Vice President Report April 2018
Firstly, a very well done to Ed Reddick for organising the Muster this past Easter. There have been many good comments and pictures through social media and conversation. Many a good time had by all. I notice the Easter bunny was also able to arrive – a belated Happy Easter to you all.
Changes coming
As many of you know I have been involved with the Pajero Club for a while now and have sat on the committee in various positions for the last few years. At the end of this ‘term of office’ I shall be stepping down from my present position, as my future seems to be heading in another direction. This will provide someone else with the opportunity to have a direct involvement within the Club and take it onto even bigger and better things in the future. If you wish to discuss this role, or any other, please contact any member of the committee as I am sure they would be willing to discuss this with you.
Neat Ideas
Ticks are not a common concern, but are something that could ruin a trip through illness and a reaction to them. This is a preventative idea to alleviate the need to remove them. Spray first……
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According to Merial, these Victorian suburbs are currently ranked the worst for tick infestation:
- Donvale.
- Bullengarook.
- Gisborne.
- Chum Creek.
- Healesville.
- Pakenham.
- Dandenong.
- Toolangi.
I didn’t know that…
As I am looking into ticks – this wasn’t where I intended to go, but seems appropriate to add some further detail, especially as many of us on the Eastern side of Melbourne frequent the areas mentioned above:
What are ticks?
Ticks are parasites that feed on animal and human blood. There are more than 800 species of ticks around the world, with 70 found in Australia and 16 species have been reported as feeding on humans.
The most important tick in Australia is the Paralysis Tick and over 95% of tick bites in Eastern Australia are due to this species. Most tick-borne illnesses are due to this species. The Paralysis Tick is found along the eastern seaboard of Australia east of the Great Dividing Range, and possibly into Tasmania. It is commonly referred to as the grass tick, seed tick and bush tick depending upon its stage of development. It is not known to occur in South Australia, Western Australia or the Northern Territory. The Paralysis Tick needs to feed on blood to develop through its lifecycle from the larvae stage to a nymph and to an adult. The Paralysis Tick is most common in moist, humid coastal areas with abundant native animals that serve as hosts for the tick. Long grasses and bushland provide ideal environments for ticks, and if you live close to these areas, it is not uncommon to have Paralysis Ticks in your garden. This tick has a distinct seasonality; the larval stage is most active during the autumn months, the nymph during winter and the adult during the spring. This tick is most active during periods of high humidity,