It seems that the ticks are worse than ever. Monthly use of the topical tick control medications such as Frontline helps reduce their numbers on the animals.
For some reason many ticks crawl up to the ear area. They have sensors called the Haller's organ on the tip of the first leg that detect odor and humidity.
The mouth part of the tick penetrates the skin. A secretion from the saliva cements the mouth parts to the skin during feeding.
The above photo is of an engorged deer tick, Ixodes scapularis. It was removed with a tweezers which is demonstrated in the video,
After the engorged tick was removed, it was examined to determine the species. The black legs and shield with long mouth parts makes this a deer tick. Deer ticks are known to carry Lyme disease, Ehrlichia, Anaplasmosis, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and more.
The Decline of the Fox Population Causes an Increase In Lyme Disease.
According to MSNBC, since 1997 Lyme disease has increased 380% in some states. Now a study is linking the decrease of the fox population as being one of the main causes for an increase in the small rodent population.
Fox typically feed on small rodents that are the primary carriers of Lyme disease. The increase of the coyote population, that feeds on the red fox, is thought to have significantly decreased the fox population allowing the rodent population to increase.
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