Bright Idea Outdoors Weblog

2012 Declared Lyme Disease Awareness Year

Click on over to the Blake Landcapes blog for some important information on action the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors took last night to fight deer ticks and Lyme disease.

A Rough Tick Season Could Be on the Horizon

I'm living proof that Lyme disease is a common problem here in Loudoun County Virginia.  I've been infected with it twice.

Both times, I was lucky, detected the infection early and was successfully treated with antibiotics.  Because I make my living in the outdoors and spend a great deal of my free time outside too, I'm always on the lookout for they tiny blacklegged deer ticks that carry Lyme disease.  So when I came down with symptoms, I knew where the tick bites were and knew I'd better get tested and treated.

But many people overlook these ticks, and some suffer from Lyme for years before they even know what's wrong with them.

With the warm winter we've had, 2012 could be a big year for deer ticks, especially here in Loudoun County, where some have already called Lyme disease an "epidemic."  For more on what the weather means for this year's tick season, please read my post on the Blake Landscapes Horticulture Blog at www.blakelandscapes.net. . .

Rid Your Home of Fruit Flies

For the second year in a row, we've experienced a fall fruit fly infestation in our home.  Many of our friends and neighbors have reported the same problem.  Last year, we used some commercially-produced traps, which worked but took a long time to eradicate the fruit flies.

This year we came up with a home-made solution that has produced outstanding results.  Watch the video to learn how you too can rid your home of fruit flies.

 

Virginia's Youth Deer Hunting Day is September 25 and other news

Young hunters in Virginia will once again have the opportunity to take a deer well in advance of the their adult counterparts.  The state's second annual Youth Deer Hunting Day takes place September 25 throughout most of the Old Dominion.  Click here to read my article on the event on www.examiner.com.

There's also some good information on the youth deer hunt in the latest edition of the Virginia Outdoor Report.  This monthly (or is it twice monthly?) report prepared by David Coffman of the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries is an excellent resource for anyone interested in hunting, fishing, boating, conservation or general outdoor recreation in the Commonwealth of Virginia.  It contains a wealth of information, and Mr. Coffman must put a ton of time into producing it.  The report is available by free email subscription.

In other news, my home county of Loudoun is looking at killing the ticks that carry Lyme Disease while they are still on their main carriers: whitetail deer.  I read about this in last week's Loudoun Times Mirror but can't find that article online.  I did find some information on the proposal in this May article by Jason Jacks.

Apparently, the strategy would involve installing deer feeders with corn framed by pesticide-laden brushes.  When a deer sticks it's head in, the pesticide would rub off the brushes onto its neck, supposedly killing the ticks it carries.

Lyme disease is a huge problem in our area.  I know; I've had it twice. 

So has Supervisor Jim Burton (I-Blue Ridge) who is working on the proposal.  Still, I'll need a lot more information before I'm comfortable with this plan.

First of all, feeding deer is illegal in Virginia throughout much of the year and is discouraged at any time by the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.  Would this be allowed during the feeding ban period of September-January?  Second, for this pesticide to work and kill ticks all over the deer, it would have to enter the whitetail's bloodstream.  That leaves me wondering if the meat will be safe to eat.

Anyone who hunts, eats venison or is interested in wildlife management in Loudoun County needs to get the facts on Burton's plan before it moves any further.  I'll see what I can do to help with that and report back when I get some more information. . .

Bugging Out

Some day, I'll write a book on building a great business, and when I do Superior Pest Management will be featured in the first chapter.

In the meantime, I'll be working on building a business of my own, and for now will simply say "thank you" to the owners, management and staff at Superior for all they've done for me in the last year.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

When I learned recently that the company I work for was not scheduling any work for today, I thought "finally, a company that understands the importance of St. Patrick's Day."

As it turned out though, we're going to be in training all day; learning about bugs when I should be. . . well, I guess learning about bugs is fine.

Chasing Bugs

I wish I could be writing about hunting waterfowl or late-season deer.  Even better would be to be able to write a post on chasing snook and largemouth bass in Palm Bay Florida.

As luck would have it though, all I've been chasing lately are bugs in my job as a termite inspector with Superior Pest & Lawn.  I did go after a squirrel in an attic today, but somehow it's not the same as hunting them in the woods.

Before I started this job, I had no idea how many houses are infested with termites.  It's tough to find live ones this time of year, but they leave enough evidence behind to make the inspections effective, even in winter.  I found termites in two houses today, one with some serious damage.

Yeah, maybe I'd rather be doing a different kind of hunting; but at least I'm chasing something.  If you need someone to hunt bugs on your property, or if you have any kind of pest problem, give me a call, and I'll track 'em down.

If you need somebody to join you on a free trip to Florida, I'm up for that too!