April 30, 2025 • 17 mins
As temperatures rise and Georgians head outdoors, the battle against bloodsucking pests begins in earnest. In this episode of Cultivating Curiosity, we are joined by CAES entomologist Nancy Hinkle and public health Extension specialist Elmer Gray for a practical, no-nonsense look at two of the South’s most irritating pests: ticks and mosquitoes. In the first half of the episode, we learn essential advice on tick prevention and simple strategies for protecting our families, pets, and landscape without solely relying on pesticides. In the second half, we hear tips on how to avoid bites and prevent mosquito-borne illnesses. Whether you're an avid outdoors person or just mowing the lawn, this episode will leave you better prepared to face the bugs of summer—and a little more curious about the critters creeping around your backyard.
Resources:
- Mosquito Control Around the Home (UGA Cooperative Extension publication)
- Mosquito Biology and Behavior (UGA Cooperative Extension publication)
- The Intersection of Mosquito Management and Pollinator Protection (UGA Cooperative Extension publication)
- Protect Yourself from Ticks (UGA Cooperative Extension publication)
Content from CAES:
- Community clean-ups are an important part of mosquito management
- Mosquito activity booming in Georgia's late-summer heat
- There are 63 species of mosquito in Georgia — and they are still biting
- Help prevent the spread of dengue fever
- Summertime is tick time in Georgia; time to get tick-smart
- Disease-bearing Asian longhorned tick found in north Georgia
Almanac is an annual publication that provides a window into the work being done at CAES to make the world increasingly healthy, equitable and sustainable. We are pleased to announce that the 2024 edition is now available online. Explore stories of science in service of humanity and the environment.
Get social with us!
Follow CAES on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn and check out UGA Extension on on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn for the latest updates.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Sound Effect (00:00):
[music]
Jordan Powers (00:00):
Welcome to Cultivating Curiosity where we
get down and dirty with theexperts on all the ways science
and agriculture touch our lives,from what we eat to how we live.
I'm Jordan Powers.
Emily Cabrera (00:12):
And I'm Emily Cabrera. We're from the
University of Georgia's Collegeof Agricultural and
Environmental Sciences.
Sound Effect (00:19):
[chime]
Jordan Powers (00:20):
As temperatures are warming up and we're
spending more time outdoors, oneof the most prominent and
persistent challenges of livingin the South is the battle
against blood sucking bugs.
Emily Cabrera (00:30):
Yes, we're talking about mosquitos and
ticks. So we've invitedentomologists Nancy Hinkle and
Elmer Gray to talk through themost effective ways to prevent
irritation from these nuisancepests and protect ourselves from
the potential diseases theycarry.
Jordan Powers (00:45):
Our first guest, Nancy Hinkle, is a professor in
the CAES Department ofEntomology, and comes to us with
a wealth of information on tickprevention. In the second part
of this episode, we'll hear fromElmer Gray, a public health
Extension specialist inentomology, who gives us insight
into one of the most notoriouslyannoying pests out there, the
mosquito.
Emily Cabrera (01:05):
This episode will only scratch the surface of this
itchy topic, but we'll provideadditional resources in the show
notes for digging into morecomprehensive information on
both pests.
Sound Effect (01:17):
[chime]
Jordan Powers (01:17):
Well, Nancy, thank you so much for joining us
today. As temperatures are veryquickly warming up and folks are
probably starting to get outsidemore often, when do we need to
start worrying about ticks inour environments?
Nancy Hinkle (01:29):
About two months ago.
Everyone (01:30):
[laughter]
Jordan Powers (01:32):
So always.
Nancy Hinkle (01:33):
Always [laughter], if you're in Georgia, Yes,
always.
Jordan Powers (01:36):
So now that we're thinking about them all the
time, if you've ever pulled atick off yourself, you know you
don't necessarily have to be anoutdoor enthusiast to be
targeted, but you can even pickup these blood loving bugs from
your own backyard. How exactlydo we pick up ticks?
Nancy Hinkle (01:52):
Ticks are always on the ground. They don't fall
out of trees, despite every wordyou've ever heard from your
granny about ticks falling outof trees, they're actually on
the ground, and they latch onwith their little claws, and
then they crawl up our shoes andup our socks and up our legs and
up our pants legs, and theysettle wherever they want to
settle.
Jordan Powers (02:08):
Okay, so they're not coming from above. They're
crawling on the ground, whetherthat's a hiking trail or whether
that's the grass in yourbackyard?
Nancy Hinkle (02:16):
Right.
Jordan Powers (02:16):
Yikes.
Emily Cabrera (02:17):
All right, so I've got kind of a two part
question. We'll start with, whatdo I do to protect myself, my
family, my kids, my pets?
Nancy Hinkle (02:25):
The most important thing is to do a daily tick
check. Pretty much, if you livein Georgia, year round, you
should be checking your bodydaily for ticks. And that's you,
your kids, your dog, any otherloved one.
Emily Cabrera (02:36):
So how do we maybe protect ourselves before
there would be the possibilityof having a tick, is there way
to prevent them from getting onus in the first place?
