Ticks are a growing problem in Northeast Pennsylvania aided by our humid climate and high deer populations. Ticks tend to flourish in wooded areas where hosts are most abundant. The most common tick in our area is the blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis, which is often referred to as the deer tick. With the rise in the tick populations comes the need of greater tick control and tick spray applications.

Lyme Disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever are just a couple of the diseases that spread from ticks. Lyme disease is most common from the nymphal stage which is active during the late spring and summer. There are some steps that can be done to help with tick control.

• Keeping lawns mowed and shrubs and trees pruned back will help keep ticks at bay.

• Ticks avoid sunny manicured lawn areas.

• Clear leaf debris and brush especially along edges of lawn, stone walls, and driveways.

• Restrict groundcover in high traffic areas. Ticks can often be found in groundcovers such as pachysandra.

• Wildflower meadows and herbal gardens seem to have few ticks and may be an alternative to grass.

• Deer activity increases the likelihood of ticks. Fencing and other landscape modifications, as well as deer spray applications to plants, can be used to deter deer.

• There are also products that can be applied to your lawn and landscape beds to reduce the amount of ticks on your property. Acaricides are pesticides that are often used to control ticks. Acaricides target all members of the arachnid class which also includes spiders and mites.

At AOS, we use an organic spray application that is safe for kids and pets. It is safe to resume activities on your lawn 15 minutes after the product is applied. We recommend applications every 30-60 days during the months you and your pets are most active in your yard.