Scientists tracking western black-legged nymphs report that
an April heat spike now shifts peak activity several weeks ahead of schedule.
That extra questing time means more chances to pick up Lyme disease or the
red-meat allergy alpha-gal before summer even begins.
Transform Your Lawn into a Shield
Weekly mowing that holds turf near three inches lowers ground humidity and
deprives nymphs of shade. Bag the clippings or let a pro crew haul them away so
they never compost into a tick blanket.
Draw a No-Go Border
Surround the lawn with a three-foot ribbon of gravel or wood chips. Chipmunks,
mice, and deer—the Uber drivers of ticks—dislike crossing the hot, abrasive
strip, cutting backyard tick counts by roughly one-third.
Prune low branches, thin dense shrubs, and swap deer-candy hostas for rosemary,
lavender, yarrow, and switchgrass. More sunlight dries soil; fewer deer mean
fewer adult ticks laying eggs near your patio.
Targeted Treatments, Timed Right
Early-spring permethrin tick tubes intercept larvae on mice; a second set in
late summer snags the next brood. Mist cedar-oil after May and September
mowing, when pollinators rest, and refresh after heavy rain for season-long
coverage.
Defense After the Chores
Shower within two hours, tumble clothes on high heat for ten minutes, and keep
fine-tipped tweezers by the mirror. Quick removal within a day slashes
infection odds.
Read the full article → https://medium.com/@mowcowva/tick-time-ticking-earlier-yard-strategies-to-dodge-rising-alpha-gal-lyme-cases-4d816715608e
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