HARMAN WOODS NEWS: FALL SCHOOL OPENING

www.aacps.org

JOE CANNON STADIUM

410-222-6652. I'm trying to find out if it has a program this summer and if not, why not. Stay tuned http://www.aacounty.org/RecParks/athletic_facilities/cannon.cfm

County Council Presentation July 2008

Friends and members of the Council

On May 20^th of this year, after working in my yard, I found a deer tick embedded in my scalp. On June 5^th I developed symptoms of the disease and have been taking antibiotics and alternative treatments since that date.

In 2006, Maryland had 1248 CDC reported cases of lyme, which put it number 7 in the country. http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/lyme/ld_rptdLymeCasesbyState.htm

This is an incidence of 22 per 100,000, but a recent Harvard study puts that actual rate at 10 times that number. Lyme disease is the fastest growing vector borne disease in the country and is growing faster than the aids epidemic.

Anne Arundel County has the second highest rate of reported lyme cases in the state, with and increase of 44% from 2005 to 2006, according to the county public health website and 183 confirmed cases in 2007. I will be an unreported case for 2008. I would have to pay $250 out of pocket for testing, because as a Home and Hospital teacher for the county for the past 12 years, I receive no health insurance.

Ticks of all types have been described as cesspools of disease. Borrelliosis, babesiosis, are among the many diseases that ticks cause. Lyme is the most serious, a terrible disease which if misdiagnosed or untreated has ruined thousands of lives. It causes muscle and joint pain, depression and brain fog, fatigue, and a host of other symptoms and has put thousands of people on disability country-wide. The organism is a spirochete which worms its way into tissues in the body, does not behave like ordinary bacteria, and which is suppressed much much more slowly by antiobiotic treatment.

Did you know that Lyme ticks are spread by mice as well as deer, and that there may be other vectors as well, and that they can be greatly reduced in population by relatively inexpensive means. I have given you each a “tick tube” which is filled with cotton which has the insect repellant permethrin in it. When the mice take the cotton and build their nests with it , the ticks don’t bite them. This might run about $75 per ½ acre.

BUT…

Last Monday morning, I learned from the Lyme-Aid Yahoo support group that soybeans or corn laced with Ivermectin, which is a wormer for livestock, can virtually eliminate ticks on deer. I spent the entire day communicating with the person who posted that information, about dosage and other details, and the deer in the woods behind my house have now, I hope, had a little meal of corn and ivermectin. After I found the tick in my scalp, I was finding 1 or 2 ticks per week on me or in my house. Since I put out the Damminix tubes and the deer corn, and sprayed my yard with garlic, not permethrin, I have not found any ticks.

Lyme is a preventable and controllable disease. It’s just a matter of who is going to do the preventing. I can prevent the disease in my back yard, You, the county council can prevent the disease in the entire county. The person who posted the information about the ivermectin owns 200 acres of woods populated by deer. He estimates he spends $25 per year on corn and ivermectin to inoculate the deer. Extrapolating to Anne Arundel County, I figure that at that rate, the County would spend about $150,000 a year to inoculate it’s deer and virtually eliminate lyme disease as well as a host of other tick borne diseases in the state.

There are many issues to consider and this is just a start, but if lyme and its associated diseases could be knocked down and out in this county, I believe it is worth the price. Why? Because of the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. Because of our law enforcement officers, military personnel and others who work and train outdoors. Because of all the families in state and out of state who use state parks. To protect property values.

YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS

GOVERNOR OF MARYLAND - MARTIN O'MALLEY LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR - ANTHONY BROWN OUR LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT IS DISTRICT 32. OUR DELEGATES ARE- PAM BEIDLE pamela.beidle@house.state.md.us MARY ANN LOVE maryann.love@house.state.md.us TED SOPHOCLES ted.sophocleus@house.state.md.us OUR SENATOR IS JAMES DEGRANGE james.degrange@senate.state.md.us

OUR U.S. Congressional District is Maryland District 2

REPRESENTATIVE: C. A. Dutch Ruppersberger : http://dutch.house.gov OUR US SENATORS ARE BARBARA MIKULSKI BEN CARDIN

