Episode 130: Before you visit this year, take the “Yellowstone Pledge”

On everyone’s bucket list is Yellowstone National Park. But after record crowds and a series of unfortunate incidents last year, this year, before you go, park officials are asking you to take the “Yellowstone Pledge.” What is it? Listen to our interview of the week, as we learn about the pledge and what else is new for 2017 at Yellowstone. Plus, an important update to our recent report on Ticks and Lyme disease that shows a just released report predicting an epidemic of tick infestations, particularly on the eastern seaboard. And we have RV questions, tips and a great off the beaten path report. Click the player below to Listen Now or scroll down through the show note details. When you see a time code hyperlink, you can click it to jump directly to that segment of the podcast. [spp-player] Show Notes for Episode #130 March 8, 2017 of Roadtreking - The RV Lifestyle Podcast: OPENING MONOLOGUE I've written before about the dangers of truck tire retreads and the shredded parts left on the road when they blow out and how the tire remnants cause damage and sometimes injuries. [spp-timestamp time="2:31 "] It happened to us on I-75 just north of Chattanooga over the weekend. A part of a truck tire was hit by a vehicle in front of us and flew up and took out my side mirror. We are very glad it wasn't the window it hit as that would have injured Jennifer in the passenger seat. Nasty. Truck retreads and the "gators" they leave are real hazard on the roads! They cause over 25,000 accidents and at least 100 deaths each year in the United States and Canada. JENNIFER’S TIP OF THE WEEK - Tick Prediction Update We’ve talked on this podcast before about how bad Lyme Disease has become. As we reported in Episode 128 a couple of weeks ago, Lyme Disease s contracted in humans primarily through ticks. Officially, the Centers for Disease Control report 30,000 cases are diagnosed every year. [spp-timestamp time="7:20"] They actually suspect the real number is 10 times that! That means 300,000 people come down with this very serious illness every year in the U.S. alone. The reason we’re revisiting this as a tip this week is because officials have come up with a way to estimate how bad tick infestations and Lyme disease will be in any given year. And the prognosis for 2017 is grim. They are predicting an epidemic. NPR recently did a major story on this. We will link to it on the podcast. but, essentially, scientists who have studied Lyme for more than 20 years, have come up with an early warning system for the disease. They can predict how many cases there will be a year in advance by looking at one key measurement: Count the mice the year before. The explanation is simple: Mice are highly efficient transmitters of Lyme. They infect up to 95 percent of ticks that feed on them. Mice are responsible for infecting the majority of ticks carrying Lyme in the Northeast. And ticks love mice. An individual mouse might have 50, 60, even 100 ticks covering its ears and face. The warm winter has led to an explosion of mice, killed off much fewer ticks than usual and, as a result, 2017 is predicted to be the worse year yet. The disease shows up in Maine, swoops down the East Coast into Washington, D.C., and southern Virginia. Then it hops to the Midwest into northern Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota. There are also small pockets of Lyme on the West Coast. So what can you do to keep from getting infected? The experts say you should do a tick check to your daily routine, When you're in the shower check your body for tiny ticks, especially the places they like to hide. That's the scalp, behind the ears, the armpits and in the groin area. If you do find a tick, get it off as quickly as possible. The longer an infected tick stays on your skin, the greater the chance it will pass the Lyme bacteria on to you. EDIT   Generally, it takes about 24 hours for the tick to infect a person after it starts biting.