The Ticks are Back

As summer warms up, the local tick population becomes more active.  After we've been for a walk, particularly if it involves wading through the local bracken - which is growing at the usual alarming rate - we sometimes have one or two new friends attached to us.

There was a time when the ticks were only active in the summer, but they've discovered global warming, so they're becoming increasingly frequent throughout the year.

The ticks also like the more adventurous of our two cats, the one that goes hunting for mice in the bracken.  Mrs Diary removed this engorged specimen from behind the cat's ear the other day.  By way of a 'thank you', the cat deposited a tick on her.

When we've been walking, we watch out for ticks on our skin.  Usually, we know we have a tick because the area becomes slightly red and itchy.  We remove them immediately.  This process used to rely on fingernails, but we've gone high-tech recently by investing in these very effective patent tick removers, two sizes to suit different sized ticks.  We then wash the area with soap and hot water, and rub on some antiseptic cream.

Ticks carry some very unpleasant diseases, but catching one of them is extremely rare.  Our attitude is the same as we have for adders - that they are not going to spoil our enjoyment of walking in this beautiful place.  So we take some precautions against ticks, such as wearing socks which tuck around the bottom of our trousers.  Sadly, the cats can't do the same - but they don't seem to have suffered from the occasional bloodletting.

A very balanced view of the dangers of tick bites, and how to treat them is here.