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908-612-4736 • www.ticktackler.com By: Jennifer Molzen With the threat of newer tick borne diseases identified, it is more important, now than ever to be vigilant. Heartland, Powassan and Bourbon virus have all been recently identified by the CDC and can be added to the list of harmful dis- eases that ticks carry. When the weather is below freezing, ticks can be found harboring in tree trunks, decomposing plant matter, com- post, leaf piles and in the nesting materi- al of the white-footed mouse. According to the University of Rhode Island Tick Encounter Resource Center, blacklegged (deer) ticks become infected with the bacterial agent causing Lyme disease [and other disease-causing agents] when they take their blood meal from small rodents, such as white-footed mice. Ticks use the blood meal to grow, and the infection just goes along for the ride. Even though they are called “deer” ticks, the infections they transmit come from rodents. Many ticks survive even the harshest of winters. As spring rolls around, the warm weather brings exposure to ticks and the diseases they carry, including, Lyme, Babesia, Anaplasma, and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. A good spring clean up is essential to reducing and deterring tick activity in your backyard. Remove all of your leaf lit- ter and places that ticks and mice like to harbor. Ticks survive in moister, shadier environments, so trimming up trees and bushes can dry things out a bit and reduce moisture levels. After a cold hard winter the warmer weather invites us out into the warm sun. Fun-in-the-sun activities can put humans and pets in close proximity to ticks. Research also shows that about 90 percent of deer ticks on a property will be found in the ecotone areas. The eco- tone (AKA brush line) is the area between grass lawns and wooded areas. Backyard summer activities can put an unsuspecting person or pet in close prox- imity to a tick seeking its next meal. Before heading out back, consider where your favorite spring/summer time activities are taking place. Consider the following: • Place sprinklers, slip and slides and kiddy pools in the sunshine and away from the brush line. • When playing backyard games like Frisbee, catch, and horseshoes, take care to stay away from the brush line. • When playing with children and pets do not throw ball into brush line. • Place lawn furniture, hammocks, sandboxes, and picnic tables on shorter grass or stone patios, away from the brush line and in the sun- shine. • When cleaning up the yard, place your brush pile far away from the lawn’s edge and remove winter bird feeders. Rodents like to hide in brush piles and love birdseed. • Fix leaky hoses and do not leave them turned on while attached to the hose. A drier environment is less inviting to ticks. • Trim overgrown landscape and encour- age air circulation. Remember, drier is better. Playing and relaxing in the backyard are essential parts of spring and sum- mer. By considering where your activi- ties take place in proximity to the brush line, you can reduce your risk to tick bites and diseases. Tick Tackler provides organic residen- tial tick control to help battle ticks both at home and while you are enjoying the great outdoors. Our service area includes Eastern PA and most of Northern and Central New Jersey. We are family owned, fully insured and licensed by the DEP. Tick Tackler now holds pesticide applicator licenses for both residential and school certification. To find out more about Tick Tackler, call Jennifer Molzen at 908-612-4736, send an e-mail to jennifer@ticktackler.com or visit us at ticktackler.com. www.theconnectionsnj.com