The Village’s mosquito applications do NOT affect Ticks. Wide-scale tick control is not effective currently. There are steps individual residents can take.
- Wear mosquito repellent – 20+% DEET or Picaridin
- Keep grass mowed.
- Remove leaf litter, brush and weeds at the edge of the lawn.
- Restrict the use of groundcover in areas frequented by family and roaming pets.
- Remove brush and leaves around stonewalls and wood piles.
- Discourage rodent activity. Cleanup small openings around the home.
- Move firewood piles and bird feeders away from the house
- Manage pet activity, keep dogs and cats out of the woods to reduce ticks brought back into the home.
- Use plantings that do not attract deer or exclude deer through various types of fencing.
- Move children’s swing sets and sand boxes away from the woodland edge and place them on a wood chip or mulch type foundation.
- Trim tree branches and shrubs around the lawn edge to let in more sunlight.
- Adopt hardscape and xeriscape (dryer or less water demanding) landscaping techniques with gravel pathways and mulches. Create a 3-foot or wider wood chip, mulch, or gravel border between lawn and woods or stonewalls.
- Consider areas with decking, tile, gravel and border or container plantings in areas by the house or frequently traveled.
- Widen woodland trails.
- Consider host products to kill ticks on deer or rodent hosts.
- Consider a pesticide application as a targeted barrier treatment.