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Forest gardening and ticks

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posted 15 years ago

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Hi there,

I'm interested to create plant guilds underneath my apple and plum trees but where I live in Bavaria there is considerable risk of ticks (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ixodes_scapularis)

The way I understand it the practice of forest gardening ,might exacerbate the problem. Any ideas?

gary gregory

Posts: 395

Location: northern california, 50 miles inland from Mendocino, zone 7

posted 15 years ago

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Here's a short list I found. I think rosemary is another one.

Plants That Repel Ticks
Tick repellent plants have not been as well studied as plants that repel mosquitoes but among the plants believed to repel ticks are:

lavender
garlic
pennyroyal
pyrethrum (type of crysanthemum)
sage
American beautyberry
eucalyptus

Lots of deer there?

Gary

Jeremy Stocks

Posts: 42

posted 15 years ago

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God thanks Gary that was quick!

Yep Bayern is a pretty well populated region with deer.

gary gregory

Posts: 395

Location: northern california, 50 miles inland from Mendocino, zone 7

posted 15 years ago

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http://www.nj.com/cranford/index.ssf/2009/08/deer_ticks_and_lyme_disease_in.html

This article talks about the white - footed mouse being the vector for lyme disease in that part of the world.

Maybe you can find the vector in your area and deal with that. A couple of hungry cats comes to mind.

BTW, those plants I listed are not necessarily part of a fruit tree guild, I simply googled "tick repelling plants".

Gary

Joel Hollingsworth

pollinator

Posts: 2103

Location: Oakland, CA

posted 15 years ago

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Not that these should be introduced to Europe, but the fence lizard kills lyme disease parasites in my neck of the wood: the lizard blood seems to destroy the parasite in the ticks' guts.

I bet better diversity of habitat will mean more insectivores scurrying through the undergrowth, eating the ticks. I understand some people raise Guinea fowl as a predator. I understand chickens will prey on smaller tick-hosting animals with a little training, and probably eat ticks as well...plus they seem to be part of most forest garden plans for many other reasons.

"the qualities of these bacteria, like the heat of the sun, electricity, or the qualities of metals, are part of the storehouse of knowledge of all men. They are manifestations of the laws of nature, free to all men and reserved exclusively to none." SCOTUS, Funk Bros. Seed Co. v. Kale Inoculant Co.

Posts: 106

posted 15 years ago

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we found last year that all the baby chicks that were hatched on the place and that ran everywhere really did a number on the ticks. Of course once they get big they become destructive. as long as they are children they dart in and out and really can't scratch up much. (Momma hen runs franticly along the fence and those kids don't mind her).

Brenda Groth

pollinator

Posts: 4437

Location: North Central Michigan

posted 15 years ago

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well in our area the cats eat the mice..but they would also eat the chickens and hens that we might try to raise..esp my big boy cat, he is a monster.

however, you might also try attracting wild birds..i have lived in a high deer area for 39 years and have never had a tick on me..ever.

people complain about deer ticks..but i feed the deer and don't get ticks.

i do put flea and tick collars on my cats though, to protect them mostly from fleas..but maybe they are killing off the ticks too?

Brenda

Bloom where you are planted.
http://restfultrailsfoodforestgarden.blogspot.com/

Lina Viz

Posts: 1

posted 4 years ago

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Or more animals could mean morr ticks? Tick can feed on chicken probably

Anne Miller

steward

Posts: 17701

Location: USDA Zone 8a

4533

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posted 4 years ago

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Lina, Welcome to the forum.

Actually chickens are good to help get rid of ticks because they eat them.

This thread might be helpful:

https://permies.com/t/162254/Tick-Infestation

Invasive plants are Earth's way of insisting we notice her medicines. Stephen Herrod Buhner
Everyone learns what works by learning what doesn't work. Stephen Herrod Buhner

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