Last of the honey from 2011 and ticks.

Went to Sunday School yesterday with Hannah and Arlo.  Did not have to play the piano which is good for the congregation.

John and Claire came out to eat after church and Sue Neal had fixed everyone's favorites ... we eat good when our children are at home.

In the afternoon, we bottled the last of the 2011 honey.  Everyone helped as we filled 150 small bear bottles with honey to give out to guests at John and Claire's wedding on Saturday.  We had labels printed their initials and the date.  I put the remainder in pound jars.  Our bees for 2012 have done well so far and we will harvest the 2012 honey some time in July.

Hannah and I went for a walk late PM ... the tick situation is out of control even though I had mowed a pathway when we often walk.  I occasionally see a tick with a white spot on its back ... called a Lone Star tick ... Amblyomma americanum.  It supposedly does not carry lyme disease.


Female to the left and male to the right ... www.tickinfo.com

I am going to have to do more study on ticks ... I know we have wood ticks ( Dermacentor variabilis ) and deer ticks ( Ixodes scapularis - Ixodes dammini )



Deer tick above ... female ... adult, larva, nymph

Wood tick below ... female to the left and male to the right.




Most of the ticks we saw yesterday were wood ticks.  Permethrin clothing treatment kills ticks and deet-based skin repellent helps repel them.  We have been using Backwoods Cutter ... 23% DEET.  After yesterday, I looking for something stronger!

All images and info mostly from www.tickinfo.com ... check it out ... images are good!