LYME DISEASE PREVENTION

Modifying your yard may be the best approach

Lyme Disease is nothing to take lightly.  A single bite from a tick can cause a lifetime of pain, discomfort, and medication.  Prevention is always the best way to deal with any issue.  You can modify your behavior – such as wearing long sleeves and pants in the garden, staying indoors, or loading up with repellents – or you can modify your yard to help ensure a tick-free summer for you and your family.

Ticks need a host upon which to feed.  The most common of these are deer, rodents, and birds.  If your landscape is of the type that is not deer-friendly it will go a long way toward preventing ticks from calling your yard, “home.”  Erecting deer fencing and planting deer-resistant plants are two good ways to do this.  Additionally, keeping your walkways clear of shrubs that you and your pets might be brushing up against is a good idea… as is keeping your yard free of dense ground cover.

If a wildlife-free yard is not for you, then killing the ticks is always an option.  There are many chemical options available to you, and if you’re into an organic option, acaricide spray or granules are a fine tool.  It’s important, however, for you to do the research.  Knowledge is key for an effective, safe solution to your deer-tick issues.  And calling a pest control expert is always the best idea to ensure the safety of you, your family, and your pets.

- Eric Schlehlein, Edited 7/21/2020