Do Acorns Affect Lyme Disease?

Before I get into acorns and Lyme disease, I want to rewind to the fall of 2010 and the war that occurred in my yard. My husband and I have several large oak trees on our property that always brings us hours of raking; however, in 2010 something very different happened. Acorns happened. It was like a war zone. They’d fall on your head when you were walking out to your car. They would fall on the house all the time scaring the dog (he’s a baby). And then we had to rake them up on top of all the leaves (and pull them out of the ground in the case of when they’ve already begun to root).

My husband and I discussed multiple times how bad the acorns were that year. Now news is coming out that yes, 2010 was a big year for acorns and that it played a role in the increase of Lyme disease. According to ARAcontent

“oak trees produced an extremely high number of acorns in 2010, which led to an increase in the white-footed mouse population in 2011. In turn, the deer tick (or black-legged tick), had ample supply of its preferred food source. As a result, you may spot more of the most common tick in the mid-Atlantic.” Source.

In an earlier post this year, we talked about how ticks seem to be more abundant this year as compared to years past. Lyme disease numbers are reported to be growing as well. Lyme disease is easily recognized by the large bulls eye rash that sometimes appears after infection, but a rash is not always present. Other symptoms include fatigue, achy joints and headaches. It’s important to tell your doctor if you have recently been bitten by a tick and are experiencing these symptoms as they are often confused for other illnesses.

The use of proper tick control can cut down on the number of ticks in a specific area. At Mosquito Squad, in addition to our mosquito control barrier treatment that kills adult ticks on contact, we use tick tubes to reduce their population. The tick tubes are filled with treated cotton that mice take back to their nests. Mice are the first blood meal for many ticks, so when the mouse is covered with the tick toxicant it kills the tick when it bites.

If you are interested in learning more about protecting your yard against ticks, please contact your local Mosquito Squad.