Ticks, Lyme Disease and the Case Against Yard Spraying

Does spraying your yard for ticks actually protect you from Lyme disease? The answer may surprise you.

Ticks and tick-borne diseases are a serious concern on the East End. But Joshua Ginsberg, president of the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, says decades of research suggest that routinely spraying our yards may not be the solution we think it is.

In this episode of ChangeHampton Presents, Francesca Rheannon talks with Ginsberg about what scientists have learned from 35 years of studying the complicated relationships among ticks, white-footed mice, deer, forests, biodiversity, and human health.

A major five-year study found that treatments could dramatically reduce tick populations, in some cases by as much as 90 percent, without significantly reducing Lyme disease in humans. One reason is simple: people don’t stay in their yards. We hike, visit friends, go to the beach and spend time in other places where ticks are present.

Even more concerning, Ginsberg says, spraying can create a false sense of security. People may become less vigilant about the measures that really matter, including protective clothing, repellents, showers and careful tick checks.

And spraying has consequences beyond ticks. Insecticides can harm non-target insects and other organisms that are essential to healthy food webs.

The conversation moves from individual protection to the larger ecology of tick-borne disease. Ginsberg explains why white-footed mice are especially important hosts for Lyme disease, why the role of deer is more complicated than many people assume, and why reducing excessive deer populations can nevertheless be critical to restoring healthy forests.

Most important for ChangeHampton’s mission is the connection between biodiversity and human health. More diverse ecosystems give ticks a greater range of potential hosts, reducing the likelihood that humans become their next meal. Protecting connected natural habitat and restoring native plants and wildlife can therefore be part of a broader strategy for healthier communities.

Ginsberg’s prescription for the East End starts not with more pesticides, but with education, personal protection, healthier landscapes, greater biodiversity and targeted interventions based on science.

In this episode:

• Why killing ticks doesn’t necessarily prevent Lyme disease
• How yard spraying can create a false sense of security
• The most effective ways to protect yourself from tick bites
• What pesticides can do to pollinators and other non-target species
• Why mice are such important hosts for Lyme disease
• The complicated role of deer in tick ecology
• How high deer populations damage forests and biodiversity
• The “dilution effect” and the connection between biodiversity and disease
• Why reducing deer populations may be necessary for forest recovery
• New approaches scientists are exploring, including vaccines and genetic technologies
• What an effective East End tick-management strategy could look like

Guest: Joshua Ginsberg, President, Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies

This interview followed TickNology, a program presented by Perfect Earth Project featuring Joshua Ginsberg and Moses Cucura, entomologist and superintendent for the Suffolk County Department of Public Works Division of Vector Control, moderated by Perfect Earth Project founder and landscape designer Edwina von Gal.

Summary
Gas-powered leaf blowers have become a flashpoint in communities across Long Island, raising concerns about noise, air pollution, climate impacts, and public health. But what happens when homeowners, landscapers, equipment manufacturers, and environmental advocates come together to explore alternatives?

In this episode of ChangeHampton Presents, Francesca Rheannon takes listeners inside the Electric Leaf Blower Showcase held in East Hampton. The event brought together leaders in the transition to cleaner landscaping, from public health advocates and local officials to professional landscapers and manufacturers of battery-powered equipment.

Guests discuss the health impacts of gas-powered leaf blowers, the growing movement to restrict or ban their use, and the practical realities of switching to electric equipment. Landscapers who have already made the transition share their experiences with battery life, maintenance costs, reliability, and customer expectations. Equipment manufacturers demonstrate how rapidly battery technology is advancing, while innovators introduce autonomous robotic mowers that could reshape the future of landscape management.

The conversation reveals that the shift to electric landscaping is about more than replacing one tool with another. It’s about creating quieter neighborhoods, healthier workers, cleaner air, and more sustainable landscapes for the East End and beyond.

Key Topics

• Health impacts of gas-powered leaf blowers
• Noise pollution and community quality of life
• Air pollution and climate emissions
• Local efforts to ban or restrict gas leaf blowers
• Landscaper experiences transitioning to electric equipment
• Battery life, performance, and reliability
• Cost comparisons between gas and electric tools
• Advances in battery-powered landscaping technology
• Robotic lawn mowers and the future of landscaping
• Ecological landscape management and soil health
• State incentives for electric landscaping equipment