Cheshire County

Cheshire County’s UNH Cooperative Extension office is part of a network of county, state and regional outreach education offices that bring the University of New Hampshire resources directly to the people who live and work in Cheshire County. The staff, along with more than 30 campus-based Extension specialists, provides county residents with research-based education and information, enhancing their ability to make informed decisions that improve their lives. Cheshire County Extension educators provide information education in: Agriculture Resources Family and Consumer Resources Forestry and Wildlife Resources 4-H Youth Development

"TICKS" THE SEASON

It’s that time of year when people find themselves sharing their outside space with a small, blood sucking pest: the tick.

Ticks are a group in the order Acari. These are primarily divided into hard ticks - Ixodidae, and soft ticks - Agrasidae. There are over 800 species of ticks worldwide.

However, there are relatively few ticks that interact with mankind and domestic animals. New Hampshire is home to about 15 species of Ixodids, and these are the most important because they present a danger to humans and/or animals. They can spread diseases to people, pets and other animals by transmitting germs through their saliva as they feed.

Ticks feed by inserting their mouth parts into the skin of a host and drawing blood. These germs include the bacteria that cause such serious diseases as Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and human ehrlichiosis.

Of the hard ticks, the most important in New Hampshire according to Dr. Alan Eaton, UNH Cooperative Extension Specialist in Entomology, is the Blacklegged Tick, Ixodes scapularis tick—which used to be called the “deer tick”. This tick is the species that spreads Lyme Disease, the most common vector-borne (transmitted by insects or ticks) disease in the United States. Blacklegged tick females are 3-4mm long and males are between 2-2.5mm long. Adult ticks vary in color between the genders. The females are two-toned: dark chestnut brown on head, legs and scutum, and orange on the rear-end half of the body. The males are very brown, almost black. Scientists tested adult Black Legged Tick adults in New Hampshire for the presence of the Lyme disease causing bacteria and found an unexpectedly high percentage carried the disease.

Although ticks vary in appearance, all of the adults are small and round with eight legs. Ticks have four stages in their life: egg, larva, nymph and adult. The egg stage is the only inactive stage of the tick’s life. The larva, nymph and adult stages require a blood meal at least once during each active stage. The first immature stage, called "seed ticks", have only six legs. These larvae must find and attach themselves to a host in order to get a blood meal. Larvae of some ticks which feed only on one host remain on the host to molt. Because of the difficulty of finding a suitable host, larvae can withstand long periods without feeding. Ticks don't fly, jump, or blow around with the wind. They are small, simple in their approach to locating a host, and very patient.

(Full Story...)

 

Problem Diagnosis and Testing Services

• Do you need a tick or an insect identified? You will find answers, a submital form, and directions here.

• Do you have a sick plant and need a diagnosis? Visit the Plant Diagnostic Lab.

• Would you like to have your soil analyzed for pH and nutrients? Our Soil Sampling service can help.

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RUMOR CONTROL

The Asian Longhorned Beetle has NOT been found in Dover New Hampshire or anywhere else in the state as of today.

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The Asian Longhorned Beetle has been found in MA. To learn more about this insect and how it poses a serious risk, click here.

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University of New Hampshire, New England Center

Durham, New Hampshire

July 23-26, 2009

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