Being prepared before you head outside can make all the difference when you visit a Virginia State Park.
Be prepared while in the great outdoors, bring plenty of water!
Stay on the trails, steer clear of overgrown vegetation and grasses.
What things can we do in preparation of getting outside this Spring and Summer at our favorite Virginia State Parks? Let look at a few irritating factors and what we can do to prepare:
TICKS – I HATE THEM YOU HATE THEM WE ALL HATE THEM!Unfortunately they are a part of the great outdoors here in Virginia.Last June a health official shared:
The tick population is increasing in Virginia, along with diseases borne by the insects.
Dr. Laura Gateley with the Virginia Department of Health tells the Danville Register & Bee that wet weather and a rise in the rodent population are factors in the tick population surge.
She says wet weather leads to more foliage and ticks like tall grass or tall weeds near forested areas. Woodpiles attract rodents that commonly host ticks.
Gateley says Virginia had 1,245 reported cases of tick-borne Lyme disease last year, up from 1,000 in 2008. In 2010, three deaths from other tick-borne illnesses were reported, two from Rocky Mountain spotted fever and one from ehrlichiosis. Learn more about Tick-borne diseases in Virginia here.
What can you do?
Ticks are extremely small insects classified as arachnids with spiders and mites. Ticks are found usually living in areas with overgrown grass and near water.