Lady on the 'Today' show says to have a ring of wood chips around your house between wooded area and your yard.
SHE says the reason for that is wood chips are a natural tick barrier. She says ticks cant negotiate thru the wood chips.
Is this FACT or FICTION???asking--just don--
Posted by valymemom (Member # 7076) on :
I know that Dr. B. often has mentioned creating a barrier between home and woods but I thought it was stone that he suggested to deter small mammals.
Posted by Geneal (Member # 10375) on :
Well, with all of the trees down here and being shredded
Before being burned, I would have to say.....
I doubt it.
Of course that is because while walking on the wood chip pile last week,
I had a lonestar tick crawl up my sock.
Burn, baby burn!!!!!
I may be wrong. Maybe they just like wood chips where I live.
I know they use ground up moth balls as a "snake" barrier.
Tried it once only to watch two snakes cross that barrier.
Hugs,
Geneal
Posted by cactus (Member # 7347) on :
I thought that a wood chip barrier around a yard only worked if it was treated with permethrin?
Thought I read somewhere that untreated wood chips make a great environment for ticks - holds moisture and gives a bit of shade and relief from the heat.
(And on a kids' playground, gives a great place to wait for a meal.)
Posted by beachcomber (Member # 5320) on :
Hah! I got my second bullseye after moving woodchips from a pile to a trail. I spent all day in just wood chips. I had ticks crawling up my legs.
Myth.
Posted by bettyg (Member # 6147) on :
MYTH also, i checked out snopes, factorfiction, and another one .... nothing shows up! Posted by AliG (Member # 9734) on :
Thanks for posting this thread.
I had read about the wood chips somewhere and was planning to border my property, where the deer travel back & forth, with them.
I would have been REALLY ticked off to find it doesn't work myself, after putting in a lot of time, effort & expense that I can't spare right now.
Thanks again, Ali
Posted by JaimeeS (Member # 11983) on :
OK, so I'm going to post in a little bit about my son's appt with Dr. J yesterday.
He told me to put a 3 foot wide barrier of wood chips or mulch all around my yard???
Posted by HaplyCarlessdave (Member # 413) on :
This is most definitely a myth.Ticks that are in your house did NOT crawl to get there! They hitched a ride, either on you, freinds, family, or, probably most likely, pets. Look up life cycles of ticks to learn more. I wonder if an engorged tick that drops off you or a pet could lay eggs in your house? (on a bed or sofa- then hatched nymphs might get onto you or pets... with the right kind of household, the ticks could become part of the household ecosystem!)
As far as mulch is concerned, my mom probably got lyme from ticks that were in mulch, that may have been imported from a more tick infested area than right around her house! That seems not at all unlikely; it seems ticks on trees and brush run through a mulcher would usually survive. DaveS
Posted by HaplyCarlessdave (Member # 413) on :
This is most definitely a myth.Ticks that are in your house did NOT crawl to get there! They hitched a ride, either on you, freinds, family, or, probably most likely, pets. Look up life cycles of ticks to learn more. I wonder if an engorged tick that drops off you or a pet could lay eggs in your house? (on a bed or sofa- then hatched nymphs might get onto you or pets... with the right kind of household, the ticks could become part of the household ecosystem!)
As far as mulch is concerned, my mom probably got lyme from ticks that were in mulch, that may have been imported from a more tick infested area than right around her house! That seems not at all unlikely; it seems ticks on trees and brush run through a mulcher would usually survive. DaveS oops.. sorry this came up twice- I'm using a ...'windows'... computer....!
Posted by Marnie (Member # 773) on :
Wrong chips?
Pine tar oil repels ticks.
It comes in a soap and a shampoo.
It is an old remedy for psorasis.
The oil in PINE...not cedar.
"Use only unscented deodorant, soap and shampoo. Packers Tar Soap seems to keep ticks from biting once they have been picked up."
Repelling properties of some plant materials on the tick Ixodes ricinus L. University of Stockholm, Department of Zoology, Stockholm, Sweden.
The repellent effects on nymphal stages of Ixodes ricinus L. of some plant materials have been studied in the laboratory.
The plant material consisted of an ethanolic extract from Achillea millefolium L., and
***volatile oils of birch and/or pine tar, citronella, cloves, eucalyptus, geranium, lavender, lily of the valley and peppermint.***
The most pronounced effects were observed for the oils of citronella, cloves and lily of the valley.
They possessed repelling activities of the same magnitude as the reference repellent DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide).
Some major constituents of these oils, e.g. citronellol and geraniol (oil of citronella and lily of the valley) and eugenol (oil of cloves) showed pronounced repelling effects.
