Get rid of Japanese Barberry on property

[philamom]

I mentioned this before, but, the invasive plant "Japanese Barberry" could increase your risk of contracting Lyme disease by 40%. Many homeowners plant this popular shrub around their house and property without knowing the risk involved. Perfect environment for ticks.

[socalmom]

wow, that's a HUGE increase. Thanks philamom. good info.

[LNN]

Thanks for this tip - we were just contemplating planting a few of these! You prompted my to google and I found this article:

http://today.uconn.edu/blog/2012/02/controlling-japanese-barberry-helps-stop-spread-of-tick-borne-diseases/

 

”When we measure the presence of ticks carrying the Lyme spirochete (Borrelia burgdorferi) we find 120 infected ticks where Barberry is not contained, 40 ticks per acre where Barberry is contained, and only 10 infected ticks where there is no Barberry.”

 

Deer are often considered to be the prime source in spreading Lyme disease because they act as hosts to adult ticks; however they are not the only culprit in the forest. Since mice love the Barberry’s habitat as much as the hungry little arachnids do, they are an efficient vector for distributing immature ticks, those in their nymph stage, over a wide area.

 

And, although the prevalence of B. burgdorferi infection in adult ticks is twice that found in nymphs, it is estimated that nymphs are responsible for 90 percent of human disease transmission. This is due to their abundance, and because they feed in the summer when people are most apt to be involved in outdoor activities."