The number of wood ticks, or ticks in colloquial language, has increased in recent years. We asked an expert if the tick trap from Tiktok really works.
Summer brings with it the fear of being bitten by a tick. The strengthening of common wood tick and taiga mite populations and the rapidly growing distribution areas have increased the concern even more.
In Tiktok, a user said in his video that he reduces the number of ticks in his yard with a so-called tick trap.
In the video, the user pulls a white sheet attached to a stick with strings along his yard.
In half an hour, more than forty ticks accumulated on the sheet. He removed the accumulated ticks from the sheet with the help of tape.
We asked the professor of the Biodiversity Unit of the University of Turku Ilari from Sääksjärvidoes the sheet help to get rid of ticks in your own yard.
A tick trap can calm the tick situation in the yard
Sääksjärvi is familiar with the method of catching ticks shown in the Tiktok video, because the same method is used in tick research.
In research use, the sheet is effective because it collects ticks well.
It is not a panacea for getting rid of ticks.
“It’s really challenging to get the whole yard clean of wood lice. We also have to remember that there will always be more people with disabilities.”
Tick host animals that move around the yard, such as moles, woodchucks, hares and deer, bring more ticks to the area. If you want to get rid of ticks completely, then you should also make sure that animals do not get into the yard.
“However, with the help of a sheet catch, you can calm down the situation a little.”
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Catching ticks requires the right technique
According to Sääksjärvi, technology matters when catching ticks with a sheet. The sheet must be moved slowly over the vegetation so that the tick has time to cling to it.
In the fabric, you should prefer a rough material, for example cotton, so that ticks’ legs can cling to it.
Ticks stick to sheets of all colors, but ticks stand out best from a white sheet.
“When emptying the sheet catch, you should be careful not to, for example, shake the ticks on the sheet back into the yard. Found critters should be killed, for example, by squeezing with tweezers or by freezing.”
Catching ticks with a sheet once a summer does not help. If you want to significantly reduce the number of ticks, you should catch them in the yard at least every few weeks.
Not all ticks stick to the trap
Sääksjärvi reminds that there are wood ticks in different stages of the life cycle in the backyard. Ticks reproduce all the time as the females lay eggs.
Larvae, nymphs and adult woodlice can be found in the same area. Not everyone may recognize ticks in different stages as ticks.
“Many Finns have the image that the wood tick is large and red-black. In reality, the larvae and nymphs are very small and pale brown in color.”
Even if you recognize ticks at different stages of development, regular catching will not remove ticks from the yard for good.
During hot and dry weather, woodlice hide among the undergrowth, and do not climb to the top of the grass or hay to wait to jump on the host animal.
In practice, this means that ticks do not cling to the sheet catch during hot weather.
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Ultimately getting rid of it is wishful thinking
Due to the diversity of nature, it would be good to leave yards untended. In this case, plants growing on the lawn, such as dandelions and clovers, have time to provide food for pollinators.
At the same time, long-growing grass and other vegetation increase the risk of being bitten by a wood tick.
Sääksjärvi, who works as a biodiversity researcher, says that he nurtures natural diversity in his own backyard.
However, he thinks it makes sense to keep the grass short in those areas of the yard where people stay.
“I think it is justified to keep the areas where children play short in terms of vegetation. I leave plenty of wild vegetation around the edges of the resting place.”
It is not a good idea to make your yard smooth in the hope that the ticks will disappear completely. In any case, the number and distribution of woodlice have increased in recent years.
“Puutias are doing really well in Finland at the moment. Getting rid of them is a wish.”
Source: kotiliesi.fi
