Week 4 at GCHD

 Week 4 at GCHD


The heat wave that took place this week was brutal. I still ended up spending a lot of the week outdoors, but both me and the ticks were feeling the impacts of the heat. Populations were a bit smaller than in weeks past, likely due to both the sweltering heat and the approach of July, a time where the counties’ tick populations tend to dwindle. 


Melinda and I also made the decision to update some more of the Department’s resources, namely an infographic about tick checks/removal that we give out at public events. It works well as it is, with clear, easy to understand information that serves a useful reminder. However, we both felt that we could do more with the space we had. We decided to work on creating a section of the card with information on tick prevention at home (common methods to keep ticks out of the yard, to be specific). We collaborated with each other and consulted some online resources before deciding on a final list. 


In order to make the information engaging and eye catching, I reached out to a local graphic designer whom Melinda has had communication with in the past. We informed him of our goal for this project and asked if he would be interested, and he was on board with the idea. We sent him over our ideas, and he got to work on a first draft. 


On Friday, while I was doing some office work, I sent the other intern out to do a drag by himself. While he was out, he managed to collect a number of ticks, and when I went to sort them under the microscope, I realized that one of the nymphs was an Asian Longhorned tick, which hadn’t been collected at all this year. I ended up identifying it by examining its mouthparts, which were very distinctive. 

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