Ticks in the greenhouse...

[rogesse]

No beating about the bush here - over the last 2 weeks I have found 3 red ticks in my greenhouse (how many have I not found).

I've done the internet search and the closest seems to be the caster bean tick, apparently it can cause Lyme disease. We have a locked private waste land behind us and what seems to be most of London's fox population frolicing in the back garden.
The site of the greenhouse is on the old herb bed and fav. fox site, plus we rotovated before hand.

Does any of this add up to a tick invasion? Thankfully I don't think anyones been bitten yet but it's making me nervous! Help please.....

[Jeanied]

Are you sure these are red ticks, Rogesse?
I only ask because I have loads of red velvet spiders on my plot in warm weather.

[rana]

If these are ticks it would suggest that the host animal is getting into your greenhouse because once the tick has fed and fallen off the host it is unlikely to travel far. They will hang around on top of stems or leaves awaiting another passing host and another meal.

[rogesse]

Ah, Jeanied, my heart gave a little skip of joy when I read your reply.....then I googled and no it's not red spider mite!

As to the foxes getting into the greenhouse - very likely, hubby is one of those blokes who does 90% of a DIY job then leaves the rest for the next 10 yrs......It's not a small GH and made of polycarbonate so the 'not secured door' is very easy to slide open.

I was wondering if they had over wintered in the old herb bed then come to light after we'd relocated the herbs and put a GH in it's place? Well at least forewarned!

[Jeanied]

OK, Rogesse - have a look at Google Image Result for http://www.britishticks.org.uk/images/img022.jpg to see if it is a tick...

Then have a look at these red velvet spiders

[Jeanied]

Another identification tip I saw re ticks and other predators - if it is fatter at the front than the back then it is a 'friend' - or if it is fatter at the back it is a 'foe'.