Did you see this?? TICKS!

[Swordpen]

Wow, this is sad...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/with-warmer-winters-ticks-devastating-nh-moose-population/2013/08/09/1dd3aad6-ff86-11e2-9711-3708310f6f4d_story.html?hpid=z5

[Buttmonkey]

Gah. Now I'm depressed.

[Pedaling Fool]

This is BS. So there's a drop in moose population in Minn, so the knee-jerk reaction is climate change causing disease and pest.:rolleyes: It's like the polar bear scare stories, turns out they are doing fine and so are moose. Albeit there does seem to be an issue with moose in Minn, but no need to have knee-jerk reactions.

[stillatit]

Hiking the AT in PA, NJ, NY, MA, and NH this spring, I can testify that there were plenty of ticks on it, more so than any other of the 20+ years I've been on the trail. We shouldn't be surprised at this due to global warming. Huge sections of forests in Wyoming and Colorado along the CDT are dying due to insect infestations stemming from the winters becoming warmer and shorter than they used to be...

:(

[daddytwosticks]

Years ago, the cheese I carried on the trail used to last a heck of a lot longer than it does now. I chalk this up to global warming. :)

[coach lou]

Ut-Oh, I smell paint!:(

[Pedaling Fool]

First off, it's a myth about mild winters causing more insects. But more importantly it's all about the predators. A healthy ecosystem needs a healthy and diverse population of predators. We are missing key predators.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=lyme-disease-outfoxes-deer-12-06-18

Excerpt:

"When deer ticks are young, they feed on small mammals like the white-footed mouse. It’s from infected rodents that the ticks pick up the bacteria that cause Lyme disease.
Foxes, of course, prey on mice and other small mammals. So fewer foxes means more mice, and potentially more disease.

To come up with that connection, researchers modeled the relative contributions of various animal populations in areas where Lyme disease is rife. And they found that, in New York State, for one, the incidence of Lyme could be directly predicted by the dearth of foxes.

The foxes were pushed out by coyotes, which have been on the rise since New York lost its wolves. Which were driven away by humans. Who now get bit by ticks."

[Pedaling Fool]

BTW, do we all forget the extremely cold spring this year? http://www.livescience.com/34482-cold-spring-keeps-minnesota-lakes-frozen.html

[Pendragon]

I love how these deniers refer to such occurrences as snowstorms as proof that global warming doesn't exist. This insistence on ramming their heads in the sand because "liberal science" tries to sound the alarm is why I simply don't care anymore. If you really loved your grand kids that much you would never even take the remotest chance of denying something that just might possibly make your progeny's world a living hell. I mean, really, it's like all we liberals have to pass our time these days is making up catastrophes to worry about. Believe me, trying to remain in the middle class in this country is hard enough without wasting so much energy trying to avoid hard truths. You right wingers could care less about our future, well, fine, then you go sleep in the bed you are making for ALL of us. I'll just go and hike what remains while it's still there and try to enjoy it.

[Sailing_Faith]

I think it is cats.

Cats deplete the wild bird population, and birds eat insects..... Lets blame it on the cats.

[coach lou]

You guys are going to get this thread closed. The subject is ticks on moose!

[Pedaling Fool]

BTW, do we all forget the extremely cold spring this year? http://www.livescience.com/34482-cold-spring-keeps-minnesota-lakes-frozen.html


I love how these deniers refer to such occurrences as snowstorms as proof that global warming doesn't exist.I'm sorry, but I was NOT using cold weather to disprove GW. I've been looking at this subject for a long time and started as a believer, since it only makes sense. However, climate is anything but simple, so simplistic explanations, such as increase in co2 does not work. And a few cold winters does NOT prove anything, with that I agree with you.

My point was keeping with the subject of this thread -- Ticks. How can we have so many ticks if we had such a very cold season?

And it was not just this past spring, but since 2009, save that mild winter in 2012, we've been having some really cold winters. Even here in Florida it's been very cold, so much so that I can't keep my Hibiscus alive thru the winter, like I use to.

So why so many ticks? I don't pretend to have all the answers, but the predator angle is sounding pretty good to me, but I'm sure there are other factors.


On the issue of mild winters and bugs http://www.entsoc.org/press-releases/dont-bug-out-over-warmer-weather

Granted, if winters get so warm that I can wear shorts year-round, then I'm sure there will be more bugs.

[Hill Ape]

Let's call it climate change and leave it at that. Global warming gives the wrong impression. Has it happened before, yes. Is man to blame, not completely. Have we had an impact since the industrial revolution? That's where the deniers lose me, I think the answer is of course. Regardless, I think the important question is can we do anything about it? No matter what you believe got us here, here is where we are. This is home, this is where our grandchildren will live. Are we going to tell them we failed to act because it wasn't mankind's fault? Suck it up kids, adapt and overcome. Evolve or die.