Ticks and archery season in the cold months

Ticks on the East End do not take the winter off. Suffolk County’s Department of Health Services says ticks can be active year-round, even in winter, whenever temperatures are above 40°F, so precautions apply throughout the year. The county adds that smaller nymphal ticks typically carry lower levels of disease than larger adult ticks, but nymphs are responsible for spreading more disease. The winter walks guide lists where people go.

What the county advises

The county’s park safety page lists the steps for tick exposure:

• wear light-colored clothing, long pants and long sleeves
• tuck your pants into your socks and your shirt into your pants
• consider using repellents as directed

Those steps apply from October through March as much as in June.

Archery season on county land

Suffolk County Parks offers deer hunting access during the New York State Long Island archery season. The county says archery season at its park locations begins October 1 and runs until January 31, with some properties opening only on November 1. It publishes an information packet and a map of archery hunting areas, and requires hunters to hold permits beyond state requirements. If you walk a county preserve between October and January, check the map first.

The October almanac and January almanac list both dates.

For renters

Ask the owner about deer fencing, tick tubes and yard treatments, who handles brush, and who pays for pest control. The first winter checklist puts pet tick prevention on the list too.