I was born and raised in California in the heart of Los Angeles, Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and the San Fernando Valley. While I loved to hike, oddly, I rarely encountered one of nature's most dreaded pests, the tick.
Cut to the Covid pandemic in 2021, when I found myself, like so many others, taking a midlife inventory of what the future might hold for me in LA. That’s when I decided it was time for a major life change, and I spontaneously moved to the Midwest to be closer to my daughter. I bought a new house in the Northland of Kansas City, Missouri, at the far end of a relatively newly developed area, in the middle of nature, surrounded by trees, lush hillsides, and open space.
There is a five-acre pasture behind my house where the deer are plentiful, especially in the spring with the arrival of their new babies. I can sit in any room of my house and witness the magic of nature. Some equate an afternoon on the deck to a Disney movie – complete with deer, foxes, turkeys, raccoons, turtles, squirrels, red cardinals, black snakes, and soaring hawks … oh yes, and unfortunately, there were lots of ticks in the yard.
Annoyingly, each gardening experience ended with multiple ticks all over my body. Being chemically sensitive, using toxic chemicals, pesticides, or herbicides was out of the question. So, the question remained: how would I enjoy my yard if every time I gardened, I was under siege? I was truly faced with a huge dilemma.
Having served on many environmental committees and as an investigative reporter, I knew there had to be a natural solution. In the past, I had always been able to efficiently manage mosquitoes, fleas, ants, spiders, stink bugs, roaches, and rodents. However, I also knew that ticks and chiggers were a whole different story. I contacted several of my peers, scientist colleagues, and other board members familiar with integrative pest management, yet still, no one had a solution. The so-called natural products I found online, home improvement stores, and nurseries still had toxic, cancer-causing ingredients in them, and I wasn’t willing to participate in that practice.
It took a month of dedicated research before I found Nature’s Good Guys, a family-owned business in Medford, Oregon. I was optimistically hopeful after an in-depth conversation with one of their customer service representatives and figured I had nothing to lose by trying their nematode recommendation.
The woman explained that beneficial nematodes were microscopic worms that parasitize insect larvae. They enter the larvae, or maturing tick (or pest’s) body, and release bacteria from their digestive tract, while feeding on them. The bacteria break down the tick's fat bodies and other tissues, ultimately causing its death. Since the nematode’s main focus is on the larvae, it ultimately breaks their life cycle rhythm.
Based on my infestation and yard size, I ordered two packets of 25 million HB SF blend. There was a bit of an application learning curve since I had never done anything like this before, but once I got the right hose attachment, it was fairly easy.
As a perfectionist, I was also concerned that I wasn’t doing it right. However, when I called Nature’s Good Guys again and expressed my concerns, they assured me that whatever clumsy way I applied them, it would be effective. I was relieved.
I applied a second batch two weeks later to give the situation the best shot at efficiency. I also used cedar mulch chips as a deterrent along the fence line to the back pasture. To my surprise, the tick population decreased tremendously over the first four weeks, and by week six, they were all gone. Another benefit of using nematodes is that they multiply and spread onto other properties where they can continue their important work (that is, if they survive the pesticides in those other yards).
I have to admit, there was a part of me that didn’t believe they were truly gone, so I continued to dress for a tick battle every morning for another month. Thankfully, I haven't seen another tick in the yard since.
I even wondered if maybe they had simply run their spring/summer life cycle. But after speaking with neighbors (who have a professional monthly pesticide service), I learned they were still encountering them. Needless to say, I was thrilled and eventually stopped covering up to fully enjoy the art of earth and human-friendly tick-free gardening.While I haven’t seen any ticks yet this year … granted, it’s only April … I decided to be proactive and apply one batch of the Triple Blend Nematodes this past week. I’ll keep you posted as to what happens this year. For other natural pest-free tips, please feel free to email me through my website. Thank you for contributing to a safe and healthy eco system and planet. Here’s to a pest-free spring/summer experience naturally. (Silly short video of me in action: www.youtube.com/short/nr4wZx6tBF4 )
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