Ticks! ...and Invasive Barberry

 We design and install edible landscapes, we are NOT edible landscapers...

...someone needs to inform the ticks and mosquitoes!

A recent article I read mentioned that some invasive species of plants can increase populations of ticks!  It turns out, the dense, thorny Japanese Barberry shrub is actually great habitat for ticks.

How an invasive plant is helping ticks survive

“Barberry thickets actually make a pretty good habitat, not just for ticks but for some of their host species,” said Susan Elias, a research associate at the Lyme and Vector-Borne Disease Laboratory at the Maine Medical Center Research Institute in Scarborough. “You’re creating a perfect storm, when you have these non-native species coming into the landscape.”

One of our last job sites had a TON of ticks (quite a few have this year), and we removed several barberry shrubs in addition to the retaining walls and prairie bed install.  I don't know that the ticks were living here with the abundance of other habitat nearby, but it will keep these bushes from reseeding (with help from birds) throughout their acreage and other natural spaces. 

Invasive Barberry, ouch!

Invasive species can cause lots of issues in our natural areas.  

More on Invasive Species

Before planting anything new, check to see if it is invasive (not to be confused with an aggressive native) and if you need assistance with invasive species removal we can help!

If you'd like to hear more about TICKS from a local perspective, check out The Prairie Farm Podcast — The Prairie Farm episode #158

Stay Safe and Get Outside!