Tick Ecology in NJ Pine Barrens?

[NJChileHead]

Just treated my clothes with permethrin.... Never had to do that in February before.

Same here.

Are we not warming more climate-wise? Look at this month. So, if it has a bearing on it, south Jersey is warmer than north jersey on average, so we'd get an increase in ticks before the North does.

BTW, I climbed a hill on the side of Monksville Reservoir (Passaic County) 10 years ago while fishing, and I got at least 40 ticks on me from that little jaunt.

We definitely are getting warmer, at least the past few years have shown that trend. Overall though, I'm referring to absolute number of tick encounters throughout the year, not earlier or later. I think if temperature affected the tick numbers that much, then Florida and much of the Southeast would be overrun and the Northeast would have fewer as you go farther north, but Massachusetts and Maine are said to be horrendous with them.

I realize that this is anecdotal, but my experience has been consistent over the years. I've gotten plenty of ticks on me in Morris County, Sussex, etc., while hiking and other outdoor adventures, but I'm really starting to believe that the Pine Barrens have it all beat as far as numbers. The second worst place I've ever encountered was in Northern Mercer/Southern Hunterdon County, believe it or not, but they were predominately dog ticks. I've just never seen anything like the Pine Barrens before as far as tick encounters, and so far it's overwhelmingly deer and lone star instead of dog ticks. There's also the fact that they are questing right on the pine needles on the trail. It's puzzling to me. Agree about eradicating them from the Earth.

 

[NJChileHead]

I thought this was an interesting article on the biodynamics of vector-borne disease. https://www.dovepress.com/the-relat...sion-risk-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-RRBS

This was a great article, thank you!

 

[Sue Gremlin]

Thank you for all the replies so far! Great info, and now my last question: why the heck are there so many more ticks in the pine forests than in other areas of NJ with typically deciduous forests? I once believed that there are the same number of ticks in the pines but that I'm encountering them more because of their different questing behavior, but now I find it almost irrefutable that the pines are overrun with them. Can anyone venture to guess why?

My best guess would be because the pines is where the hosts are. Hosts for Lone Star ticks are typically deer and wild turkeys but they need to feed a few times during their life, so they can choose a number of hosts, including you!

 

[manumuskin]

winter ticks go all the way in to their sphincter,hard as hell to pull out.In summer normally just the mouthparts

 

[Jon Holcombe]

I heard a report on NPR yesterday. Winter ticks are killing up to 70% of moose calves in New Hampshire. Scientists believe that global warming accounts for the prevelance of winter ticks. They've found up to 35,000-96,000 ticks on moose carcasses, so the calves are essentially dying from anemia. This February was the warmest on record. Also, based on threads on this site regarding fire supression in the pines, I have wondered if the lack of undergrowth clearing fire also explains why there are so many chiggers and possibly ticks.

http://nhpr.org/post/nhs-moose-population-decimated-winter-ticks-0#stream/0

 

[46er]

Stock up on permethrin, looks like it may be a really bad year for blood-suckers.

http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsan...ng-forecast-for-lyme-disease-in-the-northeast

 

[Jon Holcombe]

My wife asked me why I would spray all of my clothes, socks to hat, with a neurotoxin. Then she read this quite frightening article in the Medford Sun about this young man was misdiagnosed for years.

https://medfordsun.com/lymes-in-the-pines-379a32ae879#.1e5um1i6m

 

[Teegate]

We all must be very vigilant.

Jessica and I both now when it is not dark constantly scan my car after getting into it after we have returned home. The ticks hide and come out after they realize we are there. We never use it after coming home if another family member is with us unless the car has been in the hot sun all day with the windows closed on my blacktop driveway. We shower immediately after arriving home and the person who is second sits outside until the first is done. The clothes get thrown into the bathroom sink until finished showering and then directly to the washer and washed. I check the sink carefully for falloffs. Some people say to throw them in the dryer first and then wash but we have not resorted to that yet.

 

[Boyd]

Some people say to throw them in the dryer first and then wash but we have not resorted to that yet.

I saw an article awhile ago, should have posted it here but never got around to it. They cited recent results of tests that showed the majority of ticks could survive washing in hot water for 20 minutes. However they died rather quickly in a hot dryer. The article said the fastest way to kill a tick is to dehydrate it, they have very little resistance to that.

This would also imply that you have the right idea about parking your car in the hot sun.

[edit]I found the article. You may only be able to read part of the it if you aren't a subscriber. You can usually get around this restriction by searching for the article on Google. Just copy/paste the title into Google.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/a-six-minute-plan-to-rid-clothes-of-ticks-1464635032

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

A Six-Minute Plan to Rid Clothes of Ticks
New study alters old protocol of washing first

By ANN LUKITS
May 30, 2016 3:03 p.m. ET

There is a better way to kill ticks on your clothes than the method often recommended currently, new research suggests. The study, published online in the journal Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases, says just six minutes spinning dry clothes in a hot dryer should kill all the ticks and reduce the risk of tick-related illnesses.

 

[Jon Holcombe]

Similar articles that do not need sign in credentials. The first is a study.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27156138

http://www.outdoors.org/articles/amc-outdoors/like-to-kill-ticks-put-them-in-dryer/

http://blog.aarp.org/2013/04/03/to-kill-ticks-dry-clothes-then-wash-them/

 

[johnnyb]

Here's an interesting tick article:

https://www.newscientist.com/articl...set-to-explode-and-you-cant-protect-yourself/

 

[Sue Gremlin]

We have an effective vaccine for dogs, but not for people. We can thank the anti-vaccine crowd for that.