Nancy Hinkle (02:45):
You can make a good effort, and there are a
couple of things to do, and onlyan entomologist probably would
do them. But if you're going tobe out in an area that does have
ticks, I would recommend wearinglong pants, tucking the pants
down into your socks, andwalking around looking really
nerdy. If you're particularlyconscientious, you might
purchase one of the productsthat has permethrin in it. Those
(03:07):
are used for treating clothing,and you can treat your shoes,
your socks, and your pants leg.
Emily Cabrera (03:11):
Our listeners can't see this, so I'll do my
best to explain, but you'vebrought in props today. There is
a spray in front of me that isactually labeled specifically
for ticks. I think in my mind,I'm always looking at insect
repellents and thinking ofmosquitos, but there is
something labeled specificallyfor ticks.
Nancy Hinkle (03:29):
The active ingredient is DEET, the same
thing that's in the mosquitorepellents, but it's got a very
high percentage and it can beused on your skin, on your
children's skin, and that willrepel ticks as well as
mosquitoes. The other product isfor use only on clothing and
hiking gear and tents and thingslike that, not on skin. Never to
be used on skin. It has adifferent active ingredient. The
(03:51):
active ingredient in thisproduct is permethrin.
Permethrin is an insecticide,not a repellent, but it does
repel to some degree, but if thetick stays on the treated
substance, it will kill thetick.
Emily Cabrera (04:03):
Interesting, and I see this permethrin bottle, it
says it treats up to fouroutfits, and we're talking like
all the parts of your clothing,but tents, gear, it actually
maintains its effectiveness forsix weeks or even six washings,
which is really interesting.
Jordan Powers (04:19):
That's incredible. So I think the
takeaway that I'm gathering hereis, if you're casually outside
in Georgia any time of year, notjust in the summer, we're
learning the average everydayperson in Georgia do your tick
checks, but if you know you'regonna be out, if you're those of
us who really like being on thehiking trails, if you like
camping, keep an eye out forthese products, because they are
available to protect ourselvesand our families.
Nancy Hinkle (04:37):
Right. And this one that has the long
persistence you can treat yourgardening clothes, for instance,
and maybe you only wear themevery afternoon when you go out
to pick the tomatoes. But youcan put on those garments, maybe
just a pair of pants, but it'salready been treated. It hasn't
been washed. It'll last for along time.
Emily Cabrera (04:52):
Well, that's really good to know, and it kind
of leads me into this nextquestion. I told you it was
going to be a double barreledquestion, landscape and
environment. We know you canpick up ticks out in the forest
or if you're an outdoors person,but you can also just as easily
pick them up in your homelandscape. So can we talk
through a few ways of protectingourselves by management in our
(05:13):
immediate surroundings?
Nancy Hinkle (05:15):
Everybody wants to know what to spray, and I would
say the last thing you want todo is spray, because if you
spray, you kill all thebeneficials. You kill those ants
and spiders and beetles, thegood things that are out there
that are eating the ticks. So wedon't want to kill those. And
unfortunately, you have toactually hit the tick with the
spray to kill the tick, whereasthe beetles, if they run across
(05:36):
a treated surface, they'll die.
So let's think about otherthings, other than using an
insecticide. One of the bestthings to do to reduce tick
numbers is to mow the grass low,cut back the bushes, get the air
blowing through there, and thatwill dry out ticks. Takes a
little more effort, but it lastslonger. And another strategy is
to keep wildlife out of youryard. I know it's so cute to
have the little possums andraccoons and deer coming through
(05:58):
your backyard, but they alwaysbring their friends with them,
and they're leaving ticks inyour backyard, and you don't
want that, so keep them kind ofaway from the house [laughter].
You can watch them from adistance.
Jordan Powers (06:11):
Easier said than done for the deer that run
through [laughter] myneighborhood.
Nancy Hinkle (06:14):
So true.
Jordan Powers (06:15):
So say we've done the best we can. We have used
our spray on our body, if we arean active outdoors person, we
have done our tick checks, andduring one of those tick checks,
we do find a tick crawling onus. Should we be worried?
Nancy Hinkle (06:29):
As long as it's crawling on you, no. You can
catch that one and you candestroy it however you want to.
Jordan Powers (06:34):
Okay. And we did learn before the show started
that there is one method that isa frequent method of destroying
ticks that might not work sowell. How do we appropriately
[laughter] destroy a tick?
Nancy Hinkle (06:45):
Unfortunately, ticks are very hard to drown, so
I don't recommend flushing them,because they can stay under
water for over 24 hours withoutdying. If you're gonna kill a
tick, put it in alcohol. I wouldactually recommend keeping the
tick alive. Put it in a zip lockbag, write the date on it and
put it in your refrigerator.
Sounds weird, I know, but ifthat tick turns out to be
(07:06):
carrying any pathogens, it canbe tested later to determine
what disease organisms it mayhave.
Jordan Powers (07:13):
So that leads to, what if the tick becomes
embedded?
