San Mateo County: Results of the Evaluation of Trailside Mowing as a Tick Control Method

Entomology Report January 2007, San Mateo County Mosquito Abatement District

This four-week study concluded that the mowing of grass on the sides of public recreation trails in San Mateo County was not an effective control method for Dermacentor ticks. In fact, although the sample size was relatively small, the density of Dermacentor variabilis ticks was found to have increased slightly on sites after they had been mowed. The density of Dermacentor occidentalis was not shown to have any significant relationship to mowing. While they do not transmit Lyme Disease, Dermacentor ticks remain a public health concern, as they are known to vector both Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Tularemia, and are very common ticks in San Mateo County.

Previous related entries:

San Mateo County: Effects of Mowing on Summer Tick Populations, June 2006

San Mateo County: Results of the Efficacy of Suspend on Density of Ticks Along a Recreational Trail, January 2007
San Mateo County: Trial Application of Suspend for Control of Ticks, May 2006
San Mateo County: Trial Application of Suspend for Control of Ticks, April 2006