ticks

The largest percentage of hits I receive on this blog are tick hits. It is humbling to think that my blog may turn into a Tick Blog, when in fact I hate those creepy little Arachnidas! It appears that there’s a group or groups at the U. of Maine that is engaged in some serious tick research. But why me? Am I the Maine repository of info on these creatures ? Or is this a Creature Double Feature Scary Tick Trick being played on me by some nerdy college kids picking on the elderly?

(This very post will, I suppose, encourage further tick hits! Why do I do it?)

Update: I was wrong about the U. of Maine group doing tick research. It wasn’t them at all! It was just that my image file included that name because I, myself, linked to that site! Sheesh.. What a dweeb!
Now, I’ve removed the image and my hits will probably drop by 50% because of lack of a tick image.

That is, of the new season. I discovered the little fellow crawling on the back of my hand. How he got there he didn’t tell. And I have no idea. I was standing outside and walking around on the grass a bit while watching the men working on our trees (more later about that). But somehow the thing got onto my hand. Nice of him to display himself — or herself, I couldn’t tell — in plain site to make it easier for me to flush him (or her) down the toilet. (Will they ever return from there I wonder? yikes!) See my other post here about ticks.

Deer ticks upper row, dog ticks lower row:
……. image removed for now ………
The ones on the right are engorged with blood!

Here’s a good reference on ticks in Maine.

I think the ticks ought to be out about now but I didn’t go up in the woods today to check this out. I wonder if turkeys eat ticks? Would be nice. There are an overabundance of turkeys now in Maine. I wouldn’t want to eat the turkey that ate the tick though, would I?