FOR MORE INFORMATION GO TO

http://mdelect.net/electedofficials/ WHERE YOU WILL FIND LINKS TO EACH OF THE ABOVE OFFICIALS COUNTY COUNCIL - ED MIDDLEBROOKS e-mail emiddlebrooks@aacounty.org

LIBRARY

Below is the link to the Anne Arundel County Public Library site. You can search for, reserve and renew items online, and much more. http://web.aacpl.lib.md.us/

NEW REPORT FROM ROGER

Guys, I haven't done a full report in over a month, so I'd better get to it. I am pleased to see Liz Greene back with her http://therealharmanwoodsnews.blogspot.com/ Please note this new address. The one I had in the previous watch reports was different. Back around 1996 when we started having juvenile problems, Liz was the person who got me in touch with the Harman Civic Association and the Western District Police-Community Relations Council. Up to that time, I was like a lot of people. I went to work, came home, but really didn't know what was going on in our community. Liz also did a great job in those days when she published the old Harmans Woods News. It was the only local (hardcopy) publication which covered our areas in detail [with exception of Jerry Peterson's Provincial News publication.]. Liz is very concerned about Lyme disease and will be going down to testify at this Monday night's County Council meeting (21 July 08). If you would like to join her, she will be wearing a green ribbon, so you will recognize her. She has also posted a her picture on her blog and her specific concerns regarding Lyme disease. She is also starting to post general information on her blog. I am going to pass news items to her too. Please check out her blog. Upcoming Dates: Noon-5:00pm, Friday, 25 July-Noon-5:00pm, Sat, 26 July 08-The PCRC (Police-Community Relations Council) table will be set up at Arundel Mills Mall and the Annapolis Mall. We will be handing out information on crime prevention and reminder of the National Night Out event on Tues, 5 Aug 08. With the Neighborhood Watch, we carry out these efforts 365 days a year! 7:30pm, Wed, 10 Sept 08-The PCRC (Police-Community Relations Council) breaks during the summer months. Please note the next meeting in Sept will be held at the Western District Police Station. The public is welcome to attend. The police station is on MD 170 (Telegraph Road) just south of MD 32. The address is 8273 Telegraph Road, Odenton, MD 21113 (across from Greenway Bowl). 7:00pm, Thurs, 25 Sept 08 -The Harman Civic Association (HCA) breaks during the summer months. The next meeting will be held in the Harmans Community Room at Arundel Mills Mall in September. Events: 1) As I mentioned in the previous reports, the Firefighters Appreciation Day held at the Dorsey Road fire station on 28 June 08, was a big success. Art Lisowsky did a great job organizing the event. Many businesses supported the event with door prizes and food. I would like to acknowledge Dipti Singh owner of the Goddard Schools (on Teague Road across from Joe Cannon Stadium water tower). She provided the hamburgers and set up a table with information on her Goddard School. She has a pretty good sized staff of around 30 teachers. The school accepts children from 6 months old to 6 years old. They stress the educational aspects of child development. At the same time, they have an outside playground for the kids to play and I am sure have other physical activities for them. The school hours are 7:00am-6:00pm (Mon-Fri) and offers a summer program for children up to 8 years old. For teacher bio's and more specific information, please go to Hanovermd@goddardschools.com website or call the school at 410-684-260. All of the Harman Civic Association Officers were in attendance for most of the day. They are President Wayne Dixon, Treasurer Rusty Bristow, Corresponding Secretary Chip Woods, Recording Secretary Shay Jones, and Senior Advisor Harry Matthews. [I think most of you know that I am Vice President.] Past Treasurer Marge Liike also helped sign up new HCA members. Sandra Hochstein was a big help through the day setting up for the event and keeping things moving. Shay Jones put in a lot of effort advertising the event and setting up and helping for this event. All in all, it was a great success. We received cash donations (checks via mail) at the event and food from a lot of good folks for this event. If I left anyone out, please forgive me. So many folks helped with this event. Thank you to you all! 2) 1 July 08-One of our watch folks, Kajal, had some really nice things to say about our firefighers. They didn't just come out and take care of the fire, but they also wanted to make sure Kajal's 18-year-old son was ok. Here's what Kajal had to say: "I wanted to let you know that I had a small fire at my house and my son he is 18 year he had to call AA fire dept. They did a wonderful job and I am very happy about it that after finish everything there was person from Fire department called at my house and talked to my son and asked if he is doing OK and did he notified his parent? Also someone from EMS called and asked my son how he is doing everything is alright with him. I sent an email to the Fire department also about doing a wonderful job.( it was not a big damage it could be worst we were blessed)."

