Wild Blueberry Newsletter, April 2016

Wild Blueberry Newsletter header graphic, text and a photo of blueberries and leaves

April 2016

 Integrated Crop Management Field Training Sessions

Field training sessions will be offered at three locations to demonstrate and discuss the Integrated Crop Management (ICM) field scouting techniques in Wild Blueberry Fact Sheet No. 204.  The first and second session will cover mummy berry blight identification and monitoring, insect sweeping and identification, and weed identification and management.  The third session will cover blueberry maggot fly trapping, spotted wing drosophila ID and trapping, leaf and soil sampling, and weed identification and management.

Knox/Lincoln Counties

  • Dates: Tuesday, April 26, May 24 and June 28, 2016
  • Time: 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.
  • Location: Dean Dolham, Route 235, 2740 Western Road, Warren, Maine

Washington County

  • Dates: Wednesday, April 27, May 25 and June 29, 2016
  • Time: 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.
  • Location: Blueberry Hill Farm, 1643 Route 1, Jonesboro, Maine

Hancock County

  • Dates: Thursday, Thursday, April 28, May 26 and June 30, 2016
  • Time: 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.
  • Location: G. M. Allen’s Freezer, Route 15, Orland, Maine

One recertification credit per session will be offered for certified pesticide applicators for each session.

Tick Watch

Spring is here, so it’s time to think about the outdoors and proper protection against ticks. Maine had 1,171 cases of Lyme disease reported in 2015. May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month and we want to remind you of the importance of daily tick checks and encourage the “tick watch” prevention strategy.

Ticks are primarily active in warmer months.  Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that is caused by a bite from an infected deer tick (Ixodes scapularis).  In Maine, Lyme disease is most common in adults 65 and over and children between the ages of 5 and 15, but anyone can get the disease.  Individuals who work or play outside are more likely to be exposed to ticks. The most common and visible symptom of Lyme disease is a red bulls-eye rash that grows and appears within 3-30 days of exposure.  Other symptoms may include fevers, and joint or muscle pain.

Lyme disease is treatable and most individuals recover completely with the proper drugs. However, the easiest way to avoid the disease is prevention, using “No Ticks 4 ME”:

  1. Use caution in tick-infested areas
  2. Wear protective clothing
  3. Use an EPA approved repellant
  4. Perform daily tick checks after any outdoor activity

A tick must be attached for a minimum of 24 hours before the infection can be passed on, further stressing the need for prompt and proper tick removal. If you are bitten by a tick or work in a known tick habitat, watch for symptoms for up to 30 days, and call a healthcare provider if symptoms develop.

Deer ticks can transmit not only Lyme disease but also two other tick-borne infections that are present in Maine: anaplasmosis and babesiosis. Babesiosis cases increased in 2015 and cases of Anaplasmosis remained steady.  The majority of tick-borne illnesses occur during the summer months when ticks and humans are active outdoors.

Remember that the deer tick (Ixodes scapularis) is the only tick that can transmit Lyme disease, but there are other species of ticks throughout the state. Tick identification references are available to order online at Maine CDC’s website. The University of Maine Cooperative Extension Tick ID Lab offers free identification services and educational resources.

Additional information:

  • Maine CDC has Lyme disease information available on the Lyme Disease page (Maine.gov Division of Disease Surveillance website).
  • Lyme disease data is available through the Maine Tracking Network on the Lyme Disease page (Maine.gov Division of Disease Surveillance website), under ‘Epidemiology Information’ on the left-hand side of the page.
  • University of Maine Cooperative Extension Tick ID Lab submission instructions can be found on the Tick Identification Lab page (UMaine Cooperative Extension: Insect Pests, Ticks and Plant Diseases website).
  • To continue getting Lyme updates throughout May please visit and ‘like’ the Maine CDC Facebook page.

Sincerely,

Dave

David E. Yarborough
Extension Blueberry Specialist

Wild blueberry fact sheets, past newsletters, contacts, resource links, calendar of events, and more can be found on the Cooperative Extension’s Maine Wild Blueberries website.

Information in this publication is provided purely for educational purposes. No responsibility is assumed for any problems associated with the use of products or services mentioned. No endorsement of products or companies is intended, nor is criticism of unnamed products or companies implied.

© 2016

Call 800.287.0274 (in Maine), or 207.581.3188, for information on publications and program offerings from University of Maine Cooperative Extension, or visit extension.umaine.edu.

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