BRIDGEWATER - It seems Tweety Bird and Mickey Mouse are just as culpable as Bambi when it comes to spreading ticks that threaten human health.
In fact, the provincial manager of wildlife resources said deer ticks are a misnomer.
"Deer are getting a bad name" because birds and rodents are at least as big a nuisance in the spread of ticks, said Tony Nette of the Natural Resources Department.
"Cats, mice, rats, squirrels, voles, raccoons, they're all key in the spread (of Lyme disease) because they harbour the ticks," he said.
In Lunenburg, one of three areas in the province where ticks have been found infected with Lyme disease, some residents are upset because their neighbors are feeding deer, which carry mature ticks.
Now big rats are showing up, attracted by the food people have left out for the deer.
Green Street resident David Grant saw one waddle through his backyard that was so big he named it Festus after that scruffy character in the western Gunsmoke.
Mr. Nette said rodents are a serious problem when it comes to spreading ticks.
"You can get rid of all the deer you want, but we'll still likely have ticks because rodents are involved."
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