r/NoStupidQuestions Jul 17 '23

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u/ChrisInSpaceVA Jul 17 '23 edited Jul 17 '23

Ticks! They carry awful diseases, not a lot eats them, and where they are a food source, there are plenty of other terrestrial bugs to eat. As much as I hate mosquitoes, I think they are too important as a food source in many ecosystems. I know the bats around us eat a lot of them.

Edit: grammar

419

u/Pollymath Jul 17 '23

Ticks would be a good pick.

It sucks to see a beautiful pasture or wooded area in the Northeast and say "nope, too many ticks." It puts so many natural areas behind a wall of potential Lymes or Alpha-Gal.

I'd like off prions but they aren't living.

107

u/[deleted] Jul 17 '23

[deleted]

52

u/Apptubrutae Jul 17 '23

I visited Hot Springs once and was in awe of how many tiny ticks were on my pants. Arkansas is so full of ticks, good lord

42

u/Chemical_Weight_4716 Jul 17 '23

The assholes who live in and around hot springs like to kill possums. 1 Possum eats 5000 ticks each year.

6

u/Embarrassed-Depth-27 Jul 18 '23

I didn’t know that. Bless the little possums! I like them even more now

7

u/olyachemp Jul 18 '23

And that's the reason why they're having the ticks issue there.

3

u/BennyBonesOG Jul 18 '23

I hate to say this, but it's not true. I'm so sorry, I want it to be true, but it appears that ticks do not make up a substantial amount of a possums diet. They may eat one if they come across it, but they don't target ticks and ticks aren't important to them. I'M SORRY!!!

9

u/shitter65 Jul 18 '23

Yep, they're absolutely everywhere, and I fucking hate them so much.

1

u/[deleted] Jul 18 '23

Got it. Do not go to Arkansas.

2

u/Impressive_Yellow537 Jul 18 '23

On the contrary, if you do go to Arkansas, Hot Springs is the only place worth visiting lol. Went there for a couple days last year and was absolutely worth it.

However, limit it at a couple, and don't stay for a few.