Tick season is upon us, and cottagers are no strangers to using DIY methods for keeping those blacklegged blood suckers at bay. New research from the University of Ottawa might add another tool to the arsenal: wood chips.
Researchers lined recreational trails in Ottawa’s Greenbelt with wood chips, some treated with the pesticide deltamethrin and some untreated, with the goal of decreasing tick populations that carry Lyme disease. “The wood chips are stopping vegetation from coming up the trailside,” says lead researcher Katarina Ost. (Less vegetation to climb means that ticks have less opportunity to attach themselves to hosts walking on the trails.) “We also suspect that ticks don’t like crawling over the wood chips.”
Is lemongrass the newest tick repellent?
Both treated and untreated wood chip borders, at one metre wide and five centimetres thick, significantly reduced tick population levels. Borders treated with deltamethrin led to a 99 per cent reduction in tick density, while untreated borders led to a 48 per cent reduction. Pesticides were sprayed directly on the wood chips to lessen the harm on surrounding plants and pollinators.
Beyond being more pollinator-friendly, wood chips are cost-effective and sustainable. The study used ash wood chips, a local byproduct, diverting them from the landfill. But, says Ost, “any local wood chips will do.” The biodegradable option didn’t lose effectiveness over time, either: even when the wood chips shifted during recreational use, researchers only topped them up once a year.
Lyme disease: an interview with a biologist
The caveat? The study recommends applying treated wood chips at least 10 metres from the water, to prevent runoff from harming aquatic life. (As well, check with a vet before using a pesticide that could hurt a furry friend.)
While the study was conducted on recreational trails, Ost says wood chips could be effective around cottages, especially when combined with other prevention methods.
Related Story Could your pet’s tick medication be harming the ecosystem?
Related Story Here’s what cottagers need to know about their hantavirus exposure risk
Related Story Cottage Q&A: How effective are possums at tick control?