3) After the last vandalism in our community, I mentioned the use of surveillance cameras. One of our watch folks, Dave Nation, gave me a link to one of his surveillance cameras he is using in his backyard. Here's what Dave had to say:

"I've had a camera on my backyard for a while to allow me and others to watch my bird feeders." "It also has pan, tilt and zoom controls and can be controlled and monitored over the Internet. It has the ability to record and store on a PC that I had working at one point but I haven't been able to get to work lately." "I used to have another older camera pointed out my window at my front yard but when I put in a new wireless router it stopped working so I have it on my backyard also at the moment directly wired to my network." "You can get to them at: http://backyardbirdcam.net/ and http://www.davenation.com/FrontDoorCam.html" I'm interested in any other surveillance cameras and ideas." I went to his link and was able to control the camera from my computer! Go ahead and give it a try. If you have any information regarding surveillance cameras that you would like to share, please feel free to pass it to me.

4) Dave and Becky Nation are interesting folks. Over the years one of their hobbies has been being "extras" in movies.

If you ever saw the movie Patch Adams with Robin Williams, Dave had a pretty big part in the movie! I don't recall the exact circumstances, but I believe in 1 scene Robin Williams (as Doctor Patch Adams) tries to console a distraught woman at the hospital desk.

In that scene, Dave is prominently seen standing in the background with his long, white beard. Guess they were trying to cast him as a coal miner. Dave, if I missed the description of the scene, please let me know. Of course, Dave got the opportunity to meet and talk to Robin Williams.

If you recall the movie Deep Impact, Dave and Becky spent a rather lengthy period in the hot sun. They were in the scene where all the cars were jammed up in one big traffic jam.

My recollection was that it was filmed somewhere in Virginia during one of our long hot summer droughts a number of years ago.

One other interesting point. Dave and I went out on security patrol about 10 or 11 years ago. It was the first time I met him. We started talking and I found out he was from Iowa like me. Turns out his town is right next to mine in Northeastern Iowa. My sister taught at the high school in his town. Small world!

5) Over the last couple of years, Jim Scoggins has offered the opportunity to our neighborhood kids to help him build a boat. In the process, the kids learn a lot and make some money. I think Jim gets a lot more than the help building the boat. He sees how many good kids we have in our neighborhoods who are eager to learn. I was privileged to be cc:'d on the e-mail Jim sent to one of the parents, Brian (one of our watch folks & a good father), and I wanted to share it with you. You can see Jim teaches them a lot. Here's what Jim said: "Brian - Over the past two days, the boys completed fiberglassing the four remaining -- of five total -- floor-deck sections, which completes that phase of construction." "When I return from NY next week, I can install the decking and the only thing left for that part is non-skid paint and filets (epoxy mixed with filler) for the edges." "Major progress. Today they completed all of the main hull prep-work, which included sanding the entire outer hull, mostly by hand and some power using the random orbital sander, filling all recessed screw holes (two step process) and applying two coats of epoxy to the entire hull." "They also coated the rear-deck framing, sanded and finished the inside transom. The outer hull is now ready for paint and we can build the seating and steering console." "The foredeck will be ready to install once we paint the inside area just below, designed for life-jacket and anchor storage. They prepped that section early-on and it is in the garage." "They did a terrific job on all counts and I could not be more pleased. Before they left, I showed them the wood that is ready to install for the seating and outer rubrail, that must first be scarfed." "Scarfing is an important boat building process to learn but is essentially about joining/butting/gluing two or more pieces of wood together to make one seamless piece." "If they can work on a couple of weekend days or late afternoons, we can do some woodwork -- cutting, drilling, countersinking screws, etc. They have filled a lot of countersunk holes and may be ready to do some true boat-building, to learn about wood types, tools/techniques." "I know people that have built large sailboats and then sailed around the world and lived on them for years. Once you learn the basics, anything is possible. Really nice young men. You guys should be very proud of them. Jim" By the way, teaching runs in the Scoggins family. Jim's wife, Linda, was a teacher at Harman Elementary for many years. Thank you, Jim, for providing this great opportunity for our kids! 6) By the way, a couple of our neighborhood churches (St Mark's United Methodist Church & New Life Fellowship Baptist Church) are also doing their part to guide and mentor our young people. In the coming weeks, I hope to be able to pass more details on their work. 7) Mon, 7 July 08-One of our watch folks reported a vehicle egged in the Mt. Blanc Road area and juveniles vandalizing property. Please remember if you have juveniles cursing and disturbing the neighborhood, you may call 911 or 410-222-8610 to report it (and let me know). Oftentimes, they think they can get away with it. This is not the case! The report below warrants a juvenile citation (equivalent to an adult arrest). Thank you for this detailed report. Great job! Here's his report:

