Knight
Woke up in the middle of the night and headed to the bathroom. Hey, it’s what we old guys do. Not only was nature calling, but I was noticing an itch under my arm. Later, when I checked the itchy area in the mirror, I noticed a small, dark spot. Ah-ha. A tick.
I hoped to pull it away with my fingers, but it was hard to grasp. Fortunately, I was standing at the bathroom sink and a pair of tweezers was handy. I tweezed and slowly pulled it away from my skin, hoping to get the whole tick in one piece. I guess I did because the skin now appeared to be tick-free. I cleaned the area with soap and water and rubbed some antibiotic cream on.
The tick was now on the counter and appeared to be dead, but I crushed it to be sure. I’ve known them to crawl away after they appeared to be goners. It was a small one. By my count, this is the sixth or seventh tick I have encountered so far this season. We live in the middle of country fields and thick woods, and I have always accepted that ticks are part of such places. But my 3 a.m. tick experience made me want to know more. I went seeking tick knowledge.
I learned ticks can be found just about anywhere in Indiana: country and city, woodlands and human dwellings. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources tells me ticks are most active in spring and early summer and then again in the fall. It is rare but not impossible to find ticks in cold weather or the hottest part of summer.
Ticks are parasitic arachnids which means they live off the blood of host animals and have characteristics like spiders. I had always believe ticks jump or fall from trees onto their hosts, but I was mistaken. Turns out, ticks can’t jump or or fly. Instead they lie in wait clinging to leaves or grasses with their hind legs while waiting to grasp onto a passing victim with their front legs. This is known as “questing.” They find their hosts by sensing odor, body heat, moisture and/or vibrations. One group of ticks sense carbon dioxide in the breath of their hosts.
Depending on their stage of development—egg, larva, nymph and adult—some ticks can have a one-host, two-host or three-host lifestyle while others can have up to seven stages, each of which requires blood. I am going to guess the one that I took out the other morning, because it was so small, was in one of the younger stages. Then again, what I don’t know about ticks could fill volumes.
Indiana has 15 species of ticks but only four are commonly seen. They are the American Dog Tick found only in grasses and open plains; the Lone Star Tick which can carry Rocky Mountain fever ; the Deer Tick, the only one which can carry Lyme disease; and the Brown Dog Tick which is especially drawn to your pet dog. All Indiana ticks may carry other diseases which can be detrimental to humans.
The morning after my late night itchy encounter Becky taped the tiny tick on a piece of paper with the date. She put it in a jar we have with the other ticks we have found on us this year. I used to think that was a bit obsessive, but I learned Purdue University and the DNR both think it is a good idea to keep track of the ticks one encounters.
Knowing about ticks should not make us wary of going outdoors. The DNR assures us “the chance of contacting one of these diseases is pretty slim.” Still, long sleeves, long pants, high socks, insect repellent and a body check after you leave the woods are good ideas.
Becky believes ticks are more attracted to me than to some people, and she probably has the data to back her up. Maybe I smell good to the little creatures, maybe I have interesting vibrations or maybe they think I’m hot. Beats me. What I don’t know about ticks could fill volumes.
Norman Knight, a retired Clark-Pleasant Middle School teacher, writes this weekly column for the Daily Journal. Send comments to [email protected].
