Happy #WildlifeWednesday! With the official start to summer rapidly approaching, Ohioans are looking forward to spending more time in the great outdoors. This is the perfect time for some tips about ticks, as this is the most active season for the tiny parasites. There are three primary tick species of concern in our area. These are the American dog tick, the blacklegged tick (also called the deer tick), and the lone star tick. These ticks can transmit diseases including Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever to humans and pets. Practicing tick safety will allow for an enjoyable time outside doing activities such as hiking, camping, and gardening. Ideal tick habitat consists of forests and woods as well as open areas with tall grasses and brush. To protect yourself, avoid these areas when possible and stay on trails when hiking. Wearing light-colored clothing can be helpful as ticks will be easier to spot. Pants tucked into socks and boots and long-sleeved shirts will minimize skin exposure and tick contact. Gear can also be treated with insect repellents. Be sure to keep your pets safe too! Ticks can be common even in neighborhoods, parks, along road sides, and near leaf litter and high grass. Monthly flea and tick prevention products are recommended, and there is even a Lyme disease vaccine available for dogs from your veterinarian. Upon completion of outdoor activities, checking yourself and your pets for ticks will minimize risk. Taking a shower and washing clothing right away also reduces chances of tick bites. While it is important to be aware of ticks and related health threats, their existence should not discourage outdoor recreation and enjoyment of nature.
Happy #WildlifeWednesday! Today we are highlighting an animal frequently associated with happiness, the Eastern Bluebird! Fairly common and easy to find on the grounds of The Wilderness Center, a bluebird sighting is always a treat, the males in particular a stunning brilliant shade of royal blue on the back and head and bold brick-red on the chest. Eastern Bluebirds can frequently be spotted in open country, perched on low branches, posts, and fences. They prefer a meadow habitat near woods, as they will use holes in trees to make their nests. They are attracted to farmlands, orchards, and pastures, so the land around TWC is ideal habitat. Their summer diet consists primarily of insects, including caterpillars, beetles, spiders, and grasshoppers. In the fall and winter when insects are more sparse they will feed on fruits and berries. The species is social and will often gather in flocks of over 100. During the breeding season however they become territorial and vigorously defend their nests from rival bluebirds and other cavity-nesting birds. Eastern Bluebirds often have more than one successful brood each year, with young from nests early in the season leaving the parents during the summer and young from later nests staying with their parents over the winter. Bluebirds will readily use man-made nest boxes. Their population had declined in the early 20th century when competition from introduced species such as the House Sparrow and European Starling made defending tree cavities and nest holes difficult. Thanks to nest-box campaigns and establishment of bluebird trails, their numbers have recovered, which is certainly a cause for happiness!
