Bunnies, Turkeys, and Ticks, Oh My! There is no place like Hingham!

Bunnies, turkeys and ticks, oh my!  After a long Winter stuck indoors, I’m sure everyone is rushing to spend as much time as possible outside in this beautiful Spring weather. 

If your dogs have been spending as much time in nature as mine, then you’ve probably realized that we’re not the only ones outside in numbers.  The ticks seem to be everywhere right now - lurking in the tall grass and hiding in the weeds, waiting for the perfect time to strike.  It’s a good idea to take a few simple precautions - especially if you’re like me and enjoy taking the pooches for a nice walk in Bare Cove (decent number of ticks) or World’s End (maybe the largest concentration of ticks to be found anywhere on the Eastern Seaboard).  Wear long pants when walking in the grass and be sure to check your arms and legs thoroughly after you return from the outside.  If you have dogs, don’t forget to stock up on the Frontline and/or tick prevention as well as heart worm pills.

On the subject of bunnies, those cute and fuzzy buggers sure can dig... and dig... and dig.  Over the past two seasons we’ve been surrounded by some impressive rabbit warrens which have required serious maintenance to fix.  If you’re faced with this problem, I have a farmer-friend who offered a fairly ingenious solution: before you fill the holes, drop some moth balls into them.  Rabbits, like dogs, apparently have a pretty good sense of smell, and will avoid digging in those areas again.  I like rabbits, but the holes they dig are very deep and the soil and grass on top of the holes are sometimes unstable enough to be caved in by the weight of a child. Rabbit warrens, unfortunately, represent more than a simple nuisance - they can actually be dangerous if you have young children playing near them.  Do yourself a favor and fill them in as soon as they appear.  The bunnies will move on and find more suitable accommodations.

Lastly, on the subject of turkeys, these guys are funny looking...have you seen them fly!   After a wildly successful re-introduction program, wild turkeys can now be found all over the South Shore.  It’s not uncommon to read a humorous entry in the police blog about “turkeys gone wild” who attack a car or chase someone who comes too close.  I’m not sure how much damage these guys can actually do, but it’s probably best to keep your distance if they seem agitated.  Still, I love seeing the turkeys walking around town.  They might be kind of funny looking, but it’s nice to have a little piece of nature close to home.  My two daughters love seeing them all around town!