Tick Talk

Ticked off about ticks and the many diseases they spread? Two upcoming events, one in East Hampton, the other on Shelter Island, will offer information and tips on how to deal with the scourge of tick-borne illnesses.

Suffolk County Legislator Bridget Fleming and Rebecca Young, RN, of the Stony Brook Southampton Hospital Regional Tick-Borne Disease Resource Center, will lead an educational presentation on tick safety for members of the East Hampton Senior Club on Thursday, July 21, at 11 AM in the meeting room at the East Hampton Senior Citizen Center at 138 Springs-Fireplace Road in East Hampton.Attendees will be taught how to properly remove ticks and check their pets, grandchildren, and themselves for ticks. They will also learn how to preserve ticks and send them in for testing. Attendees will receive a free tick kit, which contains the items needed to safely remove ticks.

A week later, on June 28, the Shelter Island Deer and Tick Committee will hold an educational forum on deer management and tick-borne diseases and their prevention at 6:30 PM in the auditorium of the Shelter Island School at 33 North Ferry Road on Shelter Island.

A panel consisting of Sue Booth-Bincxzik, Ph.D., of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Scott Campbell, Ph.D., of the Suffolk County Department of Health Services, and Beau Payne, the animal control officer with the Shelter Island Police Department, will be on hand to discuss the issue. The event is free.