TICK CONTROL SERVICES

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This service is most effective at suppressing local tick populations when applied regularly across multiple years.

Our strategy turns mice and their nests - one of the ticks’ primary reproductive resources - into fatal environments. Happily, on the other hand, this system is safe for the mice. 

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TARGET LYME TRANSMISSION VECTORS:

Ticks have a four-stage life cycle — egg, larva, nymph, and adult — that typically spans two to three years.

Rodents like mice serve as primary hosts for the tiny larval and nymph stages. These stages feed on the mice, drop off to molt, and eventually become adults that seek larger hosts. 

Treated nesting material (strategically deployed by us throughout the spring and summer nesting cycles) kills ticks that end up in the nest, and also works our treatment into the fur to kill ticks and nymphs that attempt to feed on the mice.

In this way the treated material is not only eliminating nests as safe winter hiding places, but is also greatly reducing the local risk of Lyme transmission: mice are major reservoirs for the Lyme bacteria, so by cutting off the ticks' ability to feed on local mice, far fewer of them successfully acquire the pathogen. 

We would like to note that this statement applies better to rural property applications, or for community based co-operative efforts, where larger areas of tick habitat can be more effectively treated.

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ATTACK THE REPRODUCTIVE CYCLE:

Ticks that manage to feed over winter can lay eggs immediately in spring, so cutting off this food source creates a critical delay in their reproduction. These early hatchlings from successful winter feeders create “questing nymphs”—especially troublesome ticks that actively seek hosts and spread into new environments.

These early eggs are laid in leaf piles and other suitable environments around your property, so for more serious tick problems we recommend coupling this service with perimeter barrier treatments in the first years of treatment. 

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CONSIDERING AN EFFECTIVE START TIME:

Since this is a multi-year campaign, it doesn't matter when you start deployment. The sooner you start getting the nests treated, the sooner the strategy can start working. Mouse nesting cycles give you leeway by sporting two peaks in the spring and the fall. We use treated material shown to be of the highest preference to mice. It is collected by them throughout the year.

Regardless of your starting time within the season, maintaining pressure across 3 or more years is the ideal and proven approach to combat these pests. 

The spring nesting cycle is important to treat, as mice prepare nests for raising young - the refreshed material targets the next generation of ticks right when they reach the dangerous nymph stage. 

Fall deployment is also important, as mice prepare nests for wintering — the refreshed material eliminates these nests as safe winter hiding places for ticks, prevents successful feeding over winter, and creates a critical delay in spring reproduction. This reduces the early hatchlings that become the most troublesome questing nymphs.

If you are experiencing high tick pressure on your property, you might consider coupling this long term strategy with an opening season of barrier treatments.

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We recommend a minimum of two deployments per year, timed to the peak nesting activity of local mice. Although, simply put, more is better with this strategy. 

Peer-reviewed study trends showed the greatest effect when the treatment covered the widest possible area, and when nesting material was deployed once per month. 

Community-wide efforts consistently delivered the best outcomes.