Nancy Hinkle (07:16):
Yes, if the tick is embedded, then we're really
interested. Again, the tickshould be removed. There are all
sorts of recommendations forlittle devices to remove the
tick. I say it's more importantto get it off quickly than to
waste time looking for somethingto pull it out with. Take your
fingers, pull it out, put it ina zip lock bag, write the date
on it, put it in therefrigerator, and then forget
about it for six weeks. If youhaven't gotten sick in six
(07:38):
weeks, you don't have to worryabout it.
Emily Cabrera (07:40):
What do we do if we've pulled the tick off and
the head has become embedded anddoesn't come out? 'Cause that's
always been my greatest fear is,if I don't pull it off the right
way, is that head going to getstuck and then I can't grab onto
it and pull it out.
Nancy Hinkle (07:54):
Everybody worries about leaving the head in. I
think granny told us to beconcerned about that. There's
nothing magical about the head.
It's like a thorn in our skin.
Yeah, you'd prefer to have itout, but you've probably had
splinters under your skin andyou left them and let them work
their way out. Same thing withthe tick head. Don't worry about
it.
Emily Cabrera (08:09):
You mentioned wildlife coming through your
yard, which are often carryingthese diseases that the ticks
are getting. So they're vectors.
What diseases should we beworried about, and what are the
chances of getting a diseasefrom a tick bite?
Nancy Hinkle (08:22):
Fortunately, there's not a high probability
of getting a disease, but Iwould just argue there's no
reason to let a tick bite youanyway. There's nothing good
that comes from a tick bite.
They transmit ehrlichiosis,anaplasmosis, rickettsiosis,
babesiosis. All these weirdsounding names that can be
deadly. Many of them aredevastating to dog health, and
(08:43):
they are not good for humanhealth, so avoiding ticks is a
high priority for both theanimals and for us. So I
wouldn't worry so much aboutwhich disease you might get,
because unfortunately, most ofthem have pretty much the same
symptoms, flu, like symptoms,achiness, fever, general
malaise. If it's a viraldisease, it can't be treated
(09:03):
with an antibiotic. It has to bediagnosed correctly and treated
in time, because once it setsin, then you can have permanent
damage from some of theseinfections.
Emily Cabrera (09:13):
And so I guess that goes back to why we bag and
tag, why we keep the tick andlabel it. We know we've been bit
we hang on to that littlesucker, and then if something
happens, we have a little bitmore information to go off.
Nancy Hinkle (09:25):
Right. It can be tested if necessary.
Jordan Powers (09:27):
I know we could talk about this for eons, but is
there anything crucial forlisteners to know as we're
scratching the surface of ticksand tick prevention?
Nancy Hinkle (09:36):
It's challenging, but avoid ticks. Do a daily tick
check. If you find them, removethem. Other than that, just go
along your way and enjoyyourself being out in the open.
I don't want fear of ticks todiscourage people from being out
in the woods.
Jordan Powers (09:49):
Nancy, thank you so much for joining us today. We
always appreciate your insight,especially on a topic that we've
learned impacts us year round,but certainly as more people are
out and about, as the weather isgetting nice. So thanks for your
time.
Nancy Hinkle (09:59):
Thank you, appreciate it.
Sound Effect (10:00):
[chime]
Jordan Powers (10:03):
And now we'll transition from ticks to
mosquitos in our conversationwith Elmer Gray.
Sound Effect (10:07):
[chime]
Emily Cabrera (10:09):
Elmer, thank you for joining us today. We just
heard from Nancy about how toprotect ourselves from ticks,
now that the weather is nice andwe're spending more time
outdoors. When should weanticipate mosquitos to start
interrupting our patio dinnersand outdoor activities?
Elmer Gray (10:24):
Mosquitos will be coming out very soon.
Temperatures are warming as theovernight temperatures get
warmer, the larvae developfaster in the standing water,
and emergence will occur. Sothey're coming soon.
Jordan Powers (10:35):
"Dun dun dunn..."
Everyone (10:36):
[laughter]
Jordan Powers (10:37):
They're coming.
I'm picturing like the oldschool movie posters now
[laughter]. So now that we knowthat they're coming and they're
coming soon, what can I do toprotect myself and my family,
both my kids and my pets?
Elmer Gray (10:47):
The best thing to do is just be really diligent about
eliminating standing wateraround the homes and your
neighbors and your neighborhood.
The larvae develop in standingwater, so any place that there's
containers, trays, tarps,anything that holds water will
develop mosquito larvae.
Oftentimes, the trays on ourplants are our most common
problem, and it's right on ourporches, decks around our homes.
(11:10):
So anything you can do toeliminate standing water will
help minimize the problems inyour yard. Making sure the
screens on your house are good.
You know, we're in a period nowin spring where it's comfortable
to have the windows open somemake sure your screens that's
good for all insects that wewant to keep outside.
Jordan Powers (11:24):
So we've talked about emptying water out of the
trays, out of clearing standingwater from our property. What
else can I do to protect ourphysical selfs, our bodies and
our pets?
