How to protect your yard from disease-carrying pests
DEAR GARDEN COACH >> There’s been a lot in the news about ticks and Lyme disease. I live in Clayton on the edge of open space. We often find them on us after hiking. I am worried about them being in my yard. Is there a way to tick proof it? — Concerned Clayton resident
DEAR CLAYTON RESIDENT >> Since you live close to open space areas, you are likely to have deer, squirrels and birds in your yard that can be the carriers of ticks. There are a number of ticks found in the Bay Area, but only the Western black-legged tick (Ixodes pacificus) is capable of transmitting Lyme disease. The adult females are about 1/8 of an inch, and reddish-brown in color; the males are slightly smaller and are brownish-black in color.
For information about preventing ticks from taking up residence in your yard, check out The Bay Area Lyme Foundation’s article “Manage Your Property.” The article states ticks are most likely found within 9 feet of the edge of a lawn in areas that are moist and heavily planted.
Some ways to discourage ticks from making your yard their home include:
• Keep grass mowed
• Clear leaf litter and brush
• Consider fencing, and using deer resistant plants
• Prune trees and bushes to increase sunlight
• Move play sets away from woodland edges
• Restrict ground cover that’s close to family activities
• Try gravel pathways, decking, stone, etc., around the home
• Add wildflowers and herbal gardens, which ticks are not attracted to
Summer is not the only time people can encounter ticks. While the smaller nymph’s can transmit the disease during summer, late fall and winter are times when people are more likely to encounter adult ticks that potentially carry germs that cause illness, including Lyme disease. UC Santa Cruz professor Marm Kilpatrick’s research focuses on why incidents of tick-borne Lyme disease have tripled in the U.S. over the past 20 years.
For more information, visit the website of the Mosquito Vector Control agency nearest you in Alameda County, Santa Clara County, Contra Costa County or San Mateo County.
DEAR GARDEN COACH >> I put in an herb garden last fall and it is thriving! I have oregano, thyme, marjoram, Rosemary, and I just added basil. When do I harvest and what is the best way to dry the herbs? — Judy, Pleasant Hill
DEAR JUDY >> I usually begin harvesting my herbs in late May before flowering since it is when they have the
optimum amount of essential oils.
Your plants are young, but as they mature you should be able to harvest a couple of times during the summer. After harvesting, I give each plant a bit of compost and water it in.
Harvest your herbs in the late morning on a sunny day, after any moisture has evaporated and before the hot sun drives out the essential oils.
Drying herbs is quite easy, and because of our arid climate it does not take long. I hang mine from a rack, but you can easily dry them using a cardboard box lined with a tea towel, or a basket with an open weave.
Once dried, store in glass jars or brown bags away from direct sunlight. Do not crush the leaves until you are ready to cook with them since whole leaves contain the essential oils that are released when crushed. Patrice Hanlon’s Garden Coach column runs here on the second Sunday of each month. Send your questions to thegardencoachBANG@gmail.com. Find all of her columns at mercurynews.com/author/patrice-hanlon/