"On another note I had a confrontation in my neighbors yard with some young children. Both of our houses are on the west side of the lake, my neighbor has taken a lot of pride in sprucing up her backyard."

"Unfortunately over the past few years her beautified yard has become a hangout for 5 pre-teen boys. Generally they are just an annoyance by making good amount of noise, moving stuff around and leaving behind trash."

"On a side note their language is a river of filth that would make even a drunken sailor blush. Well, on this particular occasion my neighbor was not home and it was raining, the boys arrived in her backyard along the trail and began crawling around I suppose looking for worms for fishing. Then they started turning over her landscape rocks off the trail in her yard."

"I finally went out to try to get rid of them when they found it amusing to roll her large landscape rocks into the lake."

"When I approached the boys and told them to get out of her yard I was told to "shut the **** up", "How about I come out swinging!", and the final "How about I follow you back into your house?". I replied that "that's a GREAT idea, we can call the Police together!". Keep in mind I'm 6'2" and 200+ lbs, these boys are very brazen and have zero respect for my neighbor or either of our properties." "I suggested they go home and was told that they were "not allowed in the house", keep in mind it was RAINING on this particular day."

"This is a VERY typical encounter with this group of boys that happens far too often. I'm sure they are causing trouble all around the lake." "Anyway, I'm beginning to capture their escapades on camera, I figure it is only a matter of time before they doing something that causes serious damage." 8) Early Mon, 30 June 08-I forgot to mention terra cotta figurines (red clay decorative yard pieces) were taken from 2 yards (1 on Aragorn & 1 on Baggins Rd.) during the first night of the fence vandalism in the Baggins Road/Strider Court area. They were smashed in the middle of the Baggins Road/Aragorn Ct. intersection. 9) A while back Regina had requested names of reliable plumbers and/or handymen. I will put in the "general section" in future reports. Thanks, guys, for your help! Here is the list: a) http://www.alphaplumbing.biz/ from Marie. She works at Nationwide and says they haven't gotten any complaints. b) www.SERVPROofTowson.com from Keith in Harmans Farms. c) Mario in Ridge Forest sent this: "I had a handyman come and do some external repairs on my house, and he was great. Good work, and very reasonable. His name is Jim, and he's the owner of "America's Handyman" services. He can be reached at (410) 418-8779." d) Kajal sent this: "I know a handyman his name is Mike Van 410-375-6860. (They do excellent Job they are working for a big construction company but they do side work.)" e) Cindy from the Provinces sent this: "I know a good plumber. His name is Rob McCauley. His # is 410-693-5280." 10) Mario over in Ridge Forest also recommended some other good services:

"There's another company that I use that I would highly recommend. Tom's Painting, Pressure Washing & Cleaning Service. They did some pressure washing for me; did my whole house, the deck, etc. and was very good. He can be reached at (410) 519-6062. His wife, by the way, owns "Bounce Around" near BWI in Linthicum, in case anyone wants to call him to set up a birthday party there or something. It's a huge inflatable indoor playground."

