Deer Ticks and Lyme Disease
"Deer Ticks and Lyme Disease" is the topic of the Thursday, February 9th meeting of the Cumberland Woodland Owners Association. Norm Conrad is the featured speaker and he will talk about ticks, Lyme Disease, and how to manage your property to reduce tick-human interactions. The meeting will be at 7:00 PM, at the Franklin County Ag Heritage Building which is located at 185 Franklin Farm Lane in Chambersburg. The meeting is open to the public. You do not have to be a member of the association and there is no cost to attend. The workshop is handicap accessible. If you need specific accommodations, please contact Penn State Cooperative Extension in advance at 717-263-9226.
According to Steven Jacobs, senior extension associate in entomology, the majority of Pennsylvania counties have populations of blacklegged ticks, and they often carry and spread Lyme disease. Wooded, brushy places are common blacklegged tick habitats. Campers, hikers, outdoor workers, and others who frequent wooded, brushy, and grassy places are commonly exposed to ticks, and this may be important in the transmission of Lyme disease in some areas. Because new homes are often built in wooded areas, transmission of Lyme disease near homes has become an important problem in some areas of the United States. The risk of exposure to ticks is greatest in the woods and garden fringe areas of properties, but ticks may also be carried by animals into lawns and gardens.
The Cumberland Woodland Owners Association is an organization of private forestland owners and others interested in forestry issues in south central Pennsylvania. The mission of the association is to provide information, education and an exchange of ideas to its members and others about the methods and benefits of proper forest management.
For more information about the Cumberland Woodland Owners Association and the February 9th meeting, contact Fred Peabody at 717/776-3565 (email: fredp5@earthlink.net).
