Local Surgeon Dr. Richard Ricca Releases Quail In Watermill To Fight Ticks

Originally posted in 27East

Local surgeon and recent quail farmer Dr. Richard Ricca released 60 quail into the woods on Tuesday, July 14, in an effort to help fight the tick epidemic that is taking its toll on his backyard.

Dr. Ricca, a Watermill resident of 25 years, explained that his decision to raise quail “starts with the ticks” — which have been a nightmare for him, he said. Ticks were visible along woodchip paths, and in the grass, Dr. Ricca said, and even maintenance workers noticed their immense presence.

As an avid gardener, golfer, and someone who likes to spend time outdoors, Dr. Ricca said he thoughtfully searched for alternative to harmful pesticides that might harm other wildlife.

“I’m not a wildlife biologist, I’m just a local guy. But I just don’t like the idea of putting poisons on them,” he said. “If everybody is putting down pesticides, without thinking about the consequences, that’s narrow-sighted. Eventually, you will start harming other species.”

Dr. Ricca seeks to resolve his plight with ticks by learning about the environment, and exterminating them in an eco-friendly manner.

“I’ve raised chickens and turkeys in the past,” he said, which he ordered from a hatchery in Iowa called Murray McMurray. While searching for an alternative to pesticides, Dr. Ricca said he “came across the quail, which eat insects and ticks in the summer.”

Dr. Ricca noted that Northern Bobwhite Quail are actually an indigenous species to Suffolk County, and so he selected them for this reason. Guinea hens likewise eat ticks and other insects, but they are not native to the area.

Dr. Ricca pointed out that a lot of invasive species have taken root across the East End. For instance, nutsedge, a beach grass that originates in Europe and in Africa, can be found growing on the side of the road.

He added, “We never knew about Lone Star ticks,” which are originally from the Southwest, “and deer ticks when I was growing up.”

“Taking care of the environment broadens your horizons, your perspectives,” he said. “I’m really talking about the local environment” of Suffolk County.

On the day of the quail release, Dr. Ricca divided the 60 quail into teams of 10, and carried them in a cat carrier to various brush piles that he had created, he said. He hoped the piles would provide a safe shelter and habitat for the birds, until they adjusted to their new environment.

Rather than keep the quail in cages for four months, as Murray McMurray recommended, Dr. Ricca worried that containing them was immoral. Waiting too long to release the quail would domesticate them, he explained, and decrease their chances of survival.

“I read that [quail] had better success rates when released after six weeks, which made more sense to me, because they’d be like ‘adolescents,’” Dr. Ricca said.

“From my point of view — and it’s not about me — it’s about making the community aware of the local environment. And we should explore alternatives to this devastating tick problem, including alpha-gal and Lyme disease, which are really awful. It’s not just for the quail, it’s for rabbits, and even snakes, and mice. It’s [about] the whole ecosystem.”

After releasing the quail, Dr. Ricca said that he hopes for the best. More importantly, he explained, he hopes that his trial quail release will inspire other residents to be aware and thoughtful about their environment.