Elmer Gray (11:35):
Light-colored, loose fitting clothing is really
important to help prevent themosquitoes from detecting you in
the environment and being drawnto your attention that the
contrast of black and white,dark colors, they can pick you
up in the distance. They'reattracted to the carbon dioxide
in our breath, but certainlylight colored, loose fitting
clothing. It's a little biteasier today with the breathable
(11:56):
clothing and stuff that'savailable. And then I highly
recommend EPA approved insectrepellents. DEET is still the
gold standard, but there areseveral other materials if you
want to use a plant basedmaterial, oil of lemon
eucalyptus has shown some goodeffectiveness. You want to read
the labels carefully. Some ofthem are approved for children
as young as two months, DEET is;oil lemon eucalyptus requires
(12:19):
children to be three years ofage.
Jordan Powers (12:21):
Okay, so make sure we're paying attention to
those labels before usingproducts.
Elmer Gray (12:25):
As always with any pesticide.
Sound Effect (12:26):
[chime]
Emily Cabrera (12:29):
In addition to using EPA approved insect
repellents on yourself and yourloved ones, Nancy and Elmer both
recommend talking with yourveterinarian for the best tick,
flea, and heartwormpreventatives for your pets.
Sound Effect (12:40):
[chime]
Emily Cabrera (12:43):
So what if we have done everything possible to
protect ourselves in our ownyards, but we're still seeing
and feeling mosquitos. Is theremore that we can do? Is there
any help that city or countylevel officials can help with?
Elmer Gray (12:57):
If you're having problems with adult mosquitoes
and you've done everything youfeel like you can do you want to
check either your local publichealth department, the county
government of some versions.
Many small towns will havemosquito control districts or
mosquito control programs. Asfar as at your home, there are
adulticide products availablethrough home improvement stores,
whether it's a adulticideapplicator or you can use a
residual product that you wouldspray on, maybe the English ivy
(13:21):
and the privet around your deck,where the mosquitoes may be
harboring during the heat of theday. Always, when you go to the
barrier type sprays, you want tobe real careful about not
applying to any floweringvegetation. You want to avoid
any kind of pollinator habitats.
But English ivy is a notorioussite. Doesn't bloom, doesn't
have any real pollinatorattraction.
Jordan Powers (13:42):
I just learned a new thing today, and I have so
much English ivy on my property,I'm going, okay, well, I've
gotten rid of all the standingwater, but now I'm like, Oh,
dang, I've got a whole anotherthing that I have to look at.
Elmer Gray (13:54):
You think about that English ivy. It's a dense
vegetation down low at theground, so it's going to provide
shade increased humidity down atthat level. So that's where
during the heat of the summer,and it gets hot, those
mosquitoes have to go somewhere,so they don't dry out. So they
get in the shade, they get intodense vegetation, stay there
during the heat of the day, youget home from work at six
o'clock and you're around yourpatio, the shadows get longer.
(14:14):
They come out to bite.
Jordan Powers (14:15):
Dang it. All right. Well, I have items on my
to do list, and I know we dohave a lot more reference
information through Extension,so we'll be sure to link to some
of that in the show notes onwhat homeowners can do on their
own properties. So we've talkedabout EPA approved repellents,
we've talked about light, loosefitting clothing and emptying
water on our own properties. Buthow can we look broader than
ourselves? Maybe look at ourneighbors and our neighborhood
(14:36):
and our households, and how wecan improve the effectiveness of
getting rid of those pests forour neighbors?
Elmer Gray (14:41):
Talk to your neighbors. Try to be neighborly.
Work with senior citizens to seeif we can do anything to help
them. You know, eliminatecontainers around their yard.
One of the things we talkedabout the other day was it's
been windy. We're coming out ofwinter, so look around the
distant parts of your propertyto see what's at the fence line,
what's got blown over that'smaybe holding water that you may
not be as cognizant of or asaware of that catches your
(15:02):
attention. Just a few thingslike that. Trying to clean up,
you cannot get too clean. As faras eliminating, you know, tires,
there's tire recycling days.
That's a really important thingtoo, is getting tires out of our
community.
Emily Cabrera (15:13):
For most people, a mosquito bite is little more
than an itchy inconvenience. Butwe also know that they can carry
diseases. What diseases are weworried about, and what are the
chances of getting a diseasefrom a mosquito bite?
Elmer Gray (15:25):
That's a great question. West Nile virus is
still our most common mosquitoborne disease in Georgia. We had
54 cases, five deaths in 2024 sowe need to really be diligent
about this. Preventing mosquitobites are important. There's a
couple other diseases. Easternequine encephalitis can be a
problem in the lower part of thestate. La Crosse encephalitis.
These are viruses that aretransmitted. Just like coming
(15:47):
through the COVID, there'sdifferent levels of
susceptibility, so only like 20%of the people who are exposed to
West Nile virus develop thefever, less than 1% develop
meningitis or encephalitis,thankfully. So West Nile virus
is still our most common thingthat's transmitted by mosquitos
that grow across the entirestate of Georgia and southeast.
They like foul water with a lotof nutrients in it. Storm drains
(16:10):
are an important part of thatstory, and that's where the town
can be involved with larvicidingstorm drains. That's a great
practice for communities toconduct that does not involve
adulticiding, it's notcontroversial, and it should be
done around schools andretirement centers, for sure.
