The MOST DANGEROUS ANIMAL
The MOST DANGEROUS ANIMAL in Minnesota and Wisconsin.
As winter recedes, anticipation builds for spring strolls in the woods, gardening endeavors, and preparation for summer fun on the lakes. Gatherings around campfires spark conversations about anything and everything to do with the great outdoors. A classic topic is the timeless debate about what is the most dangerous animal that lurks outside the cabin. Unfortunately, someone very close to me has had a life changing interaction with what I would argue is the most dangerous animal by a wide margin.
Inevitably, an inordinate amount of time is spent discussing the intimidating predators of the landscape. How to respond to a bear encounter, how to fend for yourself with a pack of wily wolves on your trail, and of course your weapon of choice to deter a prowling mountain lion. Most of us have heard these predators are a surprisingly miniscule threat on the trail…and this is absolutely true. In fact, lightening is a greater risk than these imposing animals. This list will only discuss wild animals so dogs, horses, etc. will not be discussed here.
So, many of you might guess stinging insects such as bees are the most dangerous critter, perhaps the mosquito with its potential diseases, or maybe the timber rattlesnake. Bees do take the lives of 90-100 Americans every year usually due to severe allergies to stings. I couldn’t find figures for Minnesota or Wisconsin but with both states having less than 7 million people out of the total American population of 342 million….we can imagine bees perhaps take a handful of lives in our states each year. Stinging insects may take the most lives each year but the vast majority of sting victims make a complete recovery. West Nile Virus is the most common disease vectored by mosquitos in our area…with less than 100 cases annually in Minnesota. The vast majority of these cases are successfully treated. Timber rattlesnakes are far less common than they once were and less toxic than deadly species found in the southeast and southwest.
I would argue the most dangerous animal is a species of arachnid (8 legs). Not a brown recluse spider…the Black-legged Tick aka Deer Tick. The Deer Tick is the vector for Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria which causes Lyme Disease. Lyme disease case numbers have rapidly ascended in recent decades with UW Eau-Claire research showing surrounding counties having tick populations infected at rates over 20%-30%. Luckily, transmission of the bacterial to people from the ticks usually takes an attachment time over 24 hours.
Lyme disease is a medical crisis in our area. The disease is far more common than many realize…well over 2,000 new cases are reported annually in Minnesota and 3,000-4,000 cases are reported in Wisconsin. Sadly, research indicates these figures dramatically underestimate the true number of cases due to so many being unreported or misdiagnosed. The general research consensus often notes less than 15% of Lyme cases are reported which means conservative estimates for annual infections are 13,000 cases in Minnesota and well over 20,000 in Wisconsin.
My close connection was misdiagnosed with Lyme and the disease severely impacted his health over 10 plus years before confirmation. Lyme disease can and should be treated with antibiotics as soon as possible…it is much easier to treat within the first 6 months of infection. This bacterium is notoriously difficult to treat once it becomes a chronic infection Treatments ruin the patient’s microbiome…a devastating side effect that is often performed over and over for chronic patients.
The symptoms of chronic Lyme can be permanent and life changing, neurological damage, cardiovascular issues, and debilitating arthritis.
A vaccine with reported 70% effectiveness may be released soon. For the infected, there’s a myriad of treatments that provide inconsistent relief for this incredibly tough pathogen. The best option is make sure we don’t contract this disease in the first place.
Reducing tick bite risk:
1. Avoid known tick hotspots…ticks are often found in long grass “questing” which means reaching out from grass blade tips with their clasping legs to latch onto mammalian hosts. Ticks do not jump or drop out of trees contrary to myths and legends.
2. Soak then dry outerwear with permethrin solution. Permethrin is an incredibly non-toxic treatment for mammals like humans. Permethrin is actually infused into clothing by some manufacturers. The most important place to apply permethrin is pant leg bottoms from your shoes up to your knees. This treatment can quickly kill ticks as they crawl up your pants, dropping them after they travel up just 1.5 inches of fabric. A highly convenient product called Tick Gaiters by LYMEEZ is linked below…the Gaiters can Velcro over pant leg bottoms. I bought a pair this season to provide quick protection in the woods.
LYMEEZ TICK GAITERS for calves up to knees:
https://lymeez.com/products/3d-mesh-leg-gaiter?sca_ref=11006904.uRCmMoo4bhms0
3. Immediately put your clothes in the dryer after hiking a tick infested trail. The dryer will kill ticks faster than your washing machine…ticks are surprisingly resilient to water. This is why you should not wash them down the sink…they will crawl back out I have seen it too many times. Check for ticks and shower immediately.
4. If you have a yard with tick habitat, apply Tick Tubes. I can help you treat your yard through Green Goddess LLC or you can DIY this solution. The tubes contain cotton treated with the same permethrin mentioned earlier. Mice are strongly attracted to the cotton and they take the cotton to their nests as bedding material. This highly targeted method results in Ticks being killed by mice as they lay in their nests. Mice are actually the primary host for young ticks where they often pick up the Lyme Disease bacteria. Ticks feed 3 times throughout their lives…and transmit Lyme after acquiring it from their first meal.
It’s time to take Lyme Disease more seriously! Many of us apply mosquito repellent yet the vast majority of us do not take precautionary measures to prevent tick bites. Ticks are by far the most dangerous animal in our area. Let’s enjoy the measurable and immeasurable benefits of the great outdoors…and stay as safe as possible.
Green Goddess LLC: