UNIVERSITY PARK, PA — Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne illness in the United States, with over 181,000 confirmed cases reported since 1990. A Northeastern IPM Center project is researching new approaches to managing ticks while reducing pesticide use.

According to George Hamilton, professor of entomology at Rutgers University and project co-coordinator, Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases are primarily spread by the blacklegged tick, so reducing human-tick encounters are increasingly important. “Unfortunately, integrated pest management (IPM) strategies have not kept pace with the changing risks of tick-borne disease transmission in the United States and few non-chemical or nontraditional strategies have been evaluated.”�

IPM aims to manage pests -- such as insects, diseases, weeds and animals -- by combining physical, biological and chemical tactics that are safe, profitable and environmentally compatible. Hamilton says they are developing a flexible IPM approach to control of ticks that minimizes the use of area-wide chemical applications. Various tactics such as habitat management, targeted chemical applications in high human risk areas, and education programs for facility employees will be included in the project.

Researchers created the Integrated Tick Management Demonstration site at the Monmouth County Reclamation Center (MCRC) in Tinton Falls, NJ. “We’re monitoring the number of ticks as well as human-tick encounters through periodic survey of MCRC employees,”� Hamilton explains.

Hamilton says they have modified the habitat of the demonstration site to make it more unsuitable for tick survival. “We’ve trimmed shrubs, removed leaf litter and plant debris, wood and brush piles, fallen trees and stumps, and anything else that could harbor ticks.”�
Areas that pose high risk for human-tick encounters have received a single barrier application of the insecticide acaricide that targets tick nymphs.

In addition, 4-poster deer-feeding stations are being used to control ticks. Deer are primary hosts to these ticks. The deer-feeding stations contain a 10 percent oily permethrin solution that kills ticks on the heads and necks of deer as they feed on corn.

Researchers will also prepare training workshops and materials on the assessment and management of ticks for managers of public lands. Hamilton says people in these areas should use repellent-treated overalls when accessing tick habitats, check themselves frequently for ticks and remove them properly. PowerPoint presentations and other training materials will be made available through Rutgers Cooperative Extension.

As human-tick encounters are reduced, so will the need for insecticides and their related costs, which will reduce runoff and drift in adjacent wetland areas and lessen the detrimental effects on non-target organisms. “The study will redirect theses efforts to tick habitats, a more cost-effective and environmentally sound approach,”� says Hamilton. “In addition, the demonstration area can be used as a training tool for the current technologies as well as a research area for new techniques in the future.”�

For more information on the project, contact Hamilton at (732) 932-9774 or email at hamilton@NJAES.rutgers.edu.

The Northeastern Integrated Pest Management Center fosters the development and adoption of IPM, a science-based approach to managing pests in ways that generate economic, environmental, and human health benefits. For more information, visit http://NortheastIPM.org.

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If you’d like more information on this topic, or to schedule an interview with Kristie Auman-Bauer, call 814-865-2839 or e-mail kma147@psu.edu.

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E-mail : kma147@psu.edu

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