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Spring is upon us!
A reminder to renew your membership in PLCA!
Natural Life
We share the environs of Pike Lake with many other types of life. This page provides some helpful tips about living with our natural world.
Be Tick Smart: Lyme Disease is in Ontario
Ticks don't keep their distance!
Ticks carrying Lyme disease are found around Pike Lake. These black-legged
ticks (also known as deer ticks) attach to birds which migrate from place to place,
bringing this health risk. While Lyme disease is easily treated when detected early,
it can have serious and permanent health consequences if left untreated.
Ticks can affect your pets as well as yourself.
April 29, 2021 The Rideau Valley Conservation Authority has just released a document
with information regarding ticks on the rise and some tips on how to avoid a tick bite.
You can link to the full article here.
Below is some information from the Government of Ontario website. For lots of other great info click here.
How to avoid getting a tick bite:
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Cover up - wear light coloured clothing, (so it's easier to see ticks), closed-toe shoes, long-sleeved shirts, long pants, tucked into your socks;
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Use insect repellent - one that says "DEET" or "icaridin" on it and put on your clothes and exposed skin, reading labels for directions on use;
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Put clothes in the dryer on high heat for 10 minutes before washing - to kill any ticks which might be on them;
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Check yourself and your children after being outdoors - look behind your knees, on your head, in your belly button, in your groin area, in your underarm area, on the back of your body using a mirror;
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Shower as soon as you can to wash off any ticks;
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Check your pets for ticks - check your pet's skin and remove any ticks. Ask your veterinarian about options to keep ticks off your pets.
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Maintain your property - keep grass mowed short; trim bushes and tree branches to let sunshine in; create a one meter border of gravel or wood chips; remove leaf litter, brush and weed at the edge of the lawn; move children's play equipment away from wooded areas and consider placing on wood chip or mulch foundation.
Friday, October 22, 2021
We continue to monitor the Lymantria dispar dispar (LDD) Moth (formerly Gypsy Moth)
situation in the Pike Lake area and some new information has come to our attention.
You may remember the map showing the areas of severe defoliation from last year, and
the 2021 version of this Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources & Forestry, (NDMNRF) map has just become available. As you can see, the area of defoliation has expanded in our general region.
However, it may not be all bad news.
Lymantria Dispar Dispar Moth Update
The Pike Lake Community Association Vice President, Jim Tasker, attended the Lake Networking Group (LNG) meeting representing our organization in late September. At the meeting, Eric Boysen, from the Invasive Species Group made a presentation and we have just received the documents from that meeting.
Some good news in our area, a mass die-off of maturing caterpillars in June 2021 meant few females survived to mate in the fall. This along with our mitigation efforts by scraping in the fall of 2020, and spring aerial spraying and using lures to trap viable males in the fall of 2021 have hopefully reduced the number of egg masses.
According to Eric, there is evidence that in the advancing zone there are a healthy number of egg masses. So it would be advisable for property owners to check for new egg masses and the size of them on your property. (Smaller egg masses could indicate stress/lack of nutrition in the females). Any egg masses should be scraped off and soaked in soapy water for 48 hours.
If you feel that aerial spraying is necessary on your property next spring, you should know that Zimmer Air Services, Inc. has introduced a new application process/website which will make the process much easier for you this coming season. The current application deadline is March 1, 2022 but that date is subject to change based on volume and interest. The application process can be accessed at: https://www.ocfdc.com/
And finally, the Ontario Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Foresty will be conducting egg mass surveys to provide a 2022 prediction however, it is not known when it may be available and may come after the deadline for application for aerial spraying has passed.
If you’d like more information here are a couple of sources:
Eric’s full presentation to the LNG is attached here.
Ontario government page on Lymantria dispar dispar (LDD) Moth:
Https://www.ontario.ca/page/lymantria-dispar-dispar-LDD-moth
Don't invite bears to the cottage
As you can see from this picture, we have some furry friends around Pike Lake. According to Bear Wise, most problems between black bear and humans occur when bears are attracted by the smell of and rewarded with an easy meal. When bears pick up a scent with their keen noses, they will investigate it. If they are rewarded with feasts of garbage, pet food or bird food, they will return.
Some ways to reduce the risk from the Government of Ontario website:
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store garbage in containers with tight-fitting lids and store in a bear proof location, take garbage to the dump often;
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fill bird feeders only through the winter months; offer bird natural alternatives in spring and summer (e.g. flowers, nesting boxes, fresh water);
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when grilling burn off food residue and wash the barbecue grill right away;
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plant non-fruit bearing trees and shrubs or pick all ripe and fallen fruit from any fruit trees and shrubs on your property;
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do not leave pet food outdoors, in screened-in areas or porches.
For lots more information, click here.
This photo taken October 2019 by Linden Davidson, near Pike Lake.