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Tick Season

June 6th, 2016 · No Comments · Books, Children, City Library, Main Branch, News, NH Room, Teens, Trustees, West Branch

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As spring makes its way into summer, everyone wants to be outside in the nice weather. And while we enjoy the outdoors, we have to contend with black flies, mosquitos, and ticks, all of which can transmit diseases.

While ticks are a nuisance, the Blacklegged Tick, commonly known as the deer tick, can actually cause you serious harm, as it can transmit Lyme disease. New Hampshire has one of the highest rates of Lyme disease in the country, and June and July are the highest months of infection.

The Biology and Management of Ticks in NH, published by the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension, is a great place to start for information on tick diseases, how to protect yourself from ticks, and includes helpful links for additional information. The NH Department of Health and Human Services also has a Lyme and Other Tickborne Diseases page with lots of helpful resources, including Tick Bite Facts, and how to remove a tick. If you are interested in what NH is doing about this problem, read the State of New Hampshire Tickborne Disease Prevention PlanThe Center for Disease Control and Prevention has a plethora of information on Lyme disease, and news stations have reported on the issue, including a recent NHPR story. If you have Lyme disease, you may want to investigate one of several Lyme disease support groups in the area. You can also take a look at the display of resources in the library, or place requests online and we’ll hold the books for you.

It’s not only humans who are having issues with ticks. NH Fish and Game published an article in the November/December 2014 Wildlife Journal about a study they are conducting on how ticks affect the moose population.  While the study will last 6 years, preliminary results suggest ticks are increasing moose mortality in calves.

While you may be feeling rather itchy right about now, don’t let this post scare you away from enjoying the next few months. New Hampshire summers are short and sweet, so enjoy the outdoors as much as you can while staying informed and safe.

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