Van Dyke Gardens: danger

Tick Outbreak on Long Island

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Scientists have predicted that this upcoming season is going to show an explosion in tick populations. With the mild winter we have had, and the warm weather becoming stagnant they have stated we will also see an explosion in acorns and mice. Ticks carry a deadly disease called Lyme Disease that not all ticks carry, but the majority do. 300,000 cases of Lyme Disease are reported each year. According to the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, New York has the highest number of confirmed Lyme Disease cases nationwide. Ticks are among the family of crabs, so they have pincers that can latch onto clothing, skin or fur without a qualm. The most common type of ticks found on Long Island are the Deer Tick, The Lonestar Tick (brought up from the South) and the American Dog Tick. While Lyme Disease is the front-runner for deadly diseases carried by ticks, it is not all that they have. There are many other deadly pathogens and bacteria for both humans and animals. If you find a tick latched onto skin on you or your pet, remove it immediately, place it in a plastic baggie and bring it to your physician or vet to get checked for diseases. Here is a list of things you can do to protect you, your family and pets from ticks this summer. 

  • Avoid wooded and brushy areas with high grass and leaf litter.
  • Stay on center trails when hiking, while also wearing long socks, sleeves and pants. 
  • Use bug repellents with at least 20 to 30 percent DEET on any exposed skin and clothing for an extra layer of protection.

    Full Size Tick and Nymph

  • Examine yourself, your family and pets very carefully after being outside. A baby tick (or Nymph) can latch and is about the size of a poppy seed.
  • Ticks like warm parts of the body (e.g. armpits, bellybuttons, behind the ears, knees, groin, or buried under hair. 
  • Remove any ticks immediately with a pair of tweezers. The pincers and clawlike mouth, allow the pest to bury itself in your skin. Act quickly.
  • Wash any clothes that you have worn in tick infested areas immediately, then put in the dryer on the highest setting. It is impossible for the bugs to survive this. 
  • Check gear and toys you have brought with you thoroughly. 
  • Use a comb on pets, the ticks can burrow into fur and cause a plethora of infections in dogs regardless of size. 

Thank you to Newsday for the original information, you can read more here.

 

Oak Wilt on Long Island

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A disease that restricts water use in trees has been found in Central Islip. The Cornell Plant Disease Diagnostic Clinic has identified the disease as ‘Oak Wilt.’ The disease has been confirmed in New York State before, it was last seen in Schenectady County in 2008 and 2013. After a test sample of the trees returned positive for the disease, tree-care professionals removed and destroyed the trees to curb any spreading. As of right now, there is no known treatment to contain and kill oak wilt fungus. All officials can do is remove any trees in the vicinity which can be hosts. Basil Seggos the commissioner of the DEC has reported “The infestation is small and isolated making an aggressive eradication response warranted and feasible to address this serious disease. Additional oak trees will need to be removed in the immediate infected area to stop oak wilt in its tracks.” The DEC said that it will use protocols from the Schenectady County situation to control whats going on in Islip. There has been an emergency order put into place that establishes a ‘protective zone.’ This zone prohibits the removal of any dead, living, standing, cut or fallen oak trees, or any portions of the trees including branches, logs, stumps, roots, green oak lumber or firewood from the immediate area. It can be removed from the area if it has been chipped to less than one inch in two dimensions. This order also decrees a 150-foot red ‘oak free zone’ around the area where the infected trees were initially discovered. All red oaks found in these zones will be removed and destroyed by the DEC to protect the remaining healthy trees. The DEC will schedule a public meeting to address questions and concerns. There will be both aerial and ground surveys taken that will conduct how many trees need to be removed. This is supposed to happen within the next 6 months. Oak wilt kills thousands of trees and forests each year due to the wilt, primarily on the eastern United States. The disease is caused by a fungus that grows in the water-conducting vessels of infected trees. These fungus’ create gummy like plugs that block the ability to get water from the roots. Residents can report sudden leaf loss from oaks (as a possible sign of wilt) by calling 866-640-0652. For more information you can visit the DEC’s website here.