BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 4, 2024
While it may never be possible to completely eliminate ticks from the landscape, there are steps people can take to help control tick populations in backyards or around their property. Options for dealing with ticks include chemical pesticides, natural repellants, fencing, habitat modification and importing domestic birds known to dine on ticks. One resident is preparing to burn parts of her land to reduce the tick population. “These natural products tend to be much less effective than our established conventional pesticides,” said Griffin Dill, manager of the University of Maine Tick Lab. “They can play a part in an integrated tick plan, but if you are just going to spray natural ingredients, you are going to have less effects.”