 

[old jersey girl]

there are issues with the vaccine. I had it administered to my lab/pit mix dog a few years back, and she had severe reaction. Tremors, loose stool, lethargy for 2days.
We definitely need an effective vaccine for both humans and companion species, but like everything else in applied science there is a risk/benefit decision. I have Lyme disease at least 3 times in the last 30 years, and a course of doxycycline resolved it each time. Important to have a doctor who knows the importance of immediate treatment based on clinical symptoms and the relative uselessness of lab tests. The CDC is not up-to-date here.
I have enough knowlege to dislike dousing my dogs with an organophosphate pesticide, But I just used one on both dogs to reduce the risk to them and me. I just completed a 10 day course of doxycycline after Lyme symptoms from a nymph stage tick I did not notice until the local reaction (itching ).
This despite a rigorous household routine of detailed body inspection (depressing at my age!), shower, separation of clothing worn outdoors, vacuuming every other day. I live in rural Cumberland County, NJ, where this year the deer tick population is huge. I have also found lone star ticks.
We keep the area adjacent to the house mowed very short, but with a large wooded half acre lot and a vegetable garden, we have a tick habitat.
The redtail hawk and great horned owls nesting here are not enough to keep the small mammals in check. I was delighted to see a 4 ft black rat snake in the yard last week.

About eradicating all ticks--- be carefull what you wish for. Each time we arrogant humans eliminate/introduce species in an ecosystem there is an unanticipated downside. See kudzu, abscence of wolves in Yellowstone, Asian snakehead, farmed salmon, the English ivy in my backyard.

Much as I dislike ticks, I suspect they are a necessary link. We need more info on how to control the vector species (mice, other small mammals).

And maybe less developement in critter territory? Fewer black bears would be put down if non-rural people didn't put up bird feeders and leave garbage outside when they moved into the woods.

 

[Sue Gremlin]

You put an organophosphate on your dogs!? There are MUCH safer, effective things to use.

Sorry about the repeated tick bites. How frustrating.

 

[46er]

You put an organophosphate on your dogs!? There are MUCH safer, effective things to use.

Bad stuff, really bad stuff.

https://www.vetinfo.com/organophosphate-poisoning-in-dogs.html

 

[Sue Gremlin]

For what it's worth, there are three new products out for dogs, they are all oral tablets (or treats) that control both fleas and ticks for a month or more. Especially black-legged ticks, which are fortunately very sensitive to this stuff. Nexgard, Bravecto and Simparica. For you pineys, I recommend any of these for your dogs. They are safe and they work really well. (Bravecto is labeled to give every 3 months for fleas and ticks, but if you look at the fine print, it is only effective against Lone Star ticks for 2 months, they are the least sensitive).

 

[manumuskin]

For what it's worth, there are three new products out for dogs, they are all oral tablets (or treats) that control both fleas and ticks for a month or more. Especially black-legged ticks, which are fortunately very sensitive to this stuff. Nexgard, Bravecto and Simparica. For you pineys, I recommend any of these for your dogs. They are safe and they work really well. (Bravecto is labeled to give every 3 months for fleas and ticks, but if you look at the fine print, it is only effective against Lone Star ticks for 2 months, they are the least sensitive).

Will these medications work for me? I don't know who picks up more ticks,me or the dogs?

 

[Sue Gremlin]

If I had a dollar for every person to ask me that question, I'd be retired by now. I wish!

 

[old jersey girl]

I used "organophosphate" as a generic reference to the stronger versions of topspot treatments. What I applied to my mutts, after a lot of research, was Frontline Plus. I decided against other topicals like Vectra or K9 Advantix 2 because they either contain permethrin or have a shorter usage record.
I also called both the local vets I use for feedback. They are selling either the newer spot products or only the orally ingested products. I would rather have the chemicals in my animals hair follicles/skin than ingested.
Yeah, I know there is systemic absorption topically, but again fewer reported problems.

The vet practice I asked which only carrys the oral products said people prefer that route "because its more convenient."

Also there a number of anecdotal reports of small dog reactions to these products. Maybe because the smaller guys with a larger surface area to mass ratio are getting proportionally larger doses per unit body weight? My small terrier mix is 12 lbs, so he got 0.50 ml . Manufacturer dose is 0.67 ml for 0 - 22 lb dog.
The other dog is 65lbs and has had treatment before with no issues.

I used the older product, Frontline, until it seemed less effective against fleas. Used the new version which contains s- methoprene instead of permethrin. Both dogs previously got Advantage 2 for fleas with no problems.

None of these products is innocuous: again, risk/benefit decision. Not a crapshoot, a decision.

I also bought the Sawyers unscented liquid permethrin spray to treat the long pants/shoes that I wear for brush cutting/yardwork. Hopefully no more near-invisible nymph-stage ticks inside my clothes.

!!

 

[46er]

Will these medications work for me?

The vet practice I asked which only carrys the oral products said people prefer that route "because its more convenient."

Our vet prefers the topical's, which is what we use. The issue's I have with the oral are should the animal have an adverse reaction there is no way to mitigate it, the meds are in the animals bloodstream, and some reports say they can remain for a much longer time than advertised. Also the animal has to first be bitten by the pest for the oral's to kill the pest; they work on the pest's nervous system, causing it to go 'out of control' and causing its death. Just does not pass the common sense threshold.

Some info from a vet that investigated the oral meds. I have not found any vet reports comparing topical to oral yet.
http://yourpetsneedthis.com/