BARNSTABLE – In an effort to educate more people on Cape Cod about ticks, Barnstable County Cape Cod Cooperative Extension has released a new digital video series.
“Tickology” is a series of ten videos designed to inform the public on tick diseases and how to prevent exposer.
County Entomologist Larry Dapsis scripted and developed the series with the Cape Cod Community Media Center in Dennis.
Each video in the series ranges from 6 to 14 minutes in length. The entire series is about 100 minutes long.
The episode listing can be found by clicking here.
Episode topics include, Tick Identification and Ecology; Tick-Borne Diseases; Lone Star Tick: The New Tick in Town; Permethrin Treated Clothing; Skin Repellents; Perimeter Yard Spray; Pet Protection; Tick Biteology; Tick Testing; and Deer Tick – The Disease Ecosystem.
“In each episode you will learn something new about ticks, tick-borne illnesses, and prevention,” Dapsis said. “I’ve looked at a number of tick education videos that are out there. This is the only comprehensive education package available anywhere.”
The segments are stand-alone, but Dapsis said viewers will be presented with some information over and over again.
“I did that by design,” Dapsis said. “If you hear it a second and third time, now you are going to remember it.”
Dapsis said he came up with the idea to develop the video series to be able to get important information about ticks to Cape Cod residents who are not able to attend his in-person workshops.
“My job is to reach out and touch base with as many people as possible and influence behavior,” Dapsis said. “Get them to do things to protect themselves that they might not have thought about.”
Dapsis was recently contacted by a trainer with the Department of Environmental Protection who said he watched all ten videos and is now going to distribute the videos throughout the DEP.
There is also a patient support group in Australia which has found the videos and will now host them.
Dapsis said they are working to get the video series links to all Cape Cod libraries, senior centers, schools and garden centers.
“We want people to host these links as a way to extend the reach of this material,” he said.
Local Channel 99, which reaches five towns on the Cape, will begin to run the videos. Channel 18 in Barnstable is also interested in running the individual episodes between regular programming.
“This is custom crafted for the Cape,” Dapsis said.
The series was funded through a $25,0000 Cape Cod Healthcare Annual Strategic Grant.
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