Is there a secret to fending off those nasty ticks and other pests that plague us? Biodiversity might be one of the keys.
While all life is precious, some creatures great or small can cause real health issues for humans, like the ticks that carry disease and the rodents that can spread them. Nymphal ticks are hardly visible and can be smaller than a poppy seed. These little critters are masters of the “wait and grab” technique, called “questing.” They hang out in vegetation just waiting for a hapless passerby and then latch on, find a nice soft spot, and dig in. Despite common sense tick measures like sticking to clear trails, wearing light clothing, tucking socks and shirts in, and tick checks, we still have a pretty significant tick borne disease problem throughout all of our warm months, like Lyme disease.
The less biodiversity we have, the more ticks we see. How does that work? Adult ticks usually get their fill from white-tailed deer, but these deer don’t carry the Lyme bacteria. The culprits behind this disease are often white-footed mice. In places where biodiversity is low, there’s a spike in Lyme bacteria in ticks because the mouse population (and tick population) explodes without predators, competitors, and tick-grooming animals around. And rodents carry more than just Lyme. When tick larvae feed on these mice, they become carriers. If there are more diverse animals around, like squirrels and opossums, the larvae feed on them instead. Squirrels, opossums, and chipmunks are great traps for ticks. These critters actually encounter a lot of ticks, and they eat most of the ticks that try to feed on them, which means that more biodiversity equals fewer ticks.
So we can foster biodiversity to tackle the tick menace. We can encourage habitats for diverse creatures like opossums, squirrels, snakes, and birds of prey. The more the merrier! When designing your gardens, design open, sunny areas, and lay down paths that ticks can’t quest in. Use native shrubs, plant meadows, and create multi-layer habitats. And don’t forget to plant alliums, like garlic. Not only are they delicious but may also be our secret weapon against ticks.
So next time you’re thinking of how to tackle ticks, mice, and other pests, think biodiversity. And as always, remember to check yourself for ticks! If you find a tick on you the CDC recommends that you use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin’s surface as possible, remove the tick ASAP, and that you avoid using nail polish, petroleum jelly, or heat to make the tick detach from the skin. Pull upward with steady, even pressure..
If you want to chat about biodiversity, feel free to swing by The Gathering Garden in Mount Gilead at the corner of W Allenton St and School St, if you want to discuss gardening with us, you can find out more about or workdays on our facebook page.
In these weekly columns, I will share the science of gardening and so many more interesting tidbits. Check back here every week for tailored Montgomery County garden advice, sharing our garden updates, and more.
Let’s grow together!
This article was originally published in the Montgomery Herald and is reused here with permission by Mary Poplin.