Ticks and Landscapers

The Environmental Health Division of the Henry and Stark County Health Departments (Illinois) is warning landscapers and residents to take precautions against ticks and the diseases they carry.

Activities such as landscaping were cited by patients who have acquired tick-borne diseases in areas with vegetation, or tall grass, most notably when no tick precautions were taken: Landscapers could also be at increased risk.

"Ticks can transmit a number of diseases through bite," warns Kurt Kuchle, Environmental Health Supervisor with the Health Department. "As people are spending more time outdoors during the summer and fall, it is unreasonable to assume that one can completely eliminate tick exposure. Therefore, prevention methods should include personal protection and frequent full body tick checks."

Ticks live in and near wooded areas, tall grass and brush and, if infected, can spread various diseases, including ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and tularemia. The ticks become active and can spread disease when the temperature is 40 degrees Fahrenheit or more at ground level.

Several prevention measures can be applied against tick-borne diseases. Performing frequent tick checks and removing ticks promptly reduces the likelihood of transmission of tickborne diseases. While Lyme disease transmission from an infected feeding tick requires a day or more, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever can be transmitted in as little as four hours of feeding. Exposure to ticks in domestic and recreational areas can be reduced 50-90 percent through simple landscaping practices like removing brush and leaf litter. In addition, an application of pesticides to yards once or twice a year can decrease the number of nymphal ticks 68-100 percent.