The Hudson Valley Homeowner's Tick and Lyme Disease Guide
Hudson Valley is one of the highest Lyme-disease-risk regions in the country. Here's what to do about it.
Why the risk is so high here
Deer and white-footed mouse populations, plus the mix of woods, fields, and residential yards, make Hudson Valley one of the top Lyme regions in the country. Nymph deer ticks (poppy-seed size) cause the majority of human infections and are most active May–July.
The four-zone yard strategy
Zone 1 (lawn away from woods): low risk. Zone 2 (the 3-foot border between lawn and woods): highest risk, where seasonal treatment concentrates. Zone 3 (leaf litter in woods): high risk, treat where applicable. Zone 4 (mouse zones): treat with tick tubes.
Do tick tubes work?
Yes — but as a supplement, not a replacement for perimeter treatment. Tubes reduce the mouse-borne tick population; direct treatment reduces the immediate biting population.
When to start
April. Nymphs are already active by May.