Tick, Tick, Tick!

photo courtesy of cdc.gov

Whether you like to go hiking or camping this time of year, or just walk out into your yard, you or someone in your family is likely to encounter a tick at some point.  These small arachnids are widely distributed worldwide, but they flourish in countries with warm, humid climates.  In the US, tick season is generally April through September.  So, as we get started in tick season, here are a few tidbits to help you prevent tick bites and know how to properly remove a tick.


Prevention:
First, knowing the ideal habitat of ticks can help you avoid these areas altogether or be more cautious when you are in these areas.  Locations with sandy soil, hardwood trees, rivers, and deer are good predictors of dense tick populations.

• When possible, avoid grassy areas and shrubs where ticks may be waiting to hitch a ride.
• Wear light colored clothing, so that ticks can be easily seen and brushed off.
• Tuck your pants into your boots or socks.
• Apply insect repellant to skin or clothing based on label directions.
• Check yourself, others, and pets if exposed to tick areas.

Removing ticks:
So, you find a tick on yourself, your child, or your pet.  How do you get it off?

• Use tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible.
• Detach by pulling upward without crushing, jerking, or twisting to avoid leaving behind mouthparts or causing infective fluids to be pushed back into the wound.
• Disinfect the bite area using soap and water or a mild disinfectant. 
• DO NOT try to burn the tick.
• DO NOT try to smother or lubricate the tick with oil, alcohol, or Vaseline.
• Dispose of the tick by flushing down the toilet.  If you want to try to keep it to be inspected by a clinician should symptoms occur, wrap it in a damp paper towel and put in a sealed bag. 

Because ticks are transmitters of various diseases such as Lyme Disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and ehrlichiosis, to name a few, it is important to remove the tick as soon as possible.    If the tick is newly attached, it will appear flat.  Once the tick has started consuming it's blood meal from you, it becomes engorged.  The longer the tick has been feeding, the greater the potential is for infection.

photo courtesy or mcneill.tamu.edu

Most tick bites go unnoticed.  However, if any of the following symptoms occur, please seek medical care from your physician:

• fever
• numbness
• rash
• confusion
• pain and swelling in joints
• palpitations
• shortness of breath
• nausea and vomiting
• embedded tick head or mouthparts

Ticks require several hosts to complete their life cycle.  Younger ticks will primarily feed on small mammals and birds.  As the tick grows, so does the size of the host.  Spring and summer are the times when you are at greatest risk, so enjoy the beautiful outdoors, but check yourself for any unwanted guests!

chart courtesy of cdc.gov

                                       

Clover Mites!

photo courtesy of wikipedia.org

Clover Mites are itty bitty (smaller than a pinhead), oval-shaped arachnids.  Their front pair of legs are very long and protrude forward at the head, making them easily mistaken as antennae or feelers.  They are a reddish brown color which leaves a rusty, reddish stain if crushed.  This can be very noticeable on linens, curtains, walls, and woodwork.

As their name suggest, these mites feed on plants such as clover as well as dandelion, shepherd's purse, strawberry, iris, and grasses.  However, they sometimes invade homes in early spring and late fall, often in very high numbers.  This can make them quite a nuisance.  This will mostly occur where the sun is warmest at the south, southwest, and east side of the house.  To help prevent them from getting inside your home, an 18-24 inch grass-free band around the house helps deter them.  Heavy outbreaks mostly occur in well fertilized lawns growing close to the house foundation.

An interesting fact about clover mites is that there are no males.  They develop from unfertilized eggs.  Each of these female mites will lay around 70 bright red eggs, singly or in masses, in cracks and faults in concrete foundations, in mortar crevices, between the building walls, under loose bark of trees, and other protected areas.

Clover mites do not bite humans or animals, transmit disease, nor feed on household furnishings.  However, their large numbers and their red stains make them unwanted guests!

Clover mite with egg; photo courtesy of ext.colostate.edu

What's in your Frappuccino?

photo courtesy of wsbtv.com

I came across this article and found it interesting.  Do you enjoy the strawberry frappuccino from Starbucks?  Well, the pretty strawberry color comes from the cochineal insect.  Starbucks says it started using the insect extract in an attempt to reduce it's use of artificial ingredients.  The cochineal insect is found mostly in Mexico and South America, and this extract has been used as a coloring agent since the 15th century for fabrics, food coloring, and cosmetics.
Although at first the thought of bugs in your drink may seem gross, cochineal extract is considered safe by the FDA.  It is commonly used for coloration in jams, preserves, meat, marinades, alcoholic drinks, cookies, and many other food products.  So, believe it or not, you may already be consuming cochineal from other products.