CDC’s tips for creating a Tick-safe Zone in your backyard

It might not seem like it over the last year, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention isn’t all about Covid-19.  They cover a whole range of other things that could cause disease or otherwise make our lives miserable, including those nasty blood-sucking ticks.

First you should know that the CDC does say that the use of pesticides can reduce the number of ticks in treated areas of your yard, but you should not solely rely on spraying to reduce your risk of infection. And the CDC cautions that when using pesticides, always follow label instructions. Before spraying, check with local health or agricultural officials about (1) the best time to apply, (2) the best type to use, and (3) any rules and regulations regarding applying pesticides on residential properties.

Now, if you would prefer to be pesticide-free, for any number of good reasons, the CDC says that there are some simple landscaping techniques that can help reduce blacklegged tick populations:

• Remove leaf litter.
• Clear tall grasses and brush around homes and at the edge of lawns.
• Place a 3-ft wide barrier of wood chips or gravel between lawns and wooded areas to restrict tick migration into recreational areas.
• Mow the lawn frequently.
• Stack wood neatly and in a dry area (discourages rodents).
• Keep playground equipment, decks, and patios away from yard edges and trees.
• Discourage unwelcome animals (such as deer, raccoons, and stray dogs) from entering your yard by constructing fences.
• Remove old furniture, mattresses, or trash from the yard that may give ticks a place to hide.

Additionally, the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station has developed a comprehensive Tick Management Handbook (get ready, it’s over 80 pages long) for preventing tick bites. A little light bedtime reading, it’s not, but if it will protect your family (both two- and four-legged variety), then it’s worth a look.

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Photo Credit:  Natalia Lebedinskaia / Shutterstock.com