Diseases spread by ticks hit record level in U.S.

[rangerrebew]

 

By Ashley Welch CBS News November 14, 2018, 4:15 PM
Diseases spread by ticks hit record level in U.S.

 

New government research shows that tickborne diseases like Lyme disease continue to rise. The report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds that in 2017, state and local health departments reported a record number of cases of illnesses spread by ticks.

Cases of Lyme disease, Powassan virus; spotted fever rickettsiosis, including Rocky Mountain spotted fever, anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, babesiosis and tularemia all increased last year. The CDC said there were 59,349 confirmed cases of tickborne diseases in 2017, up from 48,610 in 2016. In past years, health officials have acknowledged that the true number of cases is likely many times higher than the officially tally.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/record-number-of-tickborne-diseases-lyme-disease-reported-in-us-2017/

[roamer_1]

Guinea hens.
Problem solved.

[Sanguine]

Guinea hens.
Problem solved.

And, fire ants.

[roamer_1]

And, fire ants.

Wait, What?

Fire ants eat ticks, or Guinea hens eat fire ants?

[Sanguine]

Wait, What?

Fire ants eat ticks, or Guinea hens eat fire ants?

Where you have fire ants, you don't have ticks.  I'm a fire ant advocate.  They are a lot easier to avoid than are ticks.

[roamer_1]

Where you have fire ants, you don't have ticks.  I'm a fire ant advocate.  They are a lot easier to avoid than are ticks.

K... Sorry for the confusion. Ain't ever seen a fire ant in my life. 

But the forest is full  of ticks. And Guinea hens make em all gone. I know that.

Then the coyotes and other varmints make the Guinea hens gone.
They are an expendable asset, and a necessary one.

For some reason, they always sit under my bedroom window and scream about everything.
Which makes them even more expendable. 
I pretty well hate Guinea hens.
But I hate ticks more.

[Sanguine]

K... Sorry for the confusion. Ain't ever seen a fire ant in my life. 

But the forest is full  of ticks. And Guinea hens make em all gone. I know that.

Then the coyotes and other varmints make the Guinea hens gone.
They are an expendable asset, and a necessary one.

For some reason, they always sit under my bedroom window and scream about everything.
Which makes them even more expendable. 
I pretty well hate Guinea hens.
But I hate ticks more.

Fire ants are nasty little critters and cursed by many.  But, since I live out in the country and know what ticks were like before we had fire ants, I like seeing them around. 

Fire Ant Frequently Asked Questions

What are red imported fire ants? What makes them different from Texas native ants?

Red imported fire ants or Solenopsis invicta are medium-sized red and black colored ants that build mounds of soft soil. Mounds are rarely larger than 18″ in diameter. In cold, dry areas such as the High Plains of Texas, mounds are usually much smaller and harder to detect. When disturbed, fire ants emerge aggressively, crawling up vertical surfaces, biting and stinging “all at once”. Their sting usually leaves a white pustule on the skin. Worker fire ants vary in size from small (1/16 inch) to large (almost ¼ inch) in length. ...

https://fireant.tamu.edu/manage/faq/