Jordan Powers (16:25):
So the takeaway here is we need to protect
ourselves and our immediatefamily, but we also need to be
on the lookout for our neighborsand our broader community.
Elmer Gray (16:31):
Absolutely anything we can do. Certainly elderly
neighbors, I would really focuson them, trying to help them
out, keep things clean, beingneighborly can go a long ways to
help in your community.
Sound Effect (16:39):
[chime]
Emily Cabrera (16:41):
Well, friends, we hope you feel a little more
prepared as you get outdoorsthis spring and summer, in
preventing ticks and mosquitosfrom disrupting your outdoor
fun.
Sound Effect (16:49):
[music]
Jordan Powers (16:50):
Thanks for listening to Cultivating
Curiosity, a podcast produced bythe UGA College of Agricultural
and Environmental Sciences. Aspecial thanks to Mason
McClintock for our music andsound effects. Find more
episodes wherever you get yourpodcasts.
[music]
Jordan Powers (00:00):
Welcome to Cultivating Curiosity where we
get down and dirty with theexperts on all the ways science
and agriculture touch our lives,from what we eat to how we live.
I'm Jordan Powers.
Emily Cabrera (00:12):
And I'm Emily Cabrera. We're from the
University of Georgia's Collegeof Agricultural and
Environmental Sciences.
Sound Effect (00:19):
[chime]
Jordan Powers (00:20):
As temperatures are warming up and we're
spending more time outdoors, oneof the most prominent and
persistent challenges of livingin the South is the battle
against blood sucking bugs.
Emily Cabrera (00:30):
Yes, we're talking about mosquitos and
ticks. So we've invitedentomologists Nancy Hinkle and
Elmer Gray to talk through themost effective ways to prevent
irritation from these nuisancepests and protect ourselves from
the potential diseases theycarry.
Jordan Powers (00:45):
Our first guest, Nancy Hinkle, is a professor in
the CAES Department ofEntomology, and comes to us with
a wealth of information on tickprevention. In the second part
of this episode, we'll hear fromElmer Gray, a public health
Extension specialist inentomology, who gives us insight
into one of the most notoriouslyannoying pests out there, the
mosquito.
Emily Cabrera (01:05):
This episode will only scratch the surface of this
itchy topic, but we'll provideadditional resources in the show
notes for digging into morecomprehensive information on
both pests.
Sound Effect (01:17):
[chime]
Jordan Powers (01:17):
Well, Nancy, thank you so much for joining us
today. As temperatures are veryquickly warming up and folks are
probably starting to get outsidemore often, when do we need to
start worrying about ticks inour environments?
Nancy Hinkle (01:29):
About two months ago.
Everyone (01:30):
[laughter]
Jordan Powers (01:32):
So always.
Nancy Hinkle (01:33):
Always [laughter], if you're in Georgia, Yes,
always.
Jordan Powers (01:36):
So now that we're thinking about them all the
time, if you've ever pulled atick off yourself, you know you
don't necessarily have to be anoutdoor enthusiast to be
targeted, but you can even pickup these blood loving bugs from
your own backyard. How exactlydo we pick up ticks?
Nancy Hinkle (01:52):
Ticks are always on the ground. They don't fall
out of trees, despite every wordyou've ever heard from your
granny about ticks falling outof trees, they're actually on
the ground, and they latch onwith their little claws, and
then they crawl up our shoes andup our socks and up our legs and
up our pants legs, and theysettle wherever they want to
settle.
Jordan Powers (02:08):
Okay, so they're not coming from above. They're
crawling on the ground, whetherthat's a hiking trail or whether
that's the grass in yourbackyard?
Nancy Hinkle (02:16):
Right.
Jordan Powers (02:16):
Yikes.
Emily Cabrera (02:17):
All right, so I've got kind of a two part
question. We'll start with, whatdo I do to protect myself, my
family, my kids, my pets?
Nancy Hinkle (02:25):
The most important thing is to do a daily tick
check. Pretty much, if you livein Georgia, year round, you
should be checking your bodydaily for ticks. And that's you,
your kids, your dog, any otherloved one.
Emily Cabrera (02:36):
So how do we maybe protect ourselves before
there would be the possibilityof having a tick, is there way
to prevent them from getting onus in the first place?
Nancy Hinkle (02:45):
You can make a good effort, and there are a
couple of things to do, and onlyan entomologist probably would
do them. But if you're going tobe out in an area that does have
ticks, I would recommend wearinglong pants, tucking the pants
down into your socks, andwalking around looking really
nerdy. If you're particularlyconscientious, you might
purchase one of the productsthat has permethrin in it. Those
(03:07):
are used for treating clothing,and you can treat your shoes,
your socks, and your pants leg.
Emily Cabrera (03:11):
Our listeners can't see this, so I'll do my
best to explain, but you'vebrought in props today. There is
a spray in front of me that isactually labeled specifically
for ticks. I think in my mind,I'm always looking at insect
repellents and thinking ofmosquitos, but there is
something labeled specificallyfor ticks.
