Yard surveys for tick activity and risks

Our yards provide a comfortable home for ticks that can transmit pathogens to us, our families, and pets. But with a little information about the specific habitats in our yards, we can manage those risks and continue to enjoy the outdoors.

With a short visit to your property, our researchers can report on current tick activities in your yard and identify yard elements that might be inviting ticks and their hosts

Our yard survey has two main components:

  • Collection and identification of host-seeking ticks (if active during the survey visit) using standard flagging/dragging techniques used in tick ecology studies.

  • Visual inspection of landscape and structural features that provide habitat for ticks and the small animals that feed (and infect!) those ticks.

We compile and email our findings within one week of our visit. The report summarizes tick activity and inventories common tick hazards that encourage local tick populations.

Why are ticks in my yard?

Although we often associate tick bites with “capital O Outdoorsy” activities, a surprising number of bites happen just outside our door. Any location with grass and other plants has the basics in place to support tick life. When you add deciduous trees that donate their leaves to ground cover, a nice rock wall with nooks and crevices for mice and chipmunks, and the occasional walk-through by a doe and fawn, you have a great mix of habitat, hosts, and delivery systems for ticks.

Many of the aesthetic choices and sustainable decisions we make are not only great for the environment at large and our enjoyment of it, but also benefit ticks and the network of plants and creatures that support them. It’s easy to think about how reducing insecticide use around our flower gardens might make a safer space for ticks, but we might not have ticks on our radar when we try to help out our local migratory birds. A bird feeder can give us our morning zen moment as we breakfast with finches and cardinals outside our window, but it isn’t a simple seeds-for-plumage exchange. Ticks can be carried into your yard by birds, and the seed that falls to the ground keeps mice and other rodents happy. In turn, those rodents (unwittingly) feed—and infect—ticks in the area. Rodent feeding is an essential part of the life cycle of most ticks, especially high-risk species like the Black-legged or “deer” tick.

What does a tick yard survey entail?

In a yard survey, our researchers will visit your property and identify the most common tick risks present through visual inspection of outdoor areas only.

Our standard survey approach is designed for a lot that is 1/4 to 1/2 acre in size. Larger lots are no problem, as we will still work to target the highest-risk areas. We will conduct two or more 60-foot by 3-foot “drags” of the property to collect ticks that are actively questing for a host. Any ticks collected are identified, removed from the property, and are tabulated in your report.

Surveys typically take less than an hour, and there is no need for the homeowner to be present. Researchers are available for follow-up questions once your report is complete.

If you have an especially large yard or are interested in surveying unimproved woods or meadows, that’s no problem! Just email us at Support@tickreport.com with your address and any notes or photos you’d like to include and we’re happy to make custom recommendations.

What do I do with the information from my yard survey?

When you receive your report, feel free to ask follow-up questions. There is no such thing as a “good” yard vs. a “bad” yard, and most hazards are really tradeoffs in choices we’ve made for decoration, hobbies, or play. Eliminating all hazards would be a huge amount of work, and you might end up with a pretty sterile yard!

Your survey report is a way to draw your attention to potential hazards in your yard and help you think about how and when you interact with those hazards.

Managing risk can be a combination of manipulating the physical environment and just shifting our awareness of where we walk, play, and rest. Addressing those hazards may not necessarily mean removing them. If you are an avid birder, you can keep the birdfeeder where it is, but maybe you would keep the grass underneath extra short so rodents have less cover as they forage. If your house has young children, moving play equipment away from brush and carefully raking leaves can help keep ticks at a distance.

The value of surveillance

  • No chemicals

    Our team focuses on research, pathogen surveillance, and education. We don’t apply or sell pesticides, and we don’t typically encourage their use on a large scale. A yard survey leaves nothing but footprints and peace of mind.

  • Start with knowledge

    Reducing tick risk starts with understanding what makes a good home for ticks and the animals that feed or carry them. Tick and host habitat can seem straightforward, but sometimes we have trouble spotting those risks in outdoor spaces we see and walk through every day. Getting a fresh set of tick-calibrated eyes on your property can help highlight the small fixes that will produce the biggest change in tick risk.

  • Target peak activity seasons

    Ticks search for a host when a specific set of conditions (temperature, humidity, length of day, etc.) are met. With passive surveillance data from TickReport.com testing, our researchers can pinpoint

Fall 2023 survey pricing

We are currently scheduling yard surveys for October and November of 2023. During these cooler fall months, adult deer ticks emerge and are extremely active for the first time since early June. We sometimes find adult Dermacentor ticks (American dog ticks) as well, though their activity tapers off with the end of summer.

Standard pricing for Fall 2023 yard surveys in Amherst, MA and neighboring towns is $125.00. Custom surveillance projects can always be arranged for any residential or commercial property.

Reserve your spot!

We are currently scheduling yard surveys for October and November of 2023 while adult deer ticks are especially active. Submit your request and our staff will contact you to arrange payment and scheduling. If you have any questions about yard surveys before you reserve your spot, please reach out at Support@TickReport.com.

FAQs

Do I have to be present for the yard survey?

No, there is no need to be present. We form a list of properties to visit and may adjust our itinerary from day to day based on weather or other conditions. If you would like to schedule a visit during a time you know someone will be home, that can be arranged on request.

What is tick “flagging” or “dragging?”

Flagging or dragging is the most common collection method used in tick ecology research. We brush a 3 foot by 3 foot cloth (typically white flannel or canvas) across grass, shrubs, or leaves to take advantage of ticks’ natural questing behavior of grabbing on to a “host” as it passes by. At regular intervals the cloth is inspected for any new passengers and researchers remove those ticks with forceps to transfer them to a collection vial. This method only picks up ticks that are actively seeking a host to bite.

What happens to the ticks you collect on my property?

Any ticks we pick up on your property are identified, catalogued for your report, and transported back to our lab for safe disposal or further research. We preserve the ticks from your property for a minimum of 30 days, and pathogen testing is available if you would like more information about your specific risks.

Can I request that specific areas of my yard be flagged?

Certainly! By default, our researchers will try to spot the areas that we think are most likely to cause tick encounters. These areas have a good balance of tick/host habitat and signs of human activity (patio furniture, children’s playsets, sheds, etc.).

Can I request multiple surveys to track tick activity from week to week?

No problem! Contact us at Support@TickReport.com or use the reservation form and request a special estimate.