Middle Country district treats for ticks at 2 schools after parents' complaints

A pair of Middle Country school district preschool and kindergarten facilities will begin treating and spraying their grounds for ticks on Tuesday after school, earlier than planned, following reports of activity in the area.

Parents whose children attend the Bicycle Path and Unity Drive PreK/Kindergarten Centers in Selden and Centereach have complained to the Middle County school district about "the presence of ticks" surrounding both buildings, the district said in a statement on Monday.

The district pushed up tick treatment and spraying at Unity Drive and Bicycle Path due to this season's spike in tick activity, according to Roberta Gerold, the district superintendent. Spraying also will commence at the district’s remaining properties in the coming days.

Gerold told Newsday in a Tuesday email that spraying was initially scheduled to begin Saturday but "due to changing conditions, the timeline has been accelerated." 

She added, "Only a small number of parents have expressed concerns." 

Treatment generally starts in May when warm and dry conditions are more favorable for application, the district said. 

Michele Seidl, 38, whose 4-year-old son attends the local prekindergarten class at Bicycle Path, said in a phone interview she became worried after spotting a lone star tick crawling on her son's head on April 16 after school. 

"Thank God it didn't bite him. I did not find a bite mark," Seidl said. She said after picking him up from school that day, she and other parents walked their children to nearby baseball field on campus, which is near a wooded area. 

Seidl said when she got home, she received a panicked message on her phone.

"I started getting text messages from the other parents, 'Check your kids, check your kids. I got ticks.' And then I checked and sure enough, he had one," Seidl said. She said she complained the same day and was upset the school did not act sooner but is relieved measures are now being taken. Deer, which can carry ticks, often graze near the baseball field, she said.

Formerly a summertime problem, tick bites are now a year-round concern. Over the past few decades, as wildlife populations and temperatures have increased, so have Long Island’s tick population and the number of cases of tick-borne illnesses such as Lyme disease and alpha-gal syndrome, a meat allergy stemming from tick bites, Newsday previously reported. Experts question whether these diseases are more prevalent or just more commonly diagnosed.

The Middle County district has asked families to have their children wear light-colored clothes so ticks are more easily noticed, use insect repellent containing DEET or picaridin, both EPA-approved ingredients, and avoid tall grasses and wooded areas.

Students and parents should check themselves for ticks, including behind their ears and knees, along their hairline and under their arms. Clothing, backpacks and pets also should be inspected before going indoors.

Seidl said she used the opportunity to teach her son to be vigilant during the school day, because they go outside frequently. 

"He knows to check himself now too," she said. "But let's be honest, he's only 4."