"Finally, if anyone needs a GREAT landscaper, I recommend Miguel Sanchez, of MAS Landscaping. Incredible job and great prices; but it does come at a price. He gets backed up quite a bit, so expect the turnaround to take a little while. But for me, it was worth the wait. People compliment my lawn and landscaping all the time, and he did it all. He did the layout, selected the right bushes and shrubs, did all the mulch work, and finished it up. His number is: (410) 562-4007."

General Items: 1) The Goddard School, 7538 Teague Road, Hanover, MD 21076 (owner Dipti Singh). Please visit Hanovermd@goddardschools.com or 410-684-2601 1) Landscaping Services-John Bridges (community resident). Please call 410-519-9602 or 443-794-8138. By the way, he employs at least one of our neighborhood kids. 2) Mike's Auto Repair (410-850-0999) at7466 New Ridge Road, Suite 7, Hanover, MD 21076 (next group of buildings on the left after the post office, going north toward the airport rental car facility) 3) Tree Cutting Service (410-859-0932) Please call Wayne Dixon. 4) Harmans Woods News blog at http://therealharmanwoodsnews.blogspot.com/. Liz Greene is back with the Harmans Woods News. She can be e-mailed at lizgreene52@yahoo.com. It serves the Hanover, Harmans, Jessup and Severn communities. 5) Tutoring all subjects (410-551-8839 or 443-854-1390) Please call Liz Greene or e-mail lizgreene52@yahoo.com. 6) BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport Noise Complaint telephone number 410-859-7021 to report aircraft noise and specific overflights. Please note the specific time and as much detailed information as possible. Please let me know too. 7) Street light out? Lost power in your house or neighborhood? Please call BGE at 410-685-0123 to report. 8) Animal Control (410-222-8900) 9) Anne Arundel County website is located at http://www.aacounty.org. Good place to go to find out about any county agency or question. You can also get to the Anne Arundel County Police website from here. 10) County Roads (410-222-7940) to call in any county roads needing patching. They also handle trash/litter pick up along county roads. 11) State Roads (410-766-3770) to call in state roads (any roads with highway numbers MD170, MD175, MD713 Ridge Road) to include road patching, traffic lights out, etc. 12) Going on vacation or on a business trip? Please call 410-222-8610 to have your house put on the "police watch" while you are gone. It only takes a couple of minutes and gives our communities an additional police patrol. 13) 3 websites to verify/check out the latest (and all previous lists) urban legends, folklore, or rumors. Anytime you hear some new shocking story about gangs, etc., please go there first before you send out an e-mail to other folks, family, or friends: www.snopes.com www.urbanlegends.about.com www.truthorfiction.com 14) Please call 911 or 410-222-8610 to report any suspicious persons, vehicles, or activities (day or night). Thank you for your support and keep the info coming!

FALL SCHOOL OPENING

MOST Anne Arundel County Schools will open Monday, August 25, 2008. Go to the Anne Arundel County Public Schools link www.aacps.org for more information, and a list of schools that will open after 8/25. The Board of Education Phone number is 410-222-5000

CHESAPEAKE MOBILE COURT

CHESAPEAKE MOBILE COURT Is there still an Anne Arundel County Mobile Home Association? If there is, (or isn't) would someone from the organization please contact me at lizgreene52@yahoo.com

SUMMER MEETINGS

No regular meetings of the Harman Civic Association or the Western District Police Community Relations Council are scheduled until September. As soon as dates become available, they will be posted on the right. (Look under the welcome notice.)

Getting the Word out about Lyme

I am planning to make a presentation to the County Council July 21 at 7 pm in Annapolis about lyme disease and how to control ticks. Fellow lyme sufferers, their friends and family, and those who do not want to get the disease are welcome to stand with me.