This was also the case for phenethyl alcohol, a minor component in the oil from lily of the valley. PMID: 16360943
Vermont Country Store also sells good old Lily of The Valley cologne and soap ;-)
Going off track, but important:
In addition...WHY on earth is this not already being done?
Toxicol Ind Health. 2002 Jun;18(5):215-24
Addition of the bioflavonoid pine bark extract Pycnogenol to cigarette filters depleted free radicals in a dose dependent manner.
This was paralleled by a reduction of toxicity and mutagenicity in rodent test models. In this model system, the acute toxicity of cigarette smoke was markedly reduced by up to 70% in rodents with 0.4 mg Pycnogenol in filters.
Chronic exposure to cigarette smoke for 75 days revealed that Pycnogenol filters significantly reduced mutagenicity by up to 48% and decreased pathological changes in lung tissue. PMID: 14653310
If we can't change bad habits...at least we can try to protect smokers from developing costly (costly to all of us) complications...as well as those exposed to smoke.
When one "addiction" (to deal with stress) is eliminated, another pops up.
Weight loss (surgical) is now tied to subsequent increases in gambling, compulsive shopping, alcoholism, sex addictions, etc. The persons lose weight...a lot...and then pick up other addictions!
This is an imbalance...neurotransmitter IMBALANCE. The initial trigger is often stress...how we deal with it...usually via bad habits.
We PROMOTE things that are bad for us...Coke (even diet coke...now one a day has been found to be detrimental to our health), beer and other alcohol, over-eating - our portions are too big i.e., "Supersize Me"...
And we do NOT get enough exercise.
We encourage things that are bad and then "blame" those who have health problems as a result of their bad choices.
We do not "reward" good behavior which is the best way to change behaviors.
We, a few years ago, took many gym classes out of our school schedules to fit in more academic time.
Years ago, people went out DANCING...a great form of exercise. Line dancing, polka, square dancing. It was fun and healthy.
Where did all those fun places go?
Now we can barely find roller rinks (insurance costs too much) in many communities now.
Remember the blast we had meeting our friends and skating at roller rinks or neighborhood ice rinks?
If we aren't healthy to START WITH...we have a MUCH HARDER TIME FIGHTING INFECTIONS.
For those who got lyme WHILE exercising and who believe they were in "good shape"...please note it is NOT HEALTHY to exercise excessively. 30 minutes, break, 30 minutes...is FAR MORE healthier, beneficial and safer for us.
Posted by just don (Member # 1129) on :
Marnie, What you said about addictive behavior,,,can I second THAT vote!!
In a former life,,I knew somebody who went from a alcohol addiction, to a drug addiction, to a sex addiction (all those previous mentioned AT ONCE)
to eventually get a surgical weight intervention to get back to 'look' like high school days,,,only to then pick up a SEVERE gambling addiction.
Lets just say, while this person is on Zoloft,,,a 'tolerable' person to be around. Even the polar and grizzly bears would RUN when OFF the zoloft!!!
Even tho HAS to be the life of the party,,,and center of attention,,,but whats NEW??? Did I mention 'in control' of everything also???
So yes, additive behavior is indeed addictive!!--just don--
Posted by DW213 (Member # 9590) on :
I also saw this segment on Today.
It seems to me the purpose of the mulch would be to keep the ticks from getting from the woods to your lawn.
Therefore, you'd still have to stay out of the mulch/wood chips, 'cause the ticks would be in there, but your yard beyond it would be safer.
Posted by SunRa (Member # 3559) on :
the cedar wood chips bordering the lawn here are filled with ticks and i just got bitten again a couple weeks ago. the ticks are on the lawn too thanks to all the small animals around. sometimes i feel like i'd be safer in the woods where at least the ecosystem is balanced.
Posted by Boomerang (Member # 7979) on :
Doesn't make any sense to me? Ticks climb over all kinds of things, I don't imagine wood chips would stop them. Just my .02.
I've had people tell me lime was good to use. Anyone heard this?
Posted by just don (Member # 1129) on :
For all you good folks that have THAT many ticks in your lawn and wooded areas.
Get a four poster feeder for your area deer!!!
Keep your lawn sprayed with 'something' that will keep the ticks dead. Permethin, tempo, lots of others.
IF you dont want to do it yourself,,,hire a lawn service to spray regularly.
Limit pets running in and out of the house!!
The 'pine' chips sound like a good deal to me!! If still tick infested soak them in death spray!!
Getting bit over and over and over again is NOT an option!! It also teaches your children to be proactive in the fight against the deadly buggers!!IB==just don--
Posted by Boomerang (Member # 7979) on :
Don, we really do have that many ticks here. Hubby got another bite on the back of his neck Thursday while out feeding the birds.
What do you mean about the four poster feeder for the deer? Sorry, I haven't heard of this.
Thanks for any info.
