The weather has been nuts lately. Thermostats hit 90 degrees back in March. Yet it's almost May now and we're dealing with chilly, windy days. The one constant is that ticks are out full force.
Unfortunately we're sitting in the hotbed of Lyme disease. It is an epidemic in Loudoun County. You've probably heard that already. But, there’s no need to feel helpless; there is something you can do.
When going out . Use bug spray. Check for ticks. And when possible, go to the regional parks that have been sprayed for ticks (listed below).
To keep your home safe, consider creating a tick-free zone in your own back yard. With a little effort, you can feel safer in your own habitat by following these guidelines (download the pdf) from Congressman Frank Wolf’s office:
- Keep your grass cut short. Ticks love to hang out in high grass and hop on bare legs.
- Build a fence. Deer - the animals that usually transport Lyme-carrying ticks - can jump up to eight feet high, but they won’t jump over a fence through which they cannot see.
- Spray your own yard with a pesticide. Permethrin is the recommended active ingredient.
- In you have the space, landscape to discourage deer and ticks: Install deer resistant shrubs and plants (i.e. Achillea, Buddleia, Dogwood, Ferns, Forsythia, Sage and Thyme) at the outer edges of your lawn. Then, spread a nine-foot buffer area of wood chips or gravel. This - along with keeping your grass cut - is said to reduce ticks by 61-100%. (See image.)
Manassas-based Mosquito Squad provided the following additional tips, referred to as the 5Ts:
- Tip. Reduce standing water to eliminate mosquito threats, including those underneath and around downspouts, in plant saucers and dog bowls.
- Toss. Excess grass, leaves, piles, fire wood.
- Turn. Turn over larger items like children’s sandboxes, wagons or plastic toys.
- Remove tarp. If tarps stretched over firewood piles, boats or sports equipment aren’t taut, they’re holding water.
- Treat. Utilize a mosquito elimination barrier treatment around the home and yard. Using a barrier treatment at home reduces the need for using DEET-containing bug spray. Mosquito Squad’s eliminates up to 90% of the mosquitoes and ticks on a property.
Have fun out there. And, be safe.
Parks Treated for Lyme:
- Claude Moore Park
- Franklin Park
- Woodgrove Park
- Nell Boone Park
- Lucketts Park
- Conklin Park
- Phil Bolen Park
- Mickie Gordon Park
Richard Pollack, PhD (IdentifyUS LLC)
Richard, as the owner of an online marketing agency I understand backlinking and applaud the relevant content before the link to your company site. And as a mother who has pulled a tick off her toddler then frantically called everywhere searching for someone to test it, I sincerely thank you for your valuable addition to the conversation. :)
Thank you for your comments. You're absolutely right. The deer tick is not the only one that can carry Lyme. I pulled a Lone Star tick off my son and he developed the bulls-eye rash soon after. The problem is with reporting. I doubt his case was reported as Lyme even though he was treated for it. It's hard to say what causes Lyme and what doesn't when all the facts aren't tracked. Also, I had late-staged Lyme for two years and spent four months on an IV. There is a lot of incorrect and incomplete information out there. You are your own best advocate. I did get better and have fully recovered. So, have hope. Though it is NOT all in our heads - as one doctor suggested to me back in 2003 - a positive attitude is helpful. Best wishes!
Ticks don't "hop". The simply cling on if you brush against them. Also using pesticides everywhere is just trading one problem for another as they will indicriminately kill beneficial insects as well. Not to mention the toxic load our children's bodies already have to deal with. Kudos to the commenter who mentioned guinea fowl (not mentioned in the article!) one of the best predators of ticks, they can reduce the population very substantially (chickens and wild turkeys, too).
You're definitely right about the pesticides. It's a trade off. My question becomes, which scares me more? Adverse effects from pesticides or Lyme? Lyme is scarier for me. It's a personal choice. I wish we could have guinea fowl roaming the streets of Ashburn. It's been a fantasy of mine since I discovered their taste for ticks. I didn't mention them because Loudoun County requires you to have at least five acres to keep them on personal property. There are few residences in Ashburn that meet such standards. Cheers!
John www.backyardbugpatrol.com