Thanks @lymepoet - luckily we dont have venomous snakes in this area, we're too far north - they dont like the winters :) A cobra, a boa, and a rattle snakes - yikes - we would definitley be in a different mindset if we had any of those snakes around here - I'd be carrying a walking stick with me everywhere :) I know someone that had lyme disease from a tick, the medicine he had to get from the states was very expensive. I always give my cats a good checking whenever they vome inside for the night - I've pulled five ticks collectively off of them so far.