Fairfax County Deer Dyed Pink for Tick Study
New research program hopes to control tick infestations and reduce tick-borne disease.
Doe, a deer—a pink-dyed deer? Anyone who's spotted a deer sporting pink lately can rest assured their eyes weren't playing tricks on them. The deer are part of a research project developed by Fairfax County to control tick infestations. The county recently installed 20 feeding stations—15 in Sully Woodlands, five in Clifton's Hemlock Overlook Park—treated with a pesticide used to kill ticks. The deer rub against a roller as they feed, which leaves a pink streak on their bodies. The dye allows researchers to track the deer, which are the primary wildlife host for ticks, according to Vicky Monroe, Fairfax County Wildlife Biologist and head of the Deer Management Program. "Deer are the public transit system for ticks," said Monroe. "They're …
In this Article:
Dolores Claesson
8:40 am on Tuesday, May 8, 2012
http://www.avma.org/public_health/zoonotic_risks/hunters_precautions.asp Check out the diseases that the American Veterinary Medical Assoc is warning hunters about and one of those is CWD or chronic wasting disease. more ›