474-What to Know About Ticks, with 'The TickGuy' Dr. Thomas Mather
6/18/20261 hr 11 min
In many parts of the United States, ticks and tick-borne diseases are a growing concern for gardeners and others who enjoy spending time outdoors. To explain what's important to understand about these blood-sucking arachnids and the threat they pose, tick expert Dr. Thomas Mather (a.k.a "The TickGuy") joins me on the podcast this week.
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Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsJoe Lamp'l· Host0:00
Hi everybody, this is Joe Lamp'l, the Joe behind Joe Gardener, and welcome to The Joe Gardener Show. You know, there are certain topics I've been meaning to tackle on this show for a long time, and today I'm finally doing it with one of them. And honestly, this one's a little different because it doesn't matter if you're an avid gardener, a weekend hiker, or someone who just occasionally steps outside into your own backyard. Nearly all of us have dealt with this, worried about this, or know someone who has it, and I'm talking about ticks and the infections that they can leave behind. Whether it's pulling one off your dog or finding one on yourself after a day in the garden, or just a constant nagging awareness every time you head out into the tall grass or wooded areas, ticks are something most of us simply can't ignore. And the more I've learned about them, the more I realize how much misinformation is out there and how much we all need to know. So to have this conversation, I wanted the absolute best person available, and I found him. He's a professor of entomology at the University of Rhode Island, director of the Tick Encounter Resource Center, and he's so well-known in his field that he literally goes by the name The Tick Guy. I'm talking about Dr. Thomas Mather, and I have to say, this one was a long time coming. I think you're going to learn a lot today. I know I did. So let's get into it, and as we do, thanks to Dramm and the Ultimate Gardening Sheath for their support of today's episode. For as long as I've been a gardener as my passion and my profession, I've been a fan and a loyal user of Dramm products. They're the makers of high-quality sprinklers and watering