Posted by Geneal (Member # 10375) on :
With 8.5 acres, a barrier would be next to impossible.....financially and physically.
My hope is that once our house is built, to treat the yard and areas where we will
Spend most of our time in. Also dogs will not be living in the new house.
As they continue to over-develop in our area,
Places which have been heavily wooded and providing a haven for wild life
Become scarce. As we don't want to take down every tree on our property,
We (my neighbors) and ourselves, become pockets of woods that all those critters come too.
Good news is that with 7 dogs, we don't get deer on our property.
The mice, racoons, possums and armadillos are another story....
BTW, there will be no trees around the new house.
Wouldn't want any trees taking down my new house like my old one.
Hugs,
Geneal
Posted by Marnie (Member # 773) on :
There are carbon dioxide traps to lure them.
This is how ticks are "counted" in endemic areas.
Posted by just don (Member # 1129) on :
A four poster is a small contraption of 4 posts(aint I smart)
It has a small floor built between the posts to either feed the deer or give them something they really want,,,like salt,,or other mineral etc,,,a bit of corn works too.
Then has these flips attached that have to rub the deers neck while he or she feeds. These flips are treated with insecticide. And kills the ticks ON the deer.
I have read studies where DRASTIC reductions of tick numbers result from said treatment,,,Takes a couple years to get the max result.
I agree with the ecosystem approach,,,this is ONE way to manage the ecosystem!! Those hitchhikers are the worst offenders.
Thats why outside pets should be outside and inside pets should be inside.
Now maybe somebody was tooting their horn on the effectiveness of the four poster treating the deer,,,but the numbers I SAW was quite convincing that EVERYBODY could benefit from using them!!
Google four poster deer feeder and see what comes up,,,report back please,,, I gotta go do a MAJOR project I have been putting off for a year.. TODAYS THE DAY!!! Back later-being --just don--
Posted by Areneli (Member # 6740) on :
Ticks just love woodchips. Particularly young ticks - nimfs enjoy them.
Posted by just don (Member # 1129) on :
Arenelie, Thats what I always thought too since this lady spoke,,was wondering.
Wood chips are basicly the same as tree bark, cept the bark is all put together. Somebody was in the woods and leaned against a tree or sat on a log for a bit,,,and was 'covered' in ticks and probably nymphs.
Anybody GOGGLE four poster yet?? I am SOOO shot from working today,dont think I can muster the energy to do so!! BUT my 600 foot sprinkler that makes a 1200' circle looks so much better up, straight and ready 'to try again' after falling in a pile of scrap iron '""""last year"""
I am heading out right now to finish the project I started yesterday afternoon. Put a new rear main oil seal in a Deutz motor so it quits puking expensive oil all over the place!!!
Off I go,,,into the wild blue yonder,,,off I go,,,!!! THAT project turned into three times what I was told it was!!!
Always need a different tool and a half mile from the tool house!! I know the route well after last couple days!! Open the gate,close the gate, open the gate, close the gate,,,Next time somebody PLEASE tell me I need a power plate puller!! eventually--just don--
Posted by susiecv (Member # 9702) on :
Funny you should ask if anyone googled the 4 poster-I did & found lots of info, but no lead as to where to buy them. Was going to ask you if you know how much they cost & where to get them. Anyone? Sue
Posted by just don (Member # 1129) on :
Susie, I always thought they were totally easy to build from scratch. Put four posts in the ground on a 18" square.
Bolt boards to the posts for sides and screw the right size floor in it. CAN make it like Fort Knox,,,if you want it durable. Less if you dont care if ya havta rebuild.
I doubt they will stick their head in a box being careful animals so less is better here,,,me thinks. Like 2X6's bolted or screwed to posts,,plywood or more boards for bottom.
DONT paint it,they dont like smells too much. Maybe make it so they can feed from one or two sides so can halve the fly flips necessary
Then cut a milk jug just right with handle attached so can fill with insecticide and dip the flips by letting them soak a second by raising jug from the bottom up to top of them,,,flips lay inside the jug then drain them a bit so you can 'save' juice.
Like a small wire hook that holds a container like another jug down low enough they drip to dry a bit.
I would think something like this is perfect for the boy scout of the family,,,or eagle scout project,,,OR just a son,dad construction project who arent too experienced.
(LOTS of learning for a quickie project like this) Minimal tools required,,,mostly handyman have to haves anyway
AND who cares what it 'looks' like,,,ideally it is in the edge of the woods (in and hidden from view) if your adjoining property owner doesnt care
Guys around here try to attract deer to salt licks for bow hunting stands,,,same will work for YOUR deer.
A 50# block of salt(couple three bucks worth)(OR if you have farmers around,tell they why your doing it and pick up a few ears of corn out of their fields AFTER harvest!!)Look especially in the corners and endrows for them,,,where the ends meet the rows.
