Treat Your NJ Yard for Ticks

Treat Your Yard for Ticks is the fourth in a five-part series.  We will take a close look at how Ridgefield, CT, an area hit particularly hard by Lyme disease, suggests their residents protect themselves from tick bites to reduce their risk of contracting Lyme disease.  Each article will take a closer look at each of the letters in the acronym to find out how we can learn from our neighbors to the north on how to best protect ourselves. 

Our series on ticks is taking us through the BLAST acronym and to date we have learned a few great tips:

• Bathing soon after returning in doors will reduce our risk of contracting Lyme disease. 
• Looking over our bodies is an important step in heading off Lyme disease.  First we must look for and promptly and properly remove ticks daily.  Next we need to be aware of any rashes, especially an expanding bulls-eye type rash that is sometimes seen with Lyme disease.
• Applying insect repellent and/or wearing permethrin-treated clothing can help deter ticks from our bodies.

Now we will explore how Spraying your yard will help to reduce tick populations on our property.  By lowering the amount of ticks in and around your lawn, you are reducing the risk that you, your family and your pet will come into contact with ticks.  When we say treat your yard for ticks we don’t mean a heavy pesticide application throughout your entire lawn.  If your lawn is well-maintained and gets good direct sunlight then this is not necessary.  A good provider will begin with an inspection and create a customized tick management plan for your outdoor space.  A good plan should include:

1. Inspection of your property.  Identify those areas which are most attractive to ticks like: heavy foliage, damp, shady areas of the yard, particularly under brush or leaf litter.  Modifying these areas of your outdoor space will reduce tick populations around your home. 
2. Spot-treat problem areas.  For those wooded, damp and shady areas around your yard that cannot be modified, a targeted pesticide treatment will help to keep tick populations at bay. 
3. Treat the perimeter of your property to reduce tick numbers.  The BLAST program suggests spraying the yard to reduce ticks.  Studies have shown that even one pesticide application at the right time of the year and in the best location can reduce blacklegged tick populations by 85-90%! 

You can also reduce your family’s risk of picking up ticks by using your yard more strategically.  Consider these tips to lower your risk of ticks:

• Don’t place the kids play sets in shady areas of your yard.  Keep play sets away from wooded areas that are more hospitable to ticks and don’t get direct sunlight. 
• Make your sitting areas on the deck or patio away from heavy foliage, high grasses, rock walls and wood or leaf piles that attract ticks.
• When going into the more wooded areas of your lawn be sure to dress properly with long-sleeves, long-pants, permethrin-treated clothing and a DEET-based repellent on exposed skin.