Ticks
Resources/References. URLs below link to state and academic resources around New England. All links contain information on tick-borne disease, protecting yourself, repellents, etc.
- Nashoba Associated Boards of Health (NABH) Tick-Borne Disease Prevention guide (July 2022)
- Massachusetts Department of Public Health
- EPA Repellent Selector Tool, recommended by Dr. Catherine Brown, MA Dept. of Public Health. (Note: Permethrin is available at local hardware and outdoor stores).
- US Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
- US Department of Agriculture's National Pest Alert: Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases
- Cape Cod Cooperative Extension Tick Project
- Tick Report. A program allowing individuals to submit a tick for testing for a fee. A note on tick testing: Not all ticks carry bacteria that cause tick-borne disease. Some people choose to test the tick to find out if it is carrying a bacterium. However, if the tick tests positive, it does not necessarily mean the bacterium was transmitted through the bite, and a negative result does not mean that the person is free of tick-borne diseases (there could have been another, unobserved tick bite that caused an infection).
- University of Rhode Island’s Tick Encounter Resource Center
- Connecticut Agricultural Extension Station’s 2007 Tick Management Handbook is "An integrated guide for homeowners, pest control operators, and public health officials for the prevention of tick-associated disease".
Clinical References.
- CDC's Tickborne Diseases of the United States: A Reference Manual for Health Care Providers, 4th ed. (2017)
Talks Held in Harvard.
2018: Presentation slides from the 2018 "Tick Talk" with Larry Dapsis, Entomologist, Cape Cod Cooperative Extension.
2017: YouTube video of the 2017 "Tick Talk" with State Public Health Veterinarian, Dr. Katie Brown
Other interesting videos and articles.
- Click here to watch an 18-minute documentary featuring Larry Dapsis and describing his efforts on the Cape to educate people about ticks and tick-borne diseases. Film made in 2017.
- WGBH Science Reporter, Heather Goldstone, hosts a panel of experts to take a closer look at the growing public health threat of Lyme disease. Click here to watch.
- Click here to watch the PBS video, "How Ticks Dig In With a Mouth Full of Hooks", describing how ticks attach and the best method for removal.
- Click here to read The Harvard Press article, Keeping ticks away from your door (and body), by Joan Eliyesil (2014)
Stop by the Board of Health office at Town Hall for your complimentary tick remover (one per household, please).