Nancy Hinkle (03:29):
The active ingredient is DEET, the same
thing that's in the mosquitorepellents, but it's got a very
high percentage and it can beused on your skin, on your
children's skin, and that willrepel ticks as well as
mosquitoes. The other product isfor use only on clothing and
hiking gear and tents and thingslike that, not on skin. Never to
be used on skin. It has adifferent active ingredient. The
(03:51):
active ingredient in thisproduct is permethrin.
Permethrin is an insecticide,not a repellent, but it does
repel to some degree, but if thetick stays on the treated
substance, it will kill thetick.
Emily Cabrera (04:03):
Interesting, and I see this permethrin bottle, it
says it treats up to fouroutfits, and we're talking like
all the parts of your clothing,but tents, gear, it actually
maintains its effectiveness forsix weeks or even six washings,
which is really interesting.
Jordan Powers (04:19):
That's incredible. So I think the
takeaway that I'm gathering hereis, if you're casually outside
in Georgia any time of year, notjust in the summer, we're
learning the average everydayperson in Georgia do your tick
checks, but if you know you'regonna be out, if you're those of
us who really like being on thehiking trails, if you like
camping, keep an eye out forthese products, because they are
available to protect ourselvesand our families.
Nancy Hinkle (04:37):
Right. And this one that has the long
persistence you can treat yourgardening clothes, for instance,
and maybe you only wear themevery afternoon when you go out
to pick the tomatoes. But youcan put on those garments, maybe
just a pair of pants, but it'salready been treated. It hasn't
been washed. It'll last for along time.
Emily Cabrera (04:52):
Well, that's really good to know, and it kind
of leads me into this nextquestion. I told you it was
going to be a double barreledquestion, landscape and
environment. We know you canpick up ticks out in the forest
or if you're an outdoors person,but you can also just as easily
pick them up in your homelandscape. So can we talk
through a few ways of protectingourselves by management in our
(05:13):
immediate surroundings?
Nancy Hinkle (05:15):
Everybody wants to know what to spray, and I would
say the last thing you want todo is spray, because if you
spray, you kill all thebeneficials. You kill those ants
and spiders and beetles, thegood things that are out there
that are eating the ticks. So wedon't want to kill those. And
unfortunately, you have toactually hit the tick with the
spray to kill the tick, whereasthe beetles, if they run across
(05:36):
a treated surface, they'll die.
So let's think about otherthings, other than using an
insecticide. One of the bestthings to do to reduce tick
numbers is to mow the grass low,cut back the bushes, get the air
blowing through there, and thatwill dry out ticks. Takes a
little more effort, but it lastslonger. And another strategy is
to keep wildlife out of youryard. I know it's so cute to
have the little possums andraccoons and deer coming through
(05:58):
your backyard, but they alwaysbring their friends with them,
and they're leaving ticks inyour backyard, and you don't
want that, so keep them kind ofaway from the house [laughter].
You can watch them from adistance.
Jordan Powers (06:11):
Easier said than done for the deer that run
through [laughter] myneighborhood.
Nancy Hinkle (06:14):
So true.
Jordan Powers (06:15):
So say we've done the best we can. We have used
our spray on our body, if we arean active outdoors person, we
have done our tick checks, andduring one of those tick checks,
we do find a tick crawling onus. Should we be worried?
Nancy Hinkle (06:29):
As long as it's crawling on you, no. You can
catch that one and you candestroy it however you want to.
Jordan Powers (06:34):
Okay. And we did learn before the show started
that there is one method that isa frequent method of destroying
ticks that might not work sowell. How do we appropriately
[laughter] destroy a tick?
Nancy Hinkle (06:45):
Unfortunately, ticks are very hard to drown, so
I don't recommend flushing them,because they can stay under
water for over 24 hours withoutdying. If you're gonna kill a
tick, put it in alcohol. I wouldactually recommend keeping the
tick alive. Put it in a zip lockbag, write the date on it and
put it in your refrigerator.
Sounds weird, I know, but ifthat tick turns out to be
(07:06):
carrying any pathogens, it canbe tested later to determine
what disease organisms it mayhave.
Jordan Powers (07:13):
So that leads to, what if the tick becomes
embedded?
Nancy Hinkle (07:16):
Yes, if the tick is embedded, then we're really
interested. Again, the tickshould be removed. There are all
sorts of recommendations forlittle devices to remove the
tick. I say it's more importantto get it off quickly than to
waste time looking for somethingto pull it out with. Take your
fingers, pull it out, put it ina zip lock bag, write the date
on it, put it in therefrigerator, and then forget
about it for six weeks. If youhaven't gotten sick in six
(07:38):
weeks, you don't have to worryabout it.
Emily Cabrera (07:40):
What do we do if we've pulled the tick off and
the head has become embedded anddoesn't come out? 'Cause that's
always been my greatest fear is,if I don't pull it off the right
way, is that head going to getstuck and then I can't grab onto
it and pull it out.
Nancy Hinkle (07:54):
Everybody worries about leaving the head in. I
think granny told us to beconcerned about that. There's
nothing magical about the head.
It's like a thorn in our skin.
Yeah, you'd prefer to have itout, but you've probably had
splinters under your skin andyou left them and let them work
their way out. Same thing withthe tick head. Don't worry about
it.
