Managing Tick Problems On Commercial Property

In some senses, Connecticut is the epicenter of tick-borne disease in the U.S. – after all, we are the home state of Old Lyme.

With that ignominious distinction, controlling ticks becomes a responsibility for all of us – including those of us who own and manage commercial properties containing outdoor landscapes. The good news is there are several ways you can reduce the number of ticks near your commercial property. Let’s take a closer look at three of them.

Method 1: Modify your landscape

The two most common ticks are the blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis, commonly known as the deer tick) and the American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis).

Deer ticks are most abundant in the woods where wildlife hosts are common and shady, high-humidity conditions prevail. On lawns, about four out of five deer ticks are found within nine feet of the lawn edge, especially in areas adjacent to woods, stone walls, or ornamental plantings; few ticks are found in the sunny, manicured areas of the lawn. Ticks can also be found in ground cover such as pachysandra.

Here are some ways to modify your commercial landscape to discourage tick activity:

• Create defined, manicured borders. A dry wood chip, tree bark, mulch, or gravel barrier between wooded areas and your commercial lawn can reduce tick migration.
• Incorporate hardscapes. Using gravel pathways, decking, stone, tile, and other hardscapes around high usage areas can create a tick safe zone.
• Add wildflower and herbal gardens. Wildflower and herbal gardens have very few ticks and could be an acceptable alternative to grass on some commercial lawns.
• Watch for Japanese barberry. Japanese barberry provides a perfect habitat for all life stages of blacklegged ticks, for the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi, and for wildlife that can become tick hosts. Remove barberry from your property and either cut or burn away barberry cover in wooded areas adjacent to your commercial property.
• Maintain your property properly. Keep grass mowed, trees pruned, and leaf litter and ground cover minimal – especially in highly trafficked areas. Move seating away from the edges of wooded areas.

Method 2: Reduce traffic of tick-hosting wildlife

Discouraging tick wildlife hosts is a second way to prevent tick problems on your commercial property.

The best way to do this is to avoid using plants that encourage deer to browse; instead, choose plant that are less palatable to deer, especially along the edge of your commercial property. Some examples of these plants include annuals such as spiderflower, marigolds, and forget-me-nots, herbaceous perennials such as lily of the valley and monkshood, and shrubs such as butterfly bush and honeysuckle.

For a longer list of plants that encourage or discourage deer browse, check out this report.

Method 3: Pesticide application

Acaricides (pesticides that target ticks) can be applied to lawns and woodland edges to kill ticks. Please note, however, that many acaricides may only be applied by licensed commercial pesticide applicators. Contact us to learn more.

Prevent tick complications on your commercial property with professional landscape consulting, planning and property management in CT from the pros at Diamond Landscapes & Athletic Fields. Contact us today for a FREE, no obligation estimate on commercial landscaping in Connecticut!