I Unexpectedly Caught These Three Jerks Harassing My Dog Yesterday
Yesterday was January 3rd...
Yesterday was like most days in some ways. I got out of work, went home, got the dog all ready for an outdoor adventure, and off we went! There are endless woods behind my house, so I often take Neko out back for his afternoon jaunt. It was a nice, warm day and we were just enjoying our time in the wilderness chasing sticks and frolicking.
He jumped logs, crawled around through low bushes, etc... At some point in the back of my mind, something clicked. I began thinking about how warm it was, and that there were no leaves on the ground, and it made my brain start to cycle... And sure enough, as I look down, I see it right on my boy's face.
A frikkin' tick.
Yup. A tick. Actually, three in total. Now, I get it... Before you start with the obvious armchair quarterback explanation, I realize that it was perfect circumstances for them to be out. But what this really says to me, is that they never really ever go away. They're just waiting for an opportunity to come out and play.
By the way, I like to drown them in rubbing alcohol so I can enjoy watching them die. Is that dark?
To mitigate ticks for the season, we need sustained freezing temps. At a minimum. Ideally, you add some snow cover to that, and you're pretty much guaranteed no ticks. But just get a quick stretch of warm weather with no snow, and BOOM! There they are. Again, I get it. They're always a possibility. It's just a bummer.
If for any reason you thought you were home free until spring, guess again Bucko. The ticks mean business and there's nothing Mother Nature can do to stop them. It only holds them back for a minute, at best. So enjoy that. This is our life now. Ticks... year round. Ain't life grand?