The Trouble with Ticks

Ticks have been the nemesis of  gardeners and outdoor adventurers as long as there have been woods to walk in, so it’s important to understand this life form, get past the creepiness factor and not let it keep you and your children from enjoying the beauty of the natural world.

Deer Tick Lifecycle

Understanding the lifecycle is the key to minimizing and responsibly using pesticides

 

This article offers information on home/yard tick control practices, enjoying nature while minimizing tick contact/disease risk, life-cycle timed prevention and links to tick-bourne disease information

The tick population today is increasing along with that of its primary hosts: rodents and deer. Few natural predators, abundant acorn harvests, and the yield of other nut bearing trees are providing deer with ideal living and breeding conditions. The problem is, of course, not in the tick and deer population numbers per se, but in the severity of the diseases they carry: Babesiosis, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Lyme disease, and others.

Ticks look creepy

Ticks look creepy. Just the thought of one climbing up the back of your neck is enough to make your skin crawl. Knowing, however, that these parasites are looking for their next meal, makes them look like something straight out of a Stephen King novel.

Think About Your Outdoor Space / Responsible Protection

Ticks by themselves do not move much. Their primary mode of transportation onto your yard is by deer, birds or rodents. Eliminating deer traffic by fencing can reduce ticks on your yard, but it will not stop birds from flying them in, or the wind blowing the nymphs.

Your landscape layout can impact the tick population in your yard. Ticks are much less likely to be found in an open, sunny yard. Limiting where your pets and children can go on the property can reduce their exposure to ticks. Avoid putting swing sets at the edge of the woods or near tall grass areas. Invisible fences can keep pets out of gardens, woods and other high tick locations.

Adult deer tick

Adult Deer Tick waits on leaves and grasses for the next host to go by

Dress for Success: In the woods, or when working in the garden, wear white socks and tuck trousers into them when in grassy areas; light long-sleeved shirts are also helpful. Avoid overgrown paths and high grasses. And, remember to always check yourself, your children and pets after being in an unprotected area such as tall grass or woodlands.

Don’t Panic: If you find a tick already attached, stay calm. Even if the tick is infected with Lyme Disease for example, scientists say it takes 48 hours after it begins feeding to transmit the disease spirochetes. Pet stores and veterinarian offices have a tick removal “v-notched spoon” that grabs the tick and leverages it gently out of your skin. Expect to pay $5-$10 online. Local vets typically sell them for a dollar or two.

For answers to gardening questions, tick control and our spring/summer deer repellent product, contact me via email: sean@reddingnursery.com

*     *     *     *

Beautiful REDDING NURSERY is a familiar sight to all, nestled in a curve of Route 107 between Redding Center and the junction of Route 53. The nursery was established by James and Sheila McNamara in 1968. In recent years they have been joined by eldest son Sean, his wife Krista and their sons…and so the family tradition continues.

1  Tick-bourne diseases: for information on tick-bourne diseases the CDC offers a comprehensive list on its website:  http://www.cdc.gov/ticks/diseases/

© 2013 Redding Nursery, all rights reserved.

 

By:   Short URL:  http://goo.gl/ecT2v Category:   Garden Pests and Pest Control, Lyme Disease, pest control, Ticks Words:  663

Responsible Protection: Understanding the tick life cycle and habitat is crucial to a successful spray prevention program. Spraying at the right time with the right product in the right place means a more healthy landscape for people, pets and plants.

Right Product: at Redding Nursery, we use a synthetic pyrethroid to control ticks. It is based on the natural pyrethrins that are found in the chrysanthemum plant. While some companies offer “all natural” tick control, we have found the synthetic spray much more effective than the natural products. They provide better control with fewer applications. Fewer applications mean less impact on beneficial insects and less harm to the environment. Remember, even if a product says “all natural” it is still a natural toxin. Arsenic, used as one of the first broad spectrum pesticides in the early 1900s, is all natural but highly toxic. The products we use at Redding Nursery are targeted and work on a much lower toxicity level. Better results with less spraying should always be the goal.

Right Place: Ticks are more often found in tall grass, the perimeter of the woods, near stonewalls, garden beds, leaf litter and pachysandra. In fact, Redding Nursery customers that have lots of pachysandra tend to have the most trouble with ticks. It provides cool protection for not only the ticks but also their hosts, mice and chipmunks. It is in those places where the ticks are most likely to be found where the spray application should be focused. Some companies offer a granular application on lawns. But ticks are rarely found out in the middle of a sunny lawn where it is too hot and dry for survival.

Right Time: For low to moderate risk properties I generally recommend one spray per year during the nymph stage of the tick life cycle (May-June). This is the most dangerous time for the transmission of disease as the nymphs may contain the disease pathogens, are tiny, and therefore more likely to go unnoticed for the 48 hours required to transmit the disease. For properties with a history of tick problems I recommend a first spray in April to target the overwintering adult ticks; then a second spray in June to target the nymphs.

Comments are closed.