iStock
Editor's note: This article was adapted and reprinted with permission from Pinto & Associates.
Tick management is becoming increasingly important as the number of cases of Lyme disease and other tick-transmitted diseases, continues to rise. In most regions, Lyme cases begin to increase in May and peak in July, but you can get Lyme disease at any time of year. The ticks, and their mouse and deer hosts, are most common along edge habitats where woods are bordered by an open area or lawn. Ticks can be found on foliage in this transition zone waiting for a host to pass by.
Where to Treat. Ticks don't like sunny, dry, well-manicured lawn areas so there's no point in treating the whole yard. Within a lawn, 4 out of 5 ticks typically will be located within 3 yards of the lawn's edge.
Establish a 3-foot wide treatment area where lawn meets woods and around the perimeter of the yard. Ideally this treatment strip should be mulched because: (1) it outlines your treatment site - treat right on top of the mulch; (2) the mulch actually deters movement of ticks onto the lawn; and (3) the mulched strip serves as a reminder to children and others that moving beyond the mulch means you are leaving the safe zone and entering a high risk area for ticks.
Use Google maps or similar to get an overview of the layout of yard, its size, adjacent wooded areas, and potential problem sites. Also, try to determine what’s on the other side of the property line before you treat, things such as ornamental ponds, beehives, or play areas.
Treat for several yards distance into bordering woods. Other high risk tick areas that should be treated are brushy areas, areas of groundcover vegetation, and woodland paths. One benefit to spraying brushy areas and under ornamental plants is that these sites are also resting areas for mosquitoes, so you are providing mosquito control at the same time. While you shouldn't treat the yard itself, depending on the situation, you might want to treat the perimeter of areas within the yard that are frequently used by people like play areas, gardens, and walkways, but avoid treating or drift into vegetable gardens, blooming flowers, and water features. Decorative stone walls and retaining walls can harbor rodents and their ticks and should be treated.
Remember, that your state probably requires certification for ornamentals or turf in order for you to apply pesticides for tick control. And many states require that you notify customers, and sometimes neighbors, prior to pesticide application.
Personal Tick Protection During Service. Wear insect repellent, especially on your lower pants legs where ticks are most likely to grab on. If you're in a really heavy tick area, consider tucking your pants legs into your socks and taping the socks to your pants to provide an even tighter seal against ticks getting under your clothes to your skin. Long sleeves are also a good idea. As soon as you finish the job, check for ticks on your clothes, shoes, and skin, but do a more thorough tick check that evening, or as soon as you can remove your clothing. Don't forget to check your head and neck since ticks crawl upwards.
The authors are well-known industry consultants and owners of Pinto & Associates.
Latest from Pest Control Technology
- Rentokil Terminix Expanded in Key Markets with 2024 Acquisitions
- In Memoriam: Joe Cavender
- Certus Acquires Green Wave Pest Solutions
- Liphatech Adds Alex Blahnik to Technical Team
- Do the Right Sting: Stinging Insect Identification, Management, and Safety
- VAGA's 8th Annual Veterans Thanksgiving Appreciation Dinner
- Clark's Blair Smith on the Response to Increased Dengue Fever Cases in Southern California
- WSDA, USDA Announce Eradication of Northern Giant Hornet from U.S.
