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Jokes and Memes - NO POLITICS

I suspect all woodland critters eat/ingest ticks the same way . . . collecting them in their fur and then grooming themselves by eating the ticks. Some critters might just be better suited to eat more of them either through being more susceptible to tick infestation or having thinner fur/feathers. I suspect this is the case with the possums.
 
DroptineKrazy said:
I don't think they eat nearly as many as thought. We didn't even have ticks around here until they reintroduced turkeys in Maine in the late 70's early eighties.
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That's an interesting observation. When I was younger we never saw ticks up here. Coincidently the ticks started appearing about the same time that the re-introduction of the wild turkeys happened. Could they be related? Sounds like a potential area of examination for a budding biology student. :tearsofjoy:
 
boyne bowhunter said:
That's an interesting observation. When I was younger we never saw ticks up here. Coincidently the ticks started appearing about the same time that the re-introduction of the wild turkeys happened. Could they be related? Sounds like a potential area of examination for a budding biology student. :tearsofjoy:
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the ticks came from plum island recearch facility, along with lyme disease :tearsofjoy:
 
DroptineKrazy said:
My wife swears by this myth, and I never thought it made much sense. They might eat one occasionally, but they would have to consume hundreds if not more to fill their bellies. I doubt that happens often.
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I suspect any warm blooded animal that walks through grass and leaves in the summer will get covered in ticks. Look at deer early season and they are much higher off the ground than a possum and they are often swarming with ticks. All anyone would need to do around here is lay out on my lawn for an hour and they could pick quite a meal off themselves if they were so inclined.
 
NimbleTimbo said:
outdoor.wildlifeillinois.org

Debunking the Myth: Opossums Don’t Eat Ticks

<p>Researchers have debunked a popular meme about Virginia opossums eating ticks. Careful analysis of opossum stomach contents (yes, the work of some researchers!) revealed many items, including worms, a French fry, broken glass and a shrew…but no ticks.</p>
outdoor.wildlifeillinois.org outdoor.wildlifeillinois.org
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Turkey lobby sampling vegan possums.....
 
NMSbowhunter said:
I suspect any warm blooded animal that walks through grass and leaves in the summer will get covered in ticks. Look at deer early season and they are much higher off the ground than a possum and they are often swarming with ticks. All anyone would need to do around here is lay out on my lawn for an hour and they could pick quite a meal off themselves if they were so inclined.
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Actually, they don't like a well-manicured lawn or even an unkept one like yours. lol. jk They prefer brushy understory just like whitetails.
 
NMSbowhunter said:
It's crazy but I get more ticks in my yard than when I am out scouting and the reason is when I go scouting I take lots of precautions but in my yard, I might just walk around a little and bam!...tick.
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I have a buddy who is an exterminator, so I have him come and spray my yard for both ticks and skeeters.
 
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