U.S Lawns

1. Lyme in Lawns: Landscape
Maintenance to Prevent
Disease-Carrying Ticks
U.S. Lawns

2. Every year, there are approximately 30,000 cases of Lyme disease reported to the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In 2017, the CDC had a total of 42,743 confirmed and probable
cases of the illness. However, researchers from clinical laboratories estimate that the actual number
of people who contract Lyme disease every year in the U.S. is closer to 300,000.
These numbers make Lyme disease the most commonly reported tick-borne disease in the country.
Most of the cases are reported from the East Coast, especially in Pennsylvania, New York, Virginia,
and Massachusetts.
Lyme Disease: Signs and Symptoms
Like mosquito bites, tick bites appear as small, red bumps on the skin, which disappears after a few
days. However, when the bite is from a back-legged or deer tick infected with the bacterium
Borrelia burgdorferi, the cause of Lyme disease, signs and symptoms such as rash, fever, and body
aches may appear within a month.
Afterward, rashes may appear onother parts of the body. The disease is also characterizedby joint
pain, especially in the knees, and neurological problems, such as impaired muscle movement and
limb weakness.

3. Lyme Disease from the Lawn
The primary carriers of the bacteria that cause Lyme disease are the white-footed mouse and grey
squirrel. These animals are attracted to grassy locations, such as parks and suburban yards. Ticks
become Lyme disease carriers when they feed on these animals.
According to the CDC, outdoor workers had the highest risk of exposure to infected ticks in 2010,
especially those who were working at sides inwooded areas, bushes, high grass, or leaf litter. At the
onset of summer, when ticks are most active and more people are enjoying the outdoors, landscape
maintenance becomes even more crucial.
The CDC suggests using approved and regulated pesticides to reduce the number of ticks onresidential
and commercial properties. In addition, leaf litter, tall grasses, and brush that grow around buildings
and at the edge of lawns should also be cleared regularly. Erecting fences that discourage unwelcome
animals, such as Lyme disease-carrying rats and squirrels, isalso encouraged.
Lyme disease may start from a simple tick bite, but it can develop into a grievously debilitating
disease. With proper lawn care and maintenance, the risk of exposure to disease-carrying ticks can be
significantly lessened.

4. Sources:
https://uslawns.com/locations/va/roanoke/
https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/stats/humancases.html
https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/datasurveillance/recent-surveillance-data.html
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/lyme-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20374651
https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/avoid/in_the_yard.html