ONLINE EXTRA: Still Time for Tick Control

Editor’s note: Tick control can be challenging for PMPs, so it's always good to brush up on the management of these troubling pests. Michael Newhouse, GIC Market Manager, Bayer Environmental Science, provides the following information about the biology, behavior and control of ticks.

It’s that time of year and your customers are calling with concerns about ticks on their properties. This is when your role as public health defender becomes increasingly critical.

Over the years, homeowners have become keenly aware of the dangers of backyard tick populations, and that approximately 75 percent of Lyme disease cases are contracted on residential properties, in the backyard. It truly is a backyard disease. A common misconception, however, is that tick season is a danger exclusive to spring and summertime. In reality, these pests pose a threat well into fall, when adult ticks are out for blood, literally.

BIOLOGY AND BASICS. Ticks evolve through three stages. Larval ticks have six legs and nymph and adult ticks have eight. And although there are about 80 species of ticks in the United States, only a dozen or so are considered to be pests, the most common of which include the blacklegged tick (or “deer” tick), American dog tick, the lone star tick that is making headlines in Long Island, NY, and the brown dog tick.

Since 1975, when the first case of Lyme disease was reported in Connecticut, it is the blacklegged tick that has gained the most notoriety for its spread of this debilitating disease. Since then, this pest has continued to migrate, with Lyme disease cases reported as far south as Florida and as far west as California. However, the highest concentration of cases is in the Northeast and upper Midwest.

A TWO-STEP APPROACH. The best approach to controlling backyard tick populations is to target the lawn and woodland edge, including walking trails frequented by family members. It’s important to note that most blacklegged ticks are found in wooded areas and in the ecotone, the transition area between woodlands and open space. A powerful solution includes the use of a residual spray and a granular insecticide, in order to achieve both quick knockdown and long-term control.

“Suspend® SC or Tempo® SC Ultra insecticides should be applied along grass and wood lines, where ticks are active,” says Dr. Gary Braness, Technical Service and Field Development Representative at Bayer. “Treatments are most effective when applied in the spring to control nymphal stages of ticks and again in the fall to target adult ticks.”

With fall approaching, PMPs should also remember to treat leaf litter with a granular insecticide, such as DeltaGard® G, for continued knockdown, according to Braness. The small granular size allows it to fall through vegetative cover and heavy mulch to effectively treat hard-to-reach areas where ticks commonly rest.

HOMEOWNER EDUCATION. Further demonstrate the professionalism and value you bring to your customers by counseling homeowners on how to play a role in reducing tick populations. Offer them these simple tips for preventing the conditions that attract ticks.

• Keep grass mowed.
• Remove leaf litter; clear away brush and weeds at the edge of the lawn.
• Discourage rodent activity.
• Keep firewood piles away from the house.
• Trim trees and shrubs around the lawn edge to let more light in. Ticks avoid bright, sunny areas.
• Move swing sets away from the lawn edge.
• Widen trails through wooded areas.
• Always do a tick check when you come indoors.

For more information about tick prevention, call 1-800-331-2867.