TICKED OFF

Posted on March 14th, 2014

Despite the cold weather and snow on the ground, ticks still pose a threat to us.  The cold weather doesn’t kill the ticks; it merely puts them in a sluggish hibernation state.  This means they aren’t active but hiding under leaf litter.  Once the temperature gets above 40 degrees, ticks become active.

The most common ticks found in New England are the Black Legged Tick (Deer Tick); Dog Tick, Lone Star Tick and the Brown Dog Tick.  These ticks can carry diseases like Lyme disease, Babesisis and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and this new disease that was just identified.  Nearly 90% of all Lyme cases have been reported in the northeastern part of the U.S.  In 2011, almost 2,500 people in Massachusetts were diagnosed with the disease.  Due to a lack of physician reporting and unrealistically stringent reporting criteria, these numbers are usually incorrect.  The rule of thumb is to multiply the total count by 10.  If that’s the case, more than 25,000 Massachusetts residents were affected by Lyme Disease.  Many people in New England are being infected from ticks in their own yard.  In October of 2013 one of our customers in Litchfield NH. contracted Babesisis and his dog contracted Lyme Disease.  Since then they have signed up for our organic tick program to help reduce their exposure.

The Primary host for the ticks contracting Lyme Disease is small mammals like mice and chipmunks.  Birds are also a source of Lyme disease.  Nymphs contract Lyme Disease when they feed on these infected animals.

Ticks need moisture and a place away from sun and wind.  The most common place where ticks can be found is in leaf litter, weeds, bushes and high grass.  Ticks tend to hang out at about 18-24 inches off the ground and latch on to you or your pets when you brush up against them.  Once a tick gets on the skin, it generally climbs upward until it reaches a protected area.  Ticks can’t jump or fly, and don’t drop on to passing people or animals.

The following precautions will help to minimize ticks on your property.

• Keep grass mowed
• Remove leaf litter, brush and weeds from around stonewalls, wood piles and at the edge of the lawn
• Stonewalls, woodpiles and bird feeders attract mice and chipmunks which hide, nest and eat spilled food from these sources.  Do your best to keep these far from your home
• Trim tree branches and shrubs around the lawn edge to let in more sunlight
• Move kids play areas away from woodland edge and place in sun
• Restrict the use of ground cover, such as Pachysandra and Ivy in areas frequented by family and pets
• Reduce plants that attract deer and plant those they don’t eat

Last but not least, contact Turf Unlimited and find out how our ORGANIC TICK PROGRAM can help protect your family and pets.