Tick Tip: How to Tick-Proof Your Yard

Ticks are everywhere on Martha's Vineyard, and they're particularly active in June, when there's an annual spike in Lyme disease diagnoses on the Island.

The Martha's Vineyard Boards of Health has some advice for you on how to reduce the risk of tick bites and infection around your home:

• Remove leaf litter.
• Clear tall grasses and brush around homes and at the edge of lawns.
• Place a three-foot-wide barrier of wood chips or gravel between lawns and wooded areas to restrict tick migration into recreational areas.
• Mow the lawn frequently.
• Stack wood neatly and in a dry area to discourage tick-bearing rodents.
• Keep playground equipment, decks, and patios away from yard edges and trees.
• Use fences to discourage unwelcome animals (such as deer, raccoons, and stray dogs) from entering your yard.
• Remove old furniture, mattresses, or trash from the yard — anything that may give ticks a place to hide.

Source: Martha's Vineyard Boards of Health

For more about ticks and how to avoid tick-borne illnesses like Lyme and babesiosis, visit MVBOH.org. You may also be interested in:

• Tick Tip: Preventing Lyme Disease After a Bite
• Tick-Borne Illness on Martha's Vineyard
• Tick Season Survival Guide
• Tick Tip: How to Check Your Dog for Ticks
• Tick Tip: Dress Defensively

Are you worried about ticks? Tell us in the comments.

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