Tick Management: A 3-Step Process
Prevention
Avoid tick habitats: Whenever possible, avoid entering
areas that are likely to be infested with ticks, particularly in spring
and summer when nymphal ticks feed. Ticks favor a moist, shaded environment,
especially areas with leaf litter and low-lying vegetation in wooded,
brushy or overgrown grassy habitat.
Use personal protection measures: If you are going
to be in areas that are tick infested, wear light-colored clothing so
that ticks can be spotted more easily and removed before becoming attached.
Wearing long-sleeved shirts and tucking pants into socks or boot tops
may help keep ticks from reaching your skin. Ticks are usually located
close to the ground, so wearing high rubber boots may provide additional
protection.
The risk of tick attachment can also be reduced by applying insect
repellents containing DEET (n,n-diethyl-m toluamide) to clothes and
exposed skin, and applying permethrin (which kills ticks on contact)
to clothes. DEET can be used safely on children and adults but should
be applied according to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines
to reduce the possibility of toxicity.
Perform a tick check and remove attached ticks: The
transmission of the bacteria that causes Lyme disease from an infected
tick is unlikely to occur before 36 hours of tick attachment. For this
reason, daily checks for ticks and promptly removing any attached tick
that you find will help prevent infection. Embedded ticks should be
removed using fine-tipped tweezers.
DO NOT use petroleum jelly, a hot match, nail polish, or other
products. Grasp the tick firmly and as closely to the skin
as possible. With a steady motion, pull the tick's body away from the
skin. The tick's mouthparts may remain in the skin, but do not be alarmed.
The bacteria that cause Lyme disease are contained in the tick's midgut
or salivary glands. Cleanse the area with an antiseptic.
Chemical Controls Around the Home
A tick control is sprayed by TurfMasters around the perimeter of properties
where ticks are most likely to live. This spray is used at an extremely
low rate and is environmentally friendly. While not 100% effective,
it does greatly reduce the number of ticks in a particular area. New
ticks may re-enter the area and requires several applications throughout
the season.
Landscape Alterations and Maintenance
Create a barrier between your living/play areas and woods or weeded
areas. Nearly 70% of ticks on residential lawns are found within 9 ft.
of wooded areas. Creating a landscape barrier around these areas greatly
reduces the number of ticks in your lawn.
Thin trees to increase light and reduce dampness. Clear out low brush,
vines and leaf litter each year. Keep weeds cut as low as possible.
A clearly defined, well-manicured border with the woods provides less
tick habitat and less opportunity for contact between people and ticks.
|