Killing Ticks

Today I learned that ivermectin mixed with corn or other feed will kill ticks on deer and other mammals, including mice, which carry the deer ticks. The ticks stop breathing when they bite the treated animal.

Crime Report from Roger

Guys, Another short report to bring you up to date on the fence vandalism in the Strider Ct./Baggins Road area. 1) Late Monday night, 30 June 08-The watch requested police patrols in the Strider Court/Baggins Road area for the late night hours of Monday night and early Tuesday. 10:30-11:30pm, Tues, 1 July 08-The same white teenagers did more vandalism again to the same fence! Police were summoned. The responding officer searched for the 3 teens where they were last seen at the corner of Harmans Road and Strider Court. The officer eventually found them walking in the Strider Court cul-de-sac. One of the teens was issued a juvenile citation (similar to an adult arrest) for the vandalism. This particular teen is staying with the other 2 teens who live in a house on Strider Court. The other 2 teens said they didn't do any of the vandalism. Good job, guys! Keep up the good work. If the police officer asks whether you want him/her to give a juvenile a juvenile citation, make sure you tell the officer to issue the juvenile citation. You can see in this case these juveniles need to be accounted for. The police officer then went to the house on Strider Court to talk to the parents. The watch was informed that a different responding police officer was going to go to the house the previous night to talk to the parents. No record whether they (the parents) were home that night. Keep calling 911 or 410-222-8610 for any more suspicious activity. 2) Sun, 29 June or Mon 30 June-Disney Estates Neighborhood Watch reported a house in their community was egged and graffiti written on a garage door. The graffiti which looks like scribbles turned out to be Japanese writing. If you have seen any similar type of vandalism, please call the police at 911 or 410-222-8610 (and let me know). 3) One of our watch guys sells surveillance equipment. The last time I talked to him he was experimenting with infrared cameras. It is time to go high tech. If folks start installing surveillance cameras in strategic places, it can go a long way to stopping the aggravating vandalism problems, and even more serious crimes. You may have seen the surveillance cameras which caught the guy who murdered a young mother who refused to give up her car keys. Understandably she wouldn't because her child was strapped into a car seat in her car. We can't bring her back but at least they can get the criminal who so viciously and cowardly took her life. I would like to share any technology information (with everyone on the watch reports) you guys may have who are already using surveillance equipment. 4) All you guys really responded to my requests for a handyman and/or plumber. I will try to get a more complete report out soon with that information. Thank you for your help! Thank you for your support and keep the info coming! Roger Fox

Harman Woods News

LYME DISEASE PREVENTION TIPS

To all my neighbors in Harmans.

On May 20 of this year I found a deer tick attached to my scalp. Three weeks later I developed the rash and a fever and have been on antibiotics ever since. I have found about a tick a week (not all deer ticks) on me or in my house ever since, including one deer tick nymph. A neighbor close by also has lyme disease. There may be many others I don’t know about and there will be many future cases if we do not do something now.

I plan to buy damminix (http://www.ticktubes.com/products.asp) tubes to put around my yard to control ticks on mice, which spread the disease. These tubes are expensive, 24 tubes for $75 protects a half acre but if we were to buy in bulk, they would be cheaper by about half. If you are interested in buying these tubes please contact me at 410 551 8839. If you are interested in having a meeting to discuss this, I plan to bring it up at the next Harmans Civic Association meeting. I also plan to bring it up at the first opportunity at the board of education, since many activities are held on the school grounds right next to the woods. I’m sure deer and mice travel there. Please feel free to call, or e-mail me at lizgreene52@yahoo.com if you have questions. Here is information from one Pennsylvania site.

WHAT IS LYME DISEASE?

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection caused by the bite of a tiny deer tick that carries the infection. If not properly diagnosed and treated promptly, it can become crippling and debilitating. According to the Chester County (PA) Health Department, Lyme disease is the #1 reportable disease in the county. All the suburban counties in Southeastern Pennsylvania are considered high-risk areas.

WHO IS AT RISK FOR LYME DISEASE?