Emily Cabrera (08:09):
You mentioned wildlife coming through your
yard, which are often carryingthese diseases that the ticks
are getting. So they're vectors.
What diseases should we beworried about, and what are the
chances of getting a diseasefrom a tick bite?
Nancy Hinkle (08:22):
Fortunately, there's not a high probability
of getting a disease, but Iwould just argue there's no
reason to let a tick bite youanyway. There's nothing good
that comes from a tick bite.
They transmit ehrlichiosis,anaplasmosis, rickettsiosis,
babesiosis. All these weirdsounding names that can be
deadly. Many of them aredevastating to dog health, and
(08:43):
they are not good for humanhealth, so avoiding ticks is a
high priority for both theanimals and for us. So I
wouldn't worry so much aboutwhich disease you might get,
because unfortunately, most ofthem have pretty much the same
symptoms, flu, like symptoms,achiness, fever, general
malaise. If it's a viraldisease, it can't be treated
(09:03):
with an antibiotic. It has to bediagnosed correctly and treated
in time, because once it setsin, then you can have permanent
damage from some of theseinfections.
Emily Cabrera (09:13):
And so I guess that goes back to why we bag and
tag, why we keep the tick andlabel it. We know we've been bit
we hang on to that littlesucker, and then if something
happens, we have a little bitmore information to go off.
Nancy Hinkle (09:25):
Right. It can be tested if necessary.
Jordan Powers (09:27):
I know we could talk about this for eons, but is
there anything crucial forlisteners to know as we're
scratching the surface of ticksand tick prevention?
Nancy Hinkle (09:36):
It's challenging, but avoid ticks. Do a daily tick
check. If you find them, removethem. Other than that, just go
along your way and enjoyyourself being out in the open.
I don't want fear of ticks todiscourage people from being out
in the woods.
Jordan Powers (09:49):
Nancy, thank you so much for joining us today. We
always appreciate your insight,especially on a topic that we've
learned impacts us year round,but certainly as more people are
out and about, as the weather isgetting nice. So thanks for your
time.
Nancy Hinkle (09:59):
Thank you, appreciate it.
Sound Effect (10:00):
[chime]
Jordan Powers (10:03):
And now we'll transition from ticks to
mosquitos in our conversationwith Elmer Gray.
Sound Effect (10:07):
[chime]
Emily Cabrera (10:09):
Elmer, thank you for joining us today. We just
heard from Nancy about how toprotect ourselves from ticks,
now that the weather is nice andwe're spending more time
outdoors. When should weanticipate mosquitos to start
interrupting our patio dinnersand outdoor activities?
Elmer Gray (10:24):
Mosquitos will be coming out very soon.
Temperatures are warming as theovernight temperatures get
warmer, the larvae developfaster in the standing water,
and emergence will occur. Sothey're coming soon.
Jordan Powers (10:35):
"Dun dun dunn..."
Everyone (10:36):
[laughter]
Jordan Powers (10:37):
They're coming.
I'm picturing like the oldschool movie posters now
[laughter]. So now that we knowthat they're coming and they're
coming soon, what can I do toprotect myself and my family,
both my kids and my pets?
Elmer Gray (10:47):
The best thing to do is just be really diligent about
eliminating standing wateraround the homes and your
neighbors and your neighborhood.
The larvae develop in standingwater, so any place that there's
containers, trays, tarps,anything that holds water will
develop mosquito larvae.
Oftentimes, the trays on ourplants are our most common
problem, and it's right on ourporches, decks around our homes.
(11:10):
So anything you can do toeliminate standing water will
help minimize the problems inyour yard. Making sure the
screens on your house are good.
You know, we're in a period nowin spring where it's comfortable
to have the windows open somemake sure your screens that's
good for all insects that wewant to keep outside.
Jordan Powers (11:24):
So we've talked about emptying water out of the
trays, out of clearing standingwater from our property. What
else can I do to protect ourphysical selfs, our bodies and
our pets?
Elmer Gray (11:35):
Light-colored, loose fitting clothing is really
important to help prevent themosquitoes from detecting you in
the environment and being drawnto your attention that the
contrast of black and white,dark colors, they can pick you
up in the distance. They'reattracted to the carbon dioxide
in our breath, but certainlylight colored, loose fitting
clothing. It's a little biteasier today with the breathable
(11:56):
clothing and stuff that'savailable. And then I highly
recommend EPA approved insectrepellents. DEET is still the
gold standard, but there areseveral other materials if you
want to use a plant basedmaterial, oil of lemon
eucalyptus has shown some goodeffectiveness. You want to read
the labels carefully. Some ofthem are approved for children
as young as two months, DEET is;oil lemon eucalyptus requires
(12:19):
children to be three years ofage.
Jordan Powers (12:21):
Okay, so make sure we're paying attention to
those labels before usingproducts.
Elmer Gray (12:25):
As always with any pesticide.
Sound Effect (12:26):
[chime]
Emily Cabrera (12:29):
In addition to using EPA approved insect
repellents on yourself and yourloved ones, Nancy and Elmer both
recommend talking with yourveterinarian for the best tick,
flea, and heartwormpreventatives for your pets.
