Just Say No to Pesticides and Lawn Chemicals

To spray or not to spray?  That is the question that many Westchester County residents may be asking themselves at this time of the year.  During the spring and summer months, area residents often use a host of chemicals to combat weeds, insects and other pests (herbicides, pesticides and insecticides).  However, in this environmentally savvy and health conscious era, growing numbers of us have begun to reconsider their use, weighing the long-term health effects of these chemicals against their short term benefits.

Although concern about pesticide use has been growing, the advent of Lyme disease and ehrlichiosis in our region has scared many homeowners into using multiple applications of pesticides to reduce tick populations.  Although there is only limited scientific data to support the use of pesticides to control tickborne diseases, fear of contracting these illnesses has provided lawn care companies with a new market niche. 

Most health experts agree that spraying your property for ticks is not the best alternative, since lawn chemicals and pesticides applied to residential lawns and gardens can ultimately find their way into our bodies.  Residents in areas that use well water are particularly vulnerable to chemicals applied to their lawns and gardens, as well as sprays applied to their own property and that of their neighbors.

 Widely used pesticides and fertilizers play a role in killing fish and aquatic life, either directly or through the promotion of algae blooms which suffocate water bodies like the Long Island Sound.  Of even greater concern is recent data which suggests that some common pesticides may be endocrine disrupters that have the potential to disturb normal hormone activity and possibly threaten the health of children and future generations. 

Instead of applying chemicals to your property, health professionals recommend using safe, non-toxic methods to protect against tickborne diseases.  These methods include landscape management techniques such as keeping your grass cut short, removing leaf litter and debris which can act as a moist environment in which ticks can thrive, and protecting your lawn area by creating a three foot barrier of wood chips between the lawn and areas with bushy vegetation. 

There are also personal protective measures that you can take to help minimize your risk of being bitten by ticks.  They include:  

• Covering up when outdoors in wooded or grassy areas.  Ticks cannot bite through clothing, so create a "wall of clothes" by tucking your shirt into your pants and tucking your pants into your socks.

• Wearing lightly colored, tightly woven clothing.  The light color will enable you to see any ticks that may be on your clothing.  The tight weave will make it more difficult for ticks to latch onto you.

• Doing tick checks each and every time you and your family return home from enjoying outdoor activities such as gardening, hiking and picnicking.  Inspect your entire body (adults should do the checking for children) and remove any ticks found promptly.

 For more information about lawn chemicals and tickborne diseases, call the Westchester County Department of Health at (914) 813-5000. 

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