›› The Lyme Disease Prevention Project
An Initiative by the Connecticut Association of Golf Course Superintendents
L
yme disease is a serious illness that was first diagnosed in Old Lyme, CT in
1975. While often associated with the southern New England Region, the
disease has been reported in 49 states, and internationally across North America, Europe, and Asia.
Symptoms of the disease include fatigue, fever, joint and muscle pain, and headache. Initial signs of
infection may include a characteristic bullseye rash, but this is not always evident making early detection
difficult. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that there are over 300,000 new Lyme disease
infections in the United States each year, more than breast cancer, colon cancer, HIV, and hepatitis. The
disease is caused by a bacterium transmitted by black legged ticks (commonly called deer ticks), which
are found in woodland and grassland areas. In addition to Lyme disease, black legged ticks also transmit,
human babesiosis, human anaplasmosis, and more recently the Powassan virus. The Powassan virus
infection can occur in less than fifteen minutes, and there is currently no treatment available. Symptoms
include dizziness, nausea, vomiting, confusion, and potential long-term damage to the central nervous
system.
Life Cycle of Black Legged Ticks
There are four stages to the tick life cycle; eggs, larvae, nymphs, and adults. The larvae, nymphs, and
adults all feed on blood from mammals during each stage of development.
Ticks cannot jump or fly, and therefore must wait for a host to pass close enough to grab on with their
front legs. The tick often climbs up a blade of grass, and extends its legs as a potential host approaches.
Once the tick finds a host and finds a suitable place to feed, it feeds slowly, typically taking a few days to
complete a meal.
Detection and Prevention
Black legged ticks are smaller than American Dog Ticks making them more difficult to detect. Females
are slightly larger than the deep brown male, which is approximately the size of the head of a pin. Once
engorged, the females of both species are similar in size, and therefore are difficult to tell apart.
There are three common strategies to reduce the risk of exposure to ticks; protect your property, protect
your pets, and protect your person. Of these three recommendations, protecting your body is the most
practical strategy for avoiding exposure on golf courses.
Although golf courses are often criticized and targeted for their use of pest control products, the perception
that they apply broad spectrum toxic chemicals could not be further from the truth. Golf courses provide
numerous benefits to the local ecosystem including habitat for native birds, animals, and pollinators, large
areas of groundwater recharge in highly developed areas, and effective filtration of precipitation and
runoff from impervious surfaces.
Golf course superintendents pride themselves on being stewards of the environment, and develop effective
programs to reduce their reliance on irrigation, fertilizer, and pesticides. One strategy to achieve this is
converting highly managed turf areas to naturalized meadows that are characterized by native grasses
and plants that receive reduced maintenance. These areas, especially near the margins of woodlands,
represent the highest probability of encounters with ticks. Treating large areas of turf with insecticides
to control ticks would eliminate beneficial non-target insects, which conflicts with the original purpose
of establishing the naturalized areas. These applications are only effective at controlling ticks for a few
weeks, and repeat applications consume valuable labor and financial resources that could be used for
other areas on the golf course.
44 | CSGA Links // July, 2017
www.csgalinks.org