Anyone who works or plays outdoors is at risk. Deer ticks like cool, moist environments, like tall grassy areas around the edge of yards or along roads. They also like moist garden areas, around shrubs and in wooded areas. Outdoor workers, gardeners, campers, hikers, people who hunt or fish, golfers who stray into the rough, people who live in the city but go for a picnic in a park are all at risk. The list is endless. You can be at risk right in your own back yard. You can be at risk when mowing the lawn or picking up leaves in the fall. Children are especially vulnerable since they tend to run and play without caution.

You are at risk anywhere you see deer. Deer bring the ticks to your yard; birds and other animals also help transport the ticks. But the principal culprits in spreading the actual disease are mice. A deer tick infected with the Lyme bacteria and seeking a blood meal will bite a mouse. The tick transmits the Lyme bacteria to the mouse while feeding. Deer ticks can also transmit other diseases at the same time including: Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Bartonella, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, mycoplasmas, etc. Ticks are often described as cesspools of diseases.Then other deer ticks sucking on the infected mouse will become infected thereby spreading the diseases. Mice have been found with many deer ticks attached to them. The spring and summer months are the “Pryme Tyme for Lyme,” however you can be bitten any month of the year when the weather is mild. Ticks are active when the temperature gets above 40 degrees.

PREVENTION IN YOUR YARD Keep your lawn mowed and cut down brushy areas. Remove enough trees so the lawn gets sunshine to create a less inviting environment for deer ticks. Remove brush and leaves around your house and the edge of the yard. Trim bushes away from your house. When working in your yard, avoid touching the ground with your bare hands. Avoid touching plants and bushes as much as possible.

Pets are particularly vulnerable and frequently will bring deer ticks into your house. Inspect pets closely before they come in. See your veterinarian for protective chemicals that will kill deer ticks.

Use Damminix® tubes to kill the deer ticks. Damminix® consists of biodegradable cardboard tubes with cotton balls inside that are treated with permethrin. Mice will take the cotton back to their nest and the permethrin will kill the deer ticks but not the mice. It is highly targeted. Tests on Long Island, NY have shown that Damminix® will reduce the number of infected deer ticks by more than 90% year after year.

Have your yard sprayed with permethrin. This is a complement to the Damminix® tubes. Professionals spray only the tick habitat areas, edges of lawns, not the entire lawn, for example.

OTHER PREVENTION TIPS Avoid tick-infested areas when possible. Avoid sitting directly on the ground or fallen logs; use a blanket or other ground cover. When walking near bushes or trees, avoid touching them. Walk in the center of trails. Avoid sitting on stonewalls or woodpiles; these are places deer ticks like.

CLOTHING Wear light-colored long pants and long sleeves and white closely knitted socks when outside. Tuck your shirt into your pants and tuck your pants into your socks. This will help prevent a tick from crawling under your clothing and getting to your skin. Wear light colored gloves. The light color makes it easier to see a tick crawling on your clothing or gloves. Wear a hat to protect your head from deer ticks when working around bushes.

Consider wearing Rynoskin protective underwear. It is made of a closely knitted but breathable stretch fabric that ticks apparently have difficulty penetrating. It is especially helpful for hunters and those outdoors when the weather is cooler. It is available in long sleeved tops, long bottoms, socks, hoods and gloves.

Look at the differences among various types of socks. [click here]

PERMETHRIN TICK REPELLENT Spray your boots, socks, pants, sleeves, gloves, and hat with permethrin spray. Do not apply it to your skin and apply it outdoors. The permethrin spray has the same active ingredient as the Damminix® tubes mentioned above only in a lower concentration. It not only repels deer ticks, but it will kill them. It is relatively long lasting. Follow all label directions carefully.

WHAT IS PERMETHRIN? Permethrin is a synthetic chemical developed to simulate the natural chemical pyrethrum that protects plants from insect attack. Permethrin is not a natural product. It is different from regular insect repellents in that it will kill insects and deer ticks as well as repel them. Also, the labels state that one treatment lasts 2 weeks. It was developed in the 1970s by the Department of Agriculture and has been used successfully since then.

