tick infestation
Today was transect reconnaissance day for Luke in that we all piled into the truck to search out sites tied to local land use perceptions to conduct vegetation transects over the coming weeks. There are four of us (Luke, Cerian, and myself plus our friend/assistant, Bennety) plus two local people to drive around scouting these sites out.
Because it is six people for a five passenger car the four smallest people get the privilege of squishing in the back (which inevitably has been me, Cerian, Bennety and one other). So, sardine-like we traverse across sandy, rutted roads that criss-cross the landscape in search of undisturbed vegetation areas (that have not been converted into an agricultural field).
We started decently early in the morning and had completed scouting two or three sites (which involves getting out of the truck, trekking into the bush 150 meters, chatting about trees and grass, and then trekking out again). After one such lovely procession in a shrub-prone area we had started driving along the dirt road when I glanced at Cerian’s collar (a hand’s width from my face) to see a very large tick sitting comfortably on the collar. Now, I will own up to the fact I am not the calmest person when it comes to squeamish things…I was like uh, ah, um, Cerian, don’t move (who is much calmer overall with things) who immediately tenses up and is like what is it? Wait, don’t tell me, just get it off…meanwhile, I am like Luke, stop the truck, stop driving, stop the truck…to which Cerian is already opening the door regardless of the still rolling momentum. We practically pop out of the side due to the compression of people together in the back and with the sudden release immediately I am trying to flick the thing off her collar with my pen. Success eventually is found and thorough checks for every other section of clothing, parts of body commences while the four men in the truck wonder what the heck we are doing. I think at least we provide entertainment/amusement for those who suffer the day with us (a previous episode involving a spider occurred last week). At the next stop Cerian proceeds to tuck anything that will tuck into anything in…the rest of us keep our shirt tails out but the whole group is now checking for ticks before getting back into the truck…we kid Cerian for tucking in everything but she doesn’t care…at least until Bennety points out that an untucked shirt makes it easier for the tick to fall out prompting the immediate un-tucking of the shirt. Of course, for the rest of the day we ride around with the constant feeling of something crawling over us…and even as I type this I get that same feeling…ugh…not a fan.