Shelter Island to use deer tick machines

Shelter Island plans to put out at the end of the month 15 specialized feeders that target ticks on deer, after getting approval from the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

The town used 60 of the four-poster machines last year, but funding cutbacks led to a reduction in the program. Still, Supervisor James Dougherty said that after three years of using the machines, officials believe that 15 will be enough to do the job.

"We haven't picked the locations yet," he said. "We're going to put them in hot spots."

The devices are feeders stocked with corn. When deer lean down to eat, their necks come in contact with a roller on a post on the edge of the feeder, rubbing the pesticide Permethrin on them. That eventually kills the deer's ticks.

Cornell Cooperative Extension has been monitoring the experimental program to see how effective it is and whether the pesticide has other effects on the deer.