The Nature Friendly Farming Network

Deer are not the only carriers though...

Steragram is right, other animals pick up ticks but researchers state that excluding deer can affect tick density.

I found some interesting facts on a US site:

including, QUOTE: Tick populations do not decrease substantially unless deer are eradicated or severely reduced. Removing plants that attract deer and constructing fences or other barriers may help discourage tick-infested deer from coming near homes. Lists of deer-resistant plantings are available from garden centers, nurseries, or local extension agents.UNQUOTE

Not easy!

There is another interesting article regarding the culling of deer in Scotland in the Guardian, February this year. Googling the info should bring up the article. Seems there are 1.5 million deer in the UK and their numbers are growing.

QUOTE:The red deer eat and eat, overwhelming a delicate moorland ecosystem, trampling the ground, shearing the hillside of vegetation and stripping the bark from the trees.
UNQUOTE

Left alone a herd of 300 will become a herd of 3000 animals in 13 years. They have no predators apart from Man.

yet some people resist the idea of reintroducing their natural predators of lynx and wolf because the odd sheep may be taken instead. humans keep fiddling with the ecosystem and then are surprised when things go awry!

Would members please give some thought to joining/writing to the Nature Friendly Farming Network
asking them to put this matter on their Agenda. The
populations of deer need controlling, the infestation of ticks need controlling, the spread of Lyme Disease needs
controlling.

I joined but had difficulty getting it to recognise 'England'
will wait and see if there is a response. Then I will speak.
What SB girl, Eirlys and Stera forget is that farmers are very clever people and learn their trade from tradition
and each other.
One may know a way Ticks can be controlled inexpensively.
The important thing is to get them to talk about it.
As I learned as a Cllr for 5 years, one voice will be ignored.
It always needs several to get action.

I don't forget ''that farmers are very clever people and learn their trade from tradition and each other'' but they are concerned about protecting their live stock and their income. Sheep carry many ticks etc and that's why they drench them to kill them off. More chemicals in the food chain and in the environment.
my point was that perhaps we need to reintroduce the deer's natural predators. to help reduce their numbers.

there are many people who object to deer culling and again they don't understand the need for it.

I wasn't thinking about farmers at all. I was thinking about the ticks that dogs sometimes pick up. There are no wild deer round here and not many sheep - its more a dairy area, so I don't know which animals would be the carrier here.But the sheep that we do have are dipped every year and I'm quite sure the experienced farmers do indeed know what they are doing and why.

Here in the New Forest area culling does take place : a necessary evil.

Steragram: Acorns attract mice and mice carry ticks.

Sheep dipping can be hazardous to a farmer who should be well-protected. Cost has escalated also
with organophosphate (OP) sheep dip charges rising from £154 to £273.

I remember watching sheep being dipped in what to my young eyes looked like a small swimming pool. This was years ago and Health & Safety would have had a fit. It's a wonder we survived!

most mammals will carry ticks, they are not fussy as long as they get a feed. one of our grey squirrels had a tick on its face. the only reason I know this is that Victoria took a close up of it feeding on the nuts.

I dont seem to have had much response to my request that gardeners join The Nature Friendly Farming Network.
Not unexpected.

I would have thought it was primarily for farmers?
Eirlys that's interesting...but the only oak I've seen round here is in my neighbour's garden. There are mice though, but seem to be more voles.