Salt blocks (Winter and summer) will last as long as the rain doesnt melt it. AFTER the deer get used to it stick a roof of some sort over it, up HIGH' so they dont notice it and your feed doesnt get so wet!!
Like a 4X4 ' piece of plywood screwed to post tops(requires posts be set level across tops) (OR a saw).
Might even slant it front to back a bit, might help. I hear a honey dew project for the weekend!!questions?? ask--just don--
Posted by Just Julie (Member # 1119) on :
Don, sweet Don. You sound like such a goodnatured cowboy. You really do. They don't make no gentle natured cowboys here in Caleefornigh-a. Darn it all.
As I was reading your very detailed instructions on how to build a 4-poster, I had a thought that if you somehow had a digital camera (what? it could happen) and you snapped a few shots of your own 4 poster(s), and put them up here on lymenet, a few of us handier women might be able to cobble one together.
I have an acre here in fair No.CA, and a few momma deer and her babies like to sleep on my upsloped backyard. Sure, right where my 2 outside only cats like to sleep too, of course If I could fashion a durable 4 poster up where my wandering deer like to pass on thru the neighborhood, I'd stick one up there and maybe see a dent in the tick population I see on my cats.
I for one am in full vote aye for using appropriate pesticide in reducing numbers of pests. It was due to your posting awhile back about Tempo that I was finally able to get my brain in gear, order some Tempo online, spray it in my screen porch room, and finally FINALLY, 2 months after my first attempting to irradicate my fleas out there, see some light. I actually have been able to go out there flea-free for about 3 weeks now, and am enjoying my flealess porch room.
I'm cracking open a bottle of Oregon pear brandy this Saturday night with a neighbor friend out there in my flea-less porch room, and plan on thoroughly enjoying myself in the soft summer night. Hats off to pesticides, and Don's encouraging words!
If I can spray pesticide, I think any able bodied woman can spray pesticide. . . it's a man's job, but some woman has to do it eventually.
Posted by susiecv (Member # 9702) on :
Thanks Don-My husband will greatly appreciate my latest request for when "he has some free time!!!" (not.) He is a very handy guy, so sure he could manage.
I agree, a picture of your homemade version would be helpful if at all possible.
We have many deer in our rural neighborhood-they stay out of the yard during the day though. Do you think offering food would attract even more? And I am wondering how often I would have to fill it?
We have treated the lawn & placed Damminex tubes around the yard (will make my own bargain version from here on) Bad year-have caught 23 mice in my basement since last Fall! I will try anything to feel safe in my own house & yard! Can you spray Tempo inside? Might try that in the basement.
Thanks again for being such a good source of info! Sue
Posted by just don (Member # 1129) on :
Susie,
YES for sure you can spray Tempo inside,,,it is EVEN labeled for use in resturants so HAS to be VERY safe.
I have sprayed it inside a structure and it smelled like I was spraying pure water. NO noticeable smell.
I heard its made from geranium flowers.
Keeping mice out is VERY important to healthy living. I heard IF you can see a crack as big as a pencil eraser,,Mice will be inside. Check ALL cracks and crevises. Especially where wires run thru walls.
Steel wool and caulking are mans best friend keeping them OUT!!! I would recommend one of those wind up repeating traps if you have any mice to catch. Sometimes called an automatic cat.
Works especially well if you put popcorn, cheese or other of their favs inside for bait. Park it where they are known to run and maybe use a board or other barrier to funnel them thru it.
They LIKE the natural defense of being inside something confining and hiding space,,,make that work for you!! Otherwise I like the bait and reuse trap,,,the throw aways seem like such a waste!! But whatever works for you!!
I am allergic to cat,dog, rat and mice dander so have to keep them out. IF you do an inside,outside inspection and see ANY cracks or holes,,,fix them,,,its NOT hard AND saves energy too!! Check around thresholds and windows also!!
Dryer vents are prime entrance spots. When the lint blocks open the trap they crawl in and eat thru that flexible duct to be inside the house. Lint removed good solid seal, no problem. TRY to use solid metal pipe instead of the flimsy flex stuff!!
IF your vent is real low to the ground and they can crawl up that far,,,make it harder by putting a piece of slick shiny metal under there to make it harder,,,or go to the pop UP style they cant get to.
Hope this helps,,,keep them out,,,at ALL costs!! Your health may depend on it!!!but --just don--
Posted by on :
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif)
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
If I could fashion a durable 4 poster up where my wandering deer like to pass on thru the neighborhood, I'd stick one up there and maybe see a dent in the tick population I see on my cats.![[Frown]](frown.gif)
I will try anything to feel safe in my own house & yard! Can you spray Tempo inside? Might try that in the basement.