Tick Management from a Pest Professional’s Perspective

Tick

Management

from a Pest

Professional’s

Perspective

Rainbow Companies

An I.P.M. approach for Tick

Management

I.P.M. – stands for Integrated Pest

Management

Integrated – Combine one thing with

another so they become a whole.

Developing a comprehensive strategy

to manage a pest that includes

considerations for human health and

the environmental impacts

I.P.M. Steps

Surveillance – detection of tick population

levels – Tick Drag / Tick Flag

Identification & Reduction of Tick Habitat

Reduce leaf litter as much as possible.

Store wood away from house and 1 foot off

the ground if possible – This reduces mice

from entering the areas where you work

and play in the yard.

Create separation between the manicured

lawn and taller vegetation by using mulch

or rocks.

I.P.M Steps – Continued…

Mow lawns frequently and remove cut grass and leaves

Remember: Most ticks reside in the first 18” of vegetation from the ground

Keep tables, swing sets, play equipment, etc. away from woods, shrubs and tall grass. Place in a sunny location, if possible

Discourage deer intrusion by constructing barriers and not feeding them

I.P.M. Steps – Continued… Personal Protection

Light colored clothes – so you can see them

Thorough tick checks – you most likely will not feel a nymph crawling on you

Use of repellents – 20% to 30% DEET (for skin) and Permethrin Spray (for clothing ONLY)

Change personal behaviors to avoid their habitat – If it is possible…

Tuck shirts into pants and pants into shoes or socks to keep ticks on the outside of clothing. If outside for an extended period of time then tape pant legs where pants and socks meet so that ticks cannot crawl under clothes.

I.P.M. Steps – Continued… Treat your dog

They bring ticks inside the house

A veterinarian’s day is consumed with tick-borne illnesses!

Active Ingredient – Fipronil

Do NOT treat your cat with the same product for dogs!

Have your yard treated!

Spring (May / June) and Fall (Aug / Sept)

75% - 80% of Lyme Disease is contracted

in your own back yard!

Follow the directions on the label – The

label is the law!!!

Understand how the chemical works

Know when and where you can and

cannot apply it

Pay attention to the dosage!!!

Knowing the Facts - Vital!

Black Legged Ticks (Ixodes Scapularis) –

mislabeled as “deer ticks”.

“Deer Tick” – Deer are 1 of 60 different

host animals that they feed upon.

A single deer is estimated to contribute to

500,000 black legged ticks per year.

There are no known cases of Lyme

disease transferring from deer meat to

humans.

Knowing the Tick - Facts

In Minnesota, Black legged ticks have a 2

year life cycle – (due to our climate)

In the southern states they can complete

their life cycle in one year

There are four stages to their life cycle

E.L.N.A. – Egg, Larva, Nymph, Adult

They have an Incomplete Life Cycle – The

babies look similar to the adults

Knowing the Facts – Cont.

Ticks move VERY slowly

They are the “sloths” of the arachnid world

They will only crawl a few meters in their

lifetime – The only way they cover great

distances is by travelling on a host.

Deer and Mice stay within a defined

territory – Birds are most likely the reason for

wide-spread distribution of the pest.

Where do Ticks hang out?

Ticks prefer shaded areas that are cool

and damp.

They will not inhabit the short grass of your

lawn on a hot sunny day – it would cause

them to die from desiccation.

They “Quest” Within 3 Feet

Ticks can be

found throughout

the woods

They hang out

within 3 feet of

where hosts pass

by on a regular

basis

American Dog Tick – “Wood Tick”

Not all tick hosts carry Lyme

Different species of tick hosts tend to have

different probabilities of transmitting an

infection to a feeding tick.

In eastern and central North America, the

host most likely to transmit an infection to

a feeding tick is the white-footed mouse,

which infects between 40% and 90% of

feeding larvae.

Infection rates in ticks vary. It depends on

where you are in Minnesota.

Who is carrying Lyme?

Eastern Chipmunks, Shrews, & White

footed mice are the primary hosts of Lyme

disease

White footed mouse with

several Black Legged Ticks

on it’s ears!

Larva are not the problem!

They hatch out of the egg without

pathogens inside of them (Yet…)

Larva only

have six legs

Larva feed on smaller hosts

White Footed Mice

Shrews

Chipmunks

Song birds

amphibians

Nymphs & Adult Females transmit Lyme Disease

Adult

females

have a

reddish

bottom-

half to

their

bodies

Adult

males

are a

solid

dark

brown

and

slightly

smaller

than the

females

What about Male Adults?

Male adults feed

intermittently – not long

enough to transmit Lyme

(36 to 48 hours for adults)

They get on a host animal

and often times wait there

for the female to show up

so they can mate with

them.

An Ounce of Prevention…

Treat the areas in your yard where ticks

“quest” for a meal (first 3 feet of taller

vegetation)

Target mice by using Tick Tubes with

Permethrin

Consider installing fencing to keep deer

out of your yard

Consider plants that do not attract animals

to your yard

Landscape Modifications

Reduce or eliminate low-lying bushes. This

will help reduce mice on your property!

(a major host of Lyme)

Juniper Bushes Japanese Barberry

Scientist’s Latest Findings… According to recent studies by scientists Jeffrey

Ward and Scott Williams at the Connecticut Agriculture and Experiment Station (CAES), eliminating stands of Japanese barberry from forested areas can reduce the number of Lyme disease-infected ticks on the property by 80%.

Ticks need an environment with about 80% humidity to actively feed, quest and reproduce. By measuring humidity levels above and at ground level under the barberry foliage, Ward and Williams found humidity levels under Japanese barberry dipped below 80% for only one hour per day. In open, sunny areas with no Japanese barberry, the exact opposite is true. The humidity levels rise to 80% for only one hour each day.

Japanese Barberry Distribution

Mulch / Rock Separation

Recommended distance is 3 feet

Bird Feeders – What is the risk?

Ticks are carried in by hosts that

forage to bird feeders

They should be placed at minimum

30 feet away from rodent

harborage areas

Clean up all spilled seed

Consider only using during the

winter months to reduce the risk

The 4-Poster

This device

uses

Permethrin

to inoculate

deer

against

ticks

Biological Control (Natural)

Guinea Hens Wild Turkeys

What does Rainbow Pest

Experts do to control ticks?

We provide education for our clients – answer all questions and address every concern

Perform a “Tick Drag” to establish the current tick population level

We treat the “questing” zones in your yard with:

Demand CS (Spray)

Demand G (Granule)

Damminix Tick Tubes (tube with cotton balls)

Demand CS

Tick Tubes

We MUST change mindsets

Minnesotans are NOT prepared for this

problem!

It will take ALL of us to turn the tide on this

epidemic!

We MUST talk about this… Tell EVERYONE

YOUR Testimony is VERY IMPORTANT!

Thank You for inviting us!