Danger lurking in a flower

[DanK]

Tonight I spent quite a while taking stacks of an Itoh peony, straight on. It's a very deep flower, so I had to take about 20 shots for each of the two images I had in mind. After I stacked the first, I blew it up and examined it carefully for stacking problems. Instead, I found that what I thought was a tiny grain of dirt was in fact a tick nymph:



The nymphs are particularly frightening because they are truly tiny, and it would be very easy not to notice one attached to you.

I'll have to wear long pants and shirts with treated fabric in our garden now....

[xpatUSA]

A remarkable capture!

I hate ticks.

[lesno1]

Well spotted Dan

[lovelife65]

Ticks have no useful contribution to society whatsoever. We have to do major rub downs of our dogs every night to check. Luckily lyme isn't huge on the west coast, but i suspect it will get here at some point.
beautiful flower, ugly inhabitant.

[DanK]

Don't let your guard down because Lyme is unusual there. Lyme is only one of many tick-borne diseases in the US, and while I don't know about your area, of course, some are common in the west. See https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/tickbornediseases/index.html

[selig1656]

Outstanding !!!

[mugge]

Beautiful (kind of). We do have ticks in Australia, however, there is no evidence that Lyme decease exist here.

Sorry, Sharon I'm afraid that ticks have an important function in nature even though we do not like them
Cheers Ole

[lovelife65]

Don't let your guard down because Lyme is unusual there. Lyme is only one of many tick-borne diseases in the US, and while I don't know about your area, of course, some are common in the west. See https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/tickbornediseases/index.html

Yeah we try to be careful but sometimes they just sneak in.
We use wondercide in the yard and I spray it on their harnesses before a hike too. It actually works quite well, even better than what the pest control guy used in the yard. Still gotta check them. It’s a never ending battle.

Ole: I have yet to find an important use for ticks in nature other than transmission of disease. There are pests out there that I’d say do, ticks… haven’t found anything

Anyhow, great photo Dan and it was a wonderful reminder of just how tiny those little boogers can be, hiding on such a beautiful flower

[Wavelength]

An awesome closeup