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JUNE
JUNE 7, 2024
H
umans may well be at the top of the food chain, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t part of the food chain of other creatures. How dare they. These brazen challengers are especially active at certain times of the year. Like right now. Coincidentally, we’re outside in their environment more this time of year too. Let’s examine a few of these critters and see what we need to do to maintain our position of food chain supremacy. Fire ants These bad boys can do a serious number on people who cross their paths. And by serious, we mean up to and including death, although that is a very rare complication and is generally associated with a pre-existing allergy. The best strategy when it comes to fire ants is avoidance. It may be tempting to torment these tormentors by poking their mound, but it’s better to give them a wide berth at all times. If they do bite, briskly brush them off, because otherwise they clamp themselves onto victims and keep injecting venom. The worst pain will subside in ten minutes or so, but the itch will stick around for days, and so will the pimple-like pustules. Try to avoid the temptation to pop them, which
elevates the risk of infection. Right after the bites, apply an ice pack or cold compress for about 20 minutes, then 20 minutes off and 20 minutes on again. Going forward, hydrocortisone or calamine lotion will help alleviate the itchiness. Ticks Kids, ticks were around long before TikTok. There is no connection between the two. One is a blood-sucking parasite and the other is... you know what, let’s not get into all that right now. The image shows a Lone Star tick, ironically the most common type in Georgia. As the Georgia Department of Public Health puts it, “Georgians are particularly susceptible to tickborne Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever,” which can lead to headaches, nausea, and fatigue. Ticks also carry Lyme disease, which can affect the heart and nervous system. The good news is that, depending on the type of tick, it takes from 4 hours up to 24 hours attached to your skin before they can transmit any disease. So after being outdoors, check your body and clothing and pets for ticks along for the ride. If you find one attached, carefully remove it with tweezers by pulling straight upward. Don’t jerk or twist the tick. Then clean the area with rubbing
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alcohol or soap and water and dispose of the tick. Remember, the only good tick is a dead tick. Wasps and bees Nobody enjoys being stung by bees or wasps, but for some people it can be a life-threatening event. Generally speaking, neither bees nor wasps are particularly interested in mixing it up with humans, but if they feel threatened by our presence (or the presence of our lawn mower or leaf blower), they use their stingers to defend themselves. Wasp nests are often easy to spot hanging from eaves or other protected places. If you see one, knock it down to encourage them to relocate. (And be prepared to relocate yourself too.) Beehives are often not as easy to locate, but if there is a colony or suspected colony in your yard that’s causing problems, their immense value to the environment as pollinators suggests a good response would be to call someone to relocate them. Anyone who knows they have an allergy to bee, wasp, or fire ant stings should have an EpiPen and never go anywhere without it. Please see JUNE BUGS page 3
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