Summer ticks off summer-lover

Although the summer is still young, I’m not happy with what’s happening in my yard.

On one hand, I recently noticed the welcome emergence of lightning bugs, but the dark side is that there’s many more ticks lurking in my manicured grass. 

The beauty and mysticism of lightning bugs making their presence known at night is always a pleasure to behold. Children carefully catching this popular beetle and watching it light up inside cupped hands is a nighttime treat that has been enjoyed for generations.

I remember as a kid I would keep a few prisoners that I captured inside a Mason jar on my nightstand and watched the light show until I eventually fell asleep. Their flights of light never grow old. 

This ground-dwelling bug, also known as a firefly, has a host of environmental benefits. The adult loosens soil and grass to lay larvae at summer’s end and, in essence, allow sunlight, oxygen and water to penetrate. Adults also eat slugs and snails and in turn are favorites on the menu for spiders and frogs. 

Larvae spend winter underground and then eventually emerge as flying insects when heat and humidity take hold. The lifespan of a firefly is relatively short and so are our opportunities to enjoy their illuminated flights.

A double whammy is that firefly populations are on the decline for two major reasons. The bug doesn’t thrive well in light and the vast increase in development and light pollution has taken its toll over the years.

Chemicals, such as pesticides and fertilizers, which make suburban lawns look so nice and keep weeds in check, not only poison larvae but also kill the firefly’s food supply. In many regions of the country, biologists say it may not be long before cupping a lightning bug may be a lost pastime.

Chasing fireflies barefoot in the cool grass of night comes with its downside because my yard is ringed by forest, which provides a perfect hangout for ticks. I hate ticks. Not sure what they’re good for, except to spread dreaded—and very dangerous—infections.

Unlike fireflies, ticks are present year round and they’re on the rise with 500,000 new cases of disease each year, with 95 percent of those in the Northeast and Midwest.

I’ve had Lyme Disease; it’s no fun. Those suckers (no pun intended) can make life miserable and if left untreated, Lyme Disease can be debilitating.

I’ve already found several ticks crawling along my stomach, arms and legs, looking for the right spot to dig in and dine for a few days. And my dog, Max, isn’t much help, as he’s proven to be a reliable transport service for ticks to come inside the house. I

m not sure what to do. I gave up walking through the lawn barefooted. I also try to wear long pants when I’m gardening, and I always give Max the once over before he steps inside. But regardless, the tick battle is a constant struggle.

It’s not Max’s fault. We do allow him on the sofa and at night he sleeps at the foot of the bed. I know, I know—I’m my own worst enemy, but ticks also get plenty of free rides on the estimated 100,000 or so deer that now inhabit Connecticut.

Decades ago, deer were not a common presence in the state, but as their numbers exploded so did the travel accommodations for the blacklegged tick, better known today as the deer tick.

There’s no doubt I’ve got to be more diligent in protecting myself from the creepy, crawling bloodsuckers. First, Max will have to undergo a more thorough examination when he comes inside. I also need to get better at covering up when I’m wandering outside. Even if it takes long sleeves and long pants on muggy summer nights, I want to make sure I get a close-up look at those beautiful flying beetles before their lights become a lost rite of passage. 

Dave Dunleavy was a longtime reporter and columnist for The News-Times in Danbury. He lives in Kent. The views expressed in his column are his alone and not necessarily representative of Kent News, Inc., the parent company of the Kent Dispatch.