It is Often Hard to See Danger

Resmis and Dipuc spent the early morning picking ticks off the pulling deer.  Wood ticks are common to them; but the tiny black-legged ticks now frequently found on the animals are becoming much more prevalent in the forest margins, and are likely being brought to the area by migrating birds.  Although Nubbins are not affected by the ticks, as oil in their skin repels them, they are concerned by the number of ticks found on just one deer.   The deer do not seem to exhibit symptoms of illness, yet they know that the ticks carry a disease, a disease which has become more common among the tall ones living nearby.   It is said one child of the tall ones presently cannot walk because of the illness, and is being pushed around in a cart with wheels.  Knowing this is bothersome to the Nubbins, for they usually can find herbal remedies for diseases, even those suffered only by the tall ones, but not in this case.  

Though the elders have long studied the ticks, both adult and nymph stages, they have not found anything apparent on which to build a recipe.  They have learned that the ticks have a two-year life cycle, and like all species of ticks, they require a blood meal to progress to each successive stage in their life cycle. They also have concluded that the disease is likely associated with the white-footed mouse, and it appears the ticks are infected when feeding on this particular rodent.  The disease is then passed on when biting to achieve another blood meal for the next life stage.  This, they are fairly sure of.  Because it is so small, the bite of the nymph is most likely the cause of the disease.  The best way for the tall ones to avoid it is to keep the ticks off their skin and to stay out of areas where the ticks are prevalent.  

The elders have walked the paths frequented by the tall ones, and here they have found the ticks in great numbers.  So small are the dangerous infected nymphs, they can hardly be seen; hanging on the grass, waiting to hitch a ride to get a blood meal on whatever comes along: a deer, a dog, a bird or a tall one.

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 This black legged tick (Ixodes scapularis) is also known as the deer tick.  Ticks are not insects, but are members of the arachnid family.  Adults are about the size of a sesame or apple seed. Nymphs are much smaller about the size of a poppy seed.  Nymphs are active during the late spring and summer months (May to July) and adults are active during the spring and fall.   Most people get Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorferi) during the summer from infected nymphs because of their small size. Adult deer ticks are large enough to be noticed and generally people can remove them before becoming infected.   Hence, fewer Lyme disease cases are reported outside of the summer months.  The key to avoiding infection is to stay out of vegetated areas, tuck pants into socks when out on walks, wear light colored clothing, and use a repellant with DEET.