What Is DEEP’s Role

In Disease Prevention?

To The Editor:

I am writing in response to the article in June 29’s Bee entitled “DEEP To Support Tick-Borne Disease Prevention, Not Deer Cull.” This seems very misleading to me. The DEEP is not and has not been involved in disease prevention and education. This agency has in fact recommended town-sanctioned deer culls in towns such as Redding. The DEEP earns revenue in part by issuing hunting licenses… So the reader must ask why would this agency that promotes deer population management and not disease prevention, all of a sudden promote disease prevention? The answer is that this agency does not in fact promote disease prevention. This is not part of their mission. So expecting the DEEP to help promote disease prevention via nonlethal methods is akin to asking a fox to watch the chicken coop.

As mentioned in previous letters to the editor, the TBDAC worked tirelessly for two years studying this complex issue. One method of cutting down on ticks is the use of Four Poster systems. Studies have shown significant success with this nonlethal method of eradicating ticks. If we eliminate one host for ticks (deer), the ticks will simply migrate to any of the multiple other hosts. We should be asking the DEEP to make Four Poster technology available to Newtown and other towns. We should continue, and increase our efforts at public education. When Dr DeNicola a professional sharpshooter, came to speak in town, he indicated that he always showers after returning home from time in the woods. He went on to say that he has never gotten a tick bite. So, education, personal protection of ourselves and our homes can go a long way toward decreasing our chances of getting bitten by ticks. Let’s focus on facts and educating ourselves about the prevalence of tick-borne diseases, not mislead people with false information.

Jodi Bialik

Briarwood Lane, Newtown                                               July 26, 2012