Several years ago while living in the shire of Farmington, some friends and I were driving home from a delightful dinner at the Irving Big Stop. My friends are organized, level-headed, calm and extremely kind. One is an emergency medical specialist with a variety of credentials; the other is an eye doctor with a background in emergency medicine. While we were driving, I reached up to scratch my head and realized I had a tick attached to the back of my head.

To put it mildly, I am not a great patient. I do not watch the needle go into my arm. I pull away with the puff of air at the eye doctor’s office (my poor, dear friend). Instructions need to be repeated. Needless to say, I did not handle a disgusting arachnid calmly sucking my blood. After I alerted everyone, I was extremely relieved when we started to pull over a moment later.

After expressing my heartfelt gratitude profusely, I was told we were actually just pulling through the car wash since there was no line on this unseasonably warm day. To my friends, who were well versed in car accident injuries and broken bones, an attached tick did not constitute a medical emergency. What?! Didn’t they understand my plight? Seeing my dismay, my friend offered to put on calming music. He chose the song “Ticks” by Brad Paisley. He sang “I’d like to walk you through a field of wildflowers … and I’d like to check you for ticks …”

Their two young boys laughed uproariously from the “way back” seat of the minivan. My partner at the time wiped the tears from his eyes and choked back his laughter. All very funny.

When we arrived at my driveway, the formal tick removal commenced, and of course it was quick and painless. These friends have also been the ones to take my frantic calls regarding the Great Cornea Scratch of 2014 and the Unstoppable Leech Bleeding of 2016, so I really must forgive them for being less than sensitive to my desperate tick emergency. They have both shown tremendous support and friendship to me through the years and I am eternally grateful to have them in my life.

Don’t get me wrong, I am very much a supporter of most creepy crawlies. I am a big supporter of saving bees. I eschew pesticides and leave flowering weeds in my lawn to feed them in early spring. Moths see my home as a safe harbor and I release them back to the wild. Spiders can cohabit peacefully in my surroundings. Ticks, however, are not welcome and can die. I’m sure in the wider scheme of existence they play an important environmental role, but ugh.

Good news on the anti-tick front, though … studies show that chickens are natural insect scavengers and will gobble up ticks like M&Ms. This makes me a huge supporter of chickens. Apparently chickens can live quite happily in a variety of situations, including perhaps with you. If you have considered having a chicken or two, you will look forward to hearing Valerie Cole of Andy’s Agway in Dayton. We have invited Valerie to McArthur Library in Biddeford to discuss how to get started with your own backyard flock.

In addition to providing fresh, local eggs, chickens help to control bugs and provide hours of enjoyment. They are social, easy to keep and they need little space. Learn more about breeds, feeding, equipment and daily care, and you’ll go home with lots of handouts and free information. The talk is on Thursday, March 19 at 6:30 p.m. and light refreshments will be served. We look forward to seeing you.

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