Nuisance and medically important ticks can be abundant in a variety of forested landscapes, including recreational parks. Strategies to reduce the abundance of host-seeking ticks in high-use areas within parks are limited. Mowing vegetation is a recommended method to control ticks, but few studies have evaluated the efficacy of this practice. The goal of this study was to determine if a single mowing event could reduce the abundance of host-seeking ticks on recreational trails. Ticks were collected by dragging trails at three recreational parks in northern Minnesota during June and July, 2021. A pre-intervention sample was taken followed by six consecutive weeks of tick sampling. We encountered a total of 3,456 ticks (2,459 Ixodes scapularis Say and 997 Dermacentor variabilis L.) during the 7-week study period. There were no significant differences in the abundance of I. scapularis (adults) or D. variabilis (adults only) between control and mown trail sections. Mowing was a significant predictor of nymphal I. scapularis abundance but trended towards more ticks in mown sections compared to controls. These results suggest that a single mowing intervention during early June is likely to be ineffective as a strategy to reduce the risk of human contacts with ticks on trails.
Keywords: blacklegged tick; mowing; recreational park; tick control; tick management.
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