Ticks need to stay in shaded, humid areas. That’s why areas where maintained lawns meet wooded or unmaintained areas tend to have a lot of ticks.
If you've noticed that ticks seem to come from the back of the yard rather than the middle of it, you're observing the most well-documented pattern in tick ecology. That edge is the epicenter of tick activity on most residential properties.
Ecologists call this area the ecotone. It’s the boundary where two habitat types meet. On your average Connecticut property, this is the line where your mowed lawn ends and the woods, brush, stone wall, or unmaintained area begins. Lawn maintenance is a great way to control ticks, but it also has the unfortunate effect of pushing them all into narrow strips in suburban areas.
Anywhere humid or shaded is likely to harbor ticks. Leaf litter is a common problem here because it creates a layer of decomposing organic material that holds moisture against the ground. Ticks can survive for long periods in leaf litter because it maintains the humidity they need to avoid dehydration.
Shade is heaviest at the edge. Overhanging branches from the tree line cast shadow across the transition zone for most of the day, keeping it cooler and damper than the open lawn. This keeps ticks out of direct sunlight which would otherwise dry them up.
Wildlife also tends to run along wooded property edges. That includes deer, mice, chipmunks, and birds which all tend to carry—and shake off—ticks as they travel.
If you’re looking for practical ways to control ticks, this video on the 6 C's of tick control will give you a good place to start. But if you’d like to bring in a professional,
Mosquito Squad of Middlesex New London can help. With tick control treatments, the problematic edge zones and transition areas can be targeted directly. A trained technician will walk your property and figure out where ticks are breeding and hiding. Then they’ll come up with a custom treatment plan and treat accordingly.
