opossum removes ticks

[GrandpaTom]

The photo, posted by the Vermont Wildlife Coalition, shows an opossum pulling ticks off a deer's face.

Tick infestations are serious in the dry months and have even killed young deer.

And possums love to eat ticks.

"We found that the average opossum kills thousands of ticks every week wandering through the forest," says Felicia Keesing, a biologist at Bard College and an Adjunct Scientist at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies.

"So, the opossum wanders through the woods and ticks get on them just like they might get on any mammal wandering through the woods. But the opossums groom them off and kill them in the process of the tick wandering around trying to find a place to feed."

Opossums are the unsung heroes in curbing Lyme disease.

[glenn57]

You mean those things actually serve a purpose??

[dakids]

Possums also are  notorious at finding and eating all the eggs of ground nesting birds like grouse and turkey.  If those nests would have gone undisturbed and allowed to hatch those birds would have eaten way more ticks.

[glenn57]

Possums also are  notorious at finding and eating all the eggs of ground nesting birds like grouse and turkey.  If those nests would have gone undisturbed and allowed to hatch those birds would have eaten way more ticks.

I new them things don't have a real purpose.

[snow1]

interesting about the opossum's not that long ago here in minnesnowta we never seen these critters now they're abundant like rabbits,so they eat ticks ,thanx for posting Tom

dog eating ticks,not good

[glenn57]

interesting about the opossum's not that long ago here in minnesnowta we never seen these critters now they're abundant like rabbits,so they eat ticks ,thanx for posting Tom

dog eating ticks,not good

yea that Tom is a wealth of information..................sometimes its even usefull!!!!!!!!

[GrandpaTom]

 

[Rebel SS]

With the huge rise in deer tick populations and the spread of Lyme disease, many friends of wildlife are welcoming opossums into their yards. Why? Scientists have learned that opossums act like little vacuum cleaners when it comes to ticks – with a single opossum hoovering up and killing an estimated 5,000 ticks in a season.

Opossums are extraordinarily good groomers it turns out – we never would have thought that ahead of time – but they kill the vast majority – more than 95% percent of the ticks that try to feed on them. So these opossums are walking around the forest floor, hoovering up ticks right and left, killing over 90% of these things, and so they are really protecting our health. – Rick Ostfeld, Senior Scientist, Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies

More Possum Benefits
Opossums, sometimes referred to just as possums, are a benefit to ecosystems and a healthy environment beyond eradicating ticks.  They will catch and eat cockroaches, destructive insects, rats, shrews, and mice – in addition to consuming dead animals of all types (also known as carrion). Gardeners appreciate opossums’ appetite for snails, slugs and for cleaning up over-ripe fruit and berries.

Opossums are also resistant to snake venom and actually prey on snakes, including venomous species such as copperheads and rattlesnakes. Having opossums around can minimize chances of encountering venomous species close to your home.

[Dotch]

I'm fine with possums, as long as they stay out of my yard & in particular the buildings. Don't need them getting into the bagged sheep feed. I only feed the cats enough so they clean it up. Leaving lotsa cat food around is probably the thing that'll draw them into an outbuilding the quickest, along with their buddies raccoons and skunks. 

[glenn57]

I'm fine with possums, as long as they stay out of my yard & in particular the buildings. Don't need them getting into the bagged sheep feed. I only feed the cats enough so they clean it up. Leaving lotsa cat food around is probably the thing that'll draw them into an outbuilding the quickest, along with their buddies raccoons and skunks. 

hey.....you could have a petting zoo with all them critters in your buildings!!!!!!!

[Lee Borgersen]

Q. What did da deer say ta da opossum in dis photo?

 

A. Dis Ticks Me Off!

 

Well I taught it was funny when I posted it... 

[glenn57]

 

[Lee Borgersen]

OK GLENN!
Ya, well just wait till yer pushin 75 yrs old. I can't wait ta see what you come up wit ta post!    

Wait....  Never mind....den dat would make me 87yrs old.

[snow1]

good read reb,interesting....could say the same about chickens,read they love ticks as well,at my place ,no oppossums or chickens just some gasoline,farmer match every spring/fall on my back 40,little some beeches still manage to re populate but very few survive