SKIN PROTECTION Avon makes Skin-So-Soft Bug Guard Plus IR3535®, but tests by Consumers Union and a group from the Mass General Hospital (published in the New England Journal of Medicine) showed this product not to be at all useful in repelling insects. DEET was reported to be the best repellent. Insect repellents containing DEET are widely available and offered under many brand names. They can be used on skin or clothing. Many authorities suggest you use repellants with less than 10% DEET on the skin of children. All repellents should be applied to the skin carefully. Avoid getting the repellents in eyes. Adults should apply repellents to children. Follow label directions carefully. DEET repels insects by its vapors, so applying DEET to clothing can be effective.

AFTER RETURNING INDOORS After returning inside do a careful tick check. Most deer ticks are tiny and may be hard to see. If possible, have someone else inspect you especially in the areas where it is difficult for you to see. Be sure to check your hairline. Parents should check their children whenever they have been outdoors and might have been exposed to ticks. Some parents give their boys a buzz haircut so it is easier to see a tick in the hair.

If you do find a deer tick attached, remove it carefully. Use fine pointed tweezers and grasp the tick as close to the mouth parts as possible. Pull gently straight out. Do not put petroleum jelly, alcohol or any irritant on the tick or try to get the tick to release by putting a lit match on it. Any agitation might cause the tick to regurgitate the Lyme bacteria into you. Save the tick in a plastic bag or vial with a moistened cotton ball for identification and testing. After removing the tick, see your Doctor promptly. If the tick is infected with the Lyme bacteria, early diagnosis and antibiotic treatment is the key to recovery. Delay will allow the Lyme bacteria to disseminate into tissue in the body where the antibiotics are less effective.

After returning inside, wash and dry your clothes immediately. Do not even let them lie on the floor since a deer tick might be attached and get loose in your house. Some people put the clothes in a trash bag then spray with permethrin & tie up the bag. This should kill the ticks or other insects before washing. Running the clothes through a timed 30 minute cycle on hot in a dryer will also kill ticks. They cannot survive being dried out.

Have a great DEER TICK-FREE year outdoors.

Enjoy the outdoors but be wise and protect yourself.

Protect your children!

Protect your pets!

Protect your neighbors.

Mention of brand names does not constitute endorsements by LDASEPA. The information here is not intended to be a substitute for sound medical advice from your physician.

Rynoskin Har-Son, Inc. PO Box 10772 Midwest City, OK 73140 405-737-2494

Information and ordering information can be found on web site: http://www.rynoskin.com/index.html

Permethrin spray It is available under several brand names including: Sawyer, Duranon, Permanone, etc. It can be found in retail stores including: Sports Authority, Dicks, and Pickering Feed. Look in the camping section.

Permethrin yard spray (many lawn care companies will do this, too.)

Bartlett Tree Experts PO Box 177 Exton, PA 19341 610-594-4740

DEET spray Sprays containing DEET are available under many brand names including: OFF, Deep Woods OFF, Cutters, Ben’s etc.

They are widely available. Most authorities suggest you use only sprays with less than 10% DEET in them for application to children’s skin.

Damminix - Local sources (be sure to call first to check it it is stock): Brandywine Hardware, Pocopson, PA Corner of Route 926 opposite the elementary school Agway West Chester on Matlack Street

Please feel free to copy this information and give it to your friends, neighbors and legislators. Anne Arundel County has the second highest reported cases of lyme in the state. Reported lyme cases doubled last year. The actual rate of lyme is estimated to be 10 times the reported rate.

Lyme is a terrible disease if it becomes chronic. My own physician in Laurel has 300 lyme patients. The symptoms mimic many diseases, including chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia. You may not realize you have been bitten until it is too late. If you develop a fever or a bulls eye rash, see your physician immediately.

There are herbal as well as antibiotic remedies for lyme and books which deal with lyme and treating lyme. One available at the Anne Arundel County Library is Healing Lyme by Stephen Buhner. There is a wealth of information on the web, as well.

Don’t let someone you love be the next victim. We need to take action NOW!