Tick Management

Recent media reports have pushed ticks into the public health spot light. Ticks are documented vectors of multiple pathogenic bacteria, protozoans and viruses. Serious diseases vectored by ticks include Lyme disease, Powassan virus and human babesiosis. Pest Management Professionals (PMPs) can look at tick management services not only as a growth opportunity, but as a contribution to public well-being.

Ticks are not insects, but belong to the class Arachnida (mites, spiders, and scorpions are fellow members). Ticks are blood-feeding ectoparasites. They only feed on host-provided blood through their development. The tick life cycle is: egg, larva (six-legged), nymph (eight-legged), adult. Mating occurs on the host. After mating, the female drops from the host to lay eggs (based on specie, from ~200 to over 5,000!) in the environment.

There are two families of ticks: the soft ticks (Family: Argasidae) and the hard ticks (Family: Ixodidae) identified by the visible presence or absence of a hard plate (scutum) behind the head visible from above (hard ticks). Soft ticks have more than one nymphal stage; hard ticks usually have only one nymphal stage.

Ticks can be ‘one-host’ ticks; spending their developmental lifespan (larva to nymph to adult) on one host, or ‘multi-host’ ticks that complete a develop stage (larva to nymph) by finding and feeding from a host, then dropping off the host into the environment where molting to the next stage occurs. Then the tick finds a new host and completes the next stage of development (nymph to adult) on another host. For multi-host ticks, the host animal preference usually changes to a larger animal. It can take multiple years for a tick to complete its life cycle and if an immature tick cannot find a suitable host between development stages it may be able to ‘starve’ for over one year or until a host becomes available. Ticks are most abundant in sites where a consistently moist and humid substrate exists and direct long-term exposure to sunlight is absent. A leaf-litter floor beneath a forest canopy protects the immature stages of ticks and the natural presence of wildlife like deer mice, chipmunks, ground squirrels and rabbits provide the critical primary host animals.

In a residential setting, the interface between managed landscapes (lawns, yards) and the woodland are ideal sites that are often referred to as a ‘tick zone’. Pets and people that enter these zones can become exposed to questing (host-seeking) ticks.

Tick management service should consist of the following:

Non-Chemical:

• Maintain landscapes keeping turf healthy and trimmed.
• Prune ornamentals in the perimeter zone to promote air movement and reduce moisture around the structure.
• Remove clutter (firewood, toys, outdoor furniture), especially adjacent to potential tick habitat where host rodents may hide.
• Recent research indicates that raking fallen leaves and yard debris into the forest edge area helps tick development. Remove raked leaves and yard debris from the property or compost/move it as far from the managed landscape as possible.

Pets:

• Maintain tick control on all dogs and cats (consult a veterinarian or follow all label directions on consumer products).

Clients:

• Advise clients to avoid movement into the tick zone and teach children not to enter these areas.

Acaracides:

Fortunately, ticks are susceptible to Envu residual insecticides; Temprid^® FX, Tempo^® Ultra SC/WP, Suspend^® PolyZone^®and Suspend SC. Apply according to label directions* for ticks. Treat leaf-litter and substrate where developing ticks harbor. Start treatments in spring when soil temperatures reach 50 degrees F. Treat at 30-60-day intervals until first frost, or year-round in warmer regions.

Compared to spraying, an effective and convenient formulation for tick management is DeltaGard^® G insecticide. This contact granular formulation falls through foliage into leaf-litter and releases deltamethrin into this harborage site. In a field study, an application of DeltaGard G provided 97%-100% control of I. scapularis (Black-legged Tick) for 12 weeks post treatment (Schulze, et al, j. Econ Ent 98(3): 976-981, (2005).

For more information, contact your local Envu Pest Management & Public Health Representative.

*Check local regulation for licensing requirements to treat sites.