Sound Effect (12:40):
[chime]
Emily Cabrera (12:43):
So what if we have done everything possible to
protect ourselves in our ownyards, but we're still seeing
and feeling mosquitos. Is theremore that we can do? Is there
any help that city or countylevel officials can help with?
Elmer Gray (12:57):
If you're having problems with adult mosquitoes
and you've done everything youfeel like you can do you want to
check either your local publichealth department, the county
government of some versions.
Many small towns will havemosquito control districts or
mosquito control programs. Asfar as at your home, there are
adulticide products availablethrough home improvement stores,
whether it's a adulticideapplicator or you can use a
residual product that you wouldspray on, maybe the English ivy
(13:21):
and the privet around your deck,where the mosquitoes may be
harboring during the heat of theday. Always, when you go to the
barrier type sprays, you want tobe real careful about not
applying to any floweringvegetation. You want to avoid
any kind of pollinator habitats.
But English ivy is a notorioussite. Doesn't bloom, doesn't
have any real pollinatorattraction.
Jordan Powers (13:42):
I just learned a new thing today, and I have so
much English ivy on my property,I'm going, okay, well, I've
gotten rid of all the standingwater, but now I'm like, Oh,
dang, I've got a whole anotherthing that I have to look at.
Elmer Gray (13:54):
You think about that English ivy. It's a dense
vegetation down low at theground, so it's going to provide
shade increased humidity down atthat level. So that's where
during the heat of the summer,and it gets hot, those
mosquitoes have to go somewhere,so they don't dry out. So they
get in the shade, they get intodense vegetation, stay there
during the heat of the day, youget home from work at six
o'clock and you're around yourpatio, the shadows get longer.
(14:14):
They come out to bite.
Jordan Powers (14:15):
Dang it. All right. Well, I have items on my
to do list, and I know we dohave a lot more reference
information through Extension,so we'll be sure to link to some
of that in the show notes onwhat homeowners can do on their
own properties. So we've talkedabout EPA approved repellents,
we've talked about light, loosefitting clothing and emptying
water on our own properties. Buthow can we look broader than
ourselves? Maybe look at ourneighbors and our neighborhood
(14:36):
and our households, and how wecan improve the effectiveness of
getting rid of those pests forour neighbors?
Elmer Gray (14:41):
Talk to your neighbors. Try to be neighborly.
Work with senior citizens to seeif we can do anything to help
them. You know, eliminatecontainers around their yard.
One of the things we talkedabout the other day was it's
been windy. We're coming out ofwinter, so look around the
distant parts of your propertyto see what's at the fence line,
what's got blown over that'smaybe holding water that you may
not be as cognizant of or asaware of that catches your
(15:02):
attention. Just a few thingslike that. Trying to clean up,
you cannot get too clean. As faras eliminating, you know, tires,
there's tire recycling days.
That's a really important thingtoo, is getting tires out of our
community.
Emily Cabrera (15:13):
For most people, a mosquito bite is little more
than an itchy inconvenience. Butwe also know that they can carry
diseases. What diseases are weworried about, and what are the
chances of getting a diseasefrom a mosquito bite?
Elmer Gray (15:25):
That's a great question. West Nile virus is
still our most common mosquitoborne disease in Georgia. We had
54 cases, five deaths in 2024 sowe need to really be diligent
about this. Preventing mosquitobites are important. There's a
couple other diseases. Easternequine encephalitis can be a
problem in the lower part of thestate. La Crosse encephalitis.
These are viruses that aretransmitted. Just like coming
(15:47):
through the COVID, there'sdifferent levels of
susceptibility, so only like 20%of the people who are exposed to
West Nile virus develop thefever, less than 1% develop
meningitis or encephalitis,thankfully. So West Nile virus
is still our most common thingthat's transmitted by mosquitos
that grow across the entirestate of Georgia and southeast.
They like foul water with a lotof nutrients in it. Storm drains
(16:10):
are an important part of thatstory, and that's where the town
can be involved with larvicidingstorm drains. That's a great
practice for communities toconduct that does not involve
adulticiding, it's notcontroversial, and it should be
done around schools andretirement centers, for sure.
Jordan Powers (16:25):
So the takeaway here is we need to protect
ourselves and our immediatefamily, but we also need to be
on the lookout for our neighborsand our broader community.
Elmer Gray (16:31):
Absolutely anything we can do. Certainly elderly
neighbors, I would really focuson them, trying to help them
out, keep things clean, beingneighborly can go a long ways to
help in your community.
Sound Effect (16:39):
[chime]
Emily Cabrera (16:41):
Well, friends, we hope you feel a little more
prepared as you get outdoorsthis spring and summer, in
preventing ticks and mosquitosfrom disrupting your outdoor
fun.
Sound Effect (16:49):
[music]
Jordan Powers (16:50):
Thanks for listening to Cultivating
Curiosity, a podcast produced bythe UGA College of Agricultural
and Environmental Sciences. Aspecial thanks to Mason
McClintock for our music andsound effects. Find more
episodes wherever you get yourpodcasts.
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