Alewife Tick-Patch
I decided to identify all the woody shrubs, trees and vines between the nasty stream and the tick-grass.
- eastern cottonwood (Populus deltoides) (salicaceae)
- red-osier dogwood (Cornus stolonifera) (cornaceae)
- American elm (Ulmus americana) (ulmaceae) – these got as high as 30′ or so. Some looked pretty bedraggled, but some seemed reasonably healthy.
- silver maple (Acer saccharinum) (aceraceae)
- blackberry (Rubus sp.) (rosaceae)
- a hickory (Carya sp.) (juglandaceae) – I think this might have been shagbark, but it was growing in the understory – under one of the elms – and wasn’t big enough to tell by the bark. So with the buds not yet developed, I couldn’t be sure.
- multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora) (rosaceae)
- ashleaf maple (Acer negundo) (aceraceae)
- fire cherry (Prunus pennsylvanica) (rosaceae)
- rugosa rose (Rosa rugosa) (rosaceae)
- Northern catalpa (Catalpa bignoniodes) (bignoniaceae) – nice big handsome flowers
- buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) (rubiaceae) – is the genus name supposed to suggest a head-shaped (i.e. spherical) flower?
- common buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) (rhamnaceae)
- green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) (oleaceae) – olive family always seems weird to me, because I’ve never seen an olive plant (tree?)
- smooth alder (Alnus serrulata) (corylaceae) – Last year I thought this was a speckled alder. It is reasonably speckled, but the cones were stiffly sticking out in all directions – not drooping. Also, the buds, such as they were, were brown, not black.
- red maple (Acer rubrum) (aceraceae)
This is, I’m happy to say, everything from a stretch of over 100 feet. I ended on a plant I could not recognize, because when I walked back to my backpack I noticed that ticks had penetrated my safety perimeter. I didn’t freak out this time, but I did have to do a pretty thorough decontamination before I was comfortable putting my backpack back on. The first little bastard climbed up onto my helmet, which was resting on my bike. I suspect a strap may have been dangling into the grass. The second just appeared on my wildflower guide. I wonder if these are actually different kinds, or just different instars or whatever. The first is what I’d call a “deer tick” and the second’s what I’d call a “dog tick”.
Popular non-woody plants growing in here included teasel, common milkweed, tansy, phragmytes, various grasses. I saw my first yellow warbler.
IMPORTANT UPDATE: I also heard a warbling vireo, I’m pretty sure. And a knowledgeable friend tells me that both the ticks are dog ticks, Dermacentor variabilis – the first is female and the second male. Deer ticks also have a bib cape thingy, but it’s black and their bodies are red.
April 21st, 2007 at 4:24 pm
With all due respect…
Reading about insects is one thing, coping with them is another. Take Care
That’s just disgusting
May 7th, 2007 at 12:09 pm
Dear Adam,
Mostly the Reservation has dog ticks. I need to know the size of the tick as well to ascertain your first tick in photo.
For years, youth and classes have been coming out. Yes, there are ticks, but if properly sprayed along bottom pants and other spots on clothing (not touching skin) and a rubber band, you can enjoy the Reservation without ticks. We have the vegetation of the Reservation on our website. We also have lists at our office that we can send you if desired. We used US Fish and wildlife assessment and identification categories for each species. This was done by a professional ecologist.
Please see our website for more information about the Alewife REservation: http://www.friendsofalewifereservation.org
We look forward to more exploration on your part and what you come up with.
Please send to me so I can post them on our list serve as well as website.
elnmass@verizon.net
May 7th, 2007 at 3:58 pm
Hi Ellen,
Ah, thanks for the link! It’s good to have the general info, and also I’ve been hoping to learn some of the insects, so having that list will be a great tool for focusing on what’s actually there.
take care,
desultor
November 5th, 2007 at 1:21 am
I was looking at your post and pictures of the ticks you call deer and dog ticks. I do a lot of research with the American dog tick and noticed that in your first picture, you classified it as a deer tick, unfortunately it is a Female american dog tick . The second photo is indeed a dog tick, but male. =)
Shannon
November 5th, 2007 at 11:24 am
Thank you, Shannon! Another friend pointed out my mistake when I wrote up the post, and so I added the update. I don’t make the mistake anymore
What kind of research do you do on dog ticks?
Respectfully,
D.
October 4th, 2008 at 8:09 pm
Hello everyone, I am a little confused about Lyme Tick Disease. We had our Chessadore (1/2 chocolate lab & 1/2 chessapeake retriever) puppy vaccinated for Lyme disease and were using frontline too. But after a day on the outer beach (we live on the cape) the “Lakota” starting limping on his front leg, we took that in stride as he was very active on the beach. The next day though he could not even stand up, I had to carry him from the upstairs bedroom to the truck to bring him to the vet. Anyway he had lyme disease and is being treated for it now. He seems to be fine. We live in the woods and the vet says he will most likely get the disease again, the vet bill was over $300. Does any body have any preventive measures I do not know of for preventing this disease to occur again. Looking forward to your comments.
Best regards, Jim
June 8th, 2009 at 4:50 pm
wow never knew that much about tick its good to know
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