticks, they'll warn when an intruder comes near and

they'll give fresh eggs. So what's the drawback?

Well there's one thing.

They're loud -- really loud.

" They talk a lot and when they do you can hear them, " Tetrault said.

On Tetrault's 10 acres the noise isn't a problem. But she knows these birds

may not be for everyone, especially for those who have nearby neighbors.

" If there's a concern about the noise, if everyone understood the benefits

of them, maybe they would hear voices instead of noise, " she said.

Guinea fowl breeders say the birds are inexpensive and low-maintenance. But

you do have to make sure they have shelter and food and plenty of room to

roam.

(© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. .)

Coughlan, President

MA Lyme Disease Awareness Assoc.

Cape Cod, MA

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