DEER TICKS | The most dangerous tick to animals and humans is the deer tick, which carries a few diseases including Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, and babesiosis. While the severity of tick-borne illnesses varies, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported a steady increase in Lyme disease cases in the U.S. (KPixMining/Shutterstock)

This year, I get the award for the first tick of the year. Fortunately, it was still crawling when I felt it. Having been diagnosed with Lyme disease three times, I am particularly aware of the importance of tick bite prevention. I know that all creatures fill some niche in the natural world, but I still don’t like them. Anyway, as we increase our time outside, it is a good time to remind gardeners about ticks.

If you aren’t familiar with them, ticks are parasites, living off the blood of mammals and birds but also occasionally found on reptiles and amphibians. They are part of the arachnid family and specifically the mites.

Small, with eight legs, their appearance is different throughout their lives. Ticks attach to a host (who or whatever they feed on) and feed on blood; dropping off when they are full. Gross as that is, unfortunately, ticks frequently carry and transmit diseases to their host.

In Pennsylvania, there are several species of ticks, but the three most common ones are deer ticks (black-legged), lone star ticks, and American dog ticks.

According to Penn State Extension publication, Ticks and Tick-Borne Disease (extension.psu.edu/ticks-and-tickborne-disease)

Black-legged ticks: Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, bantonella and Powassan virus.

American dog ticks: Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tularemia and Powassan virus.

Lone star ticks: Ehrlichiosis, tularemia, tick0associated meat allergy and souther-tick-associated rash illness.

As with most things, we cannot eliminate ticks, but we can do some things to avoid contact with them. These suggestions are from the article cited above and Center for Disease Control (CDC) article on ticks (cdc.gov/ticks/avoid/on_people.html)

It is a helpful list but most of us can’t give three feet to a wood chip barrier and another nine feet of lawn surrounding the areas we use. However, pick and choose those methods that may suit your garden.

Watch the bite area and if you develop a rash and/or fever within a few weeks of the bite, consult your doctor. Tell them when you were bitten.

Last week Fran and neighbor Jack went out for tomatoes. They bought plenty but neglected to get the only one I asked for, a plum/paste tomato. So, Fran and I made another trip to the nursery and got two Amish paste plants, one red and one orange. I also picked up a few herbs and a bronze fennel for the Black swallowtail caterpillars. I also ordered a few end-of-season plants that I just couldn’t resist, in particular, an oak leaf hydrangea.

Sue Kittek is a freelance garden columnist, writer, and lecturer. Send questions to Garden Keeper at grdnkpr@gmail.com or mail: Garden Keeper, The Morning Call, PO Box 1260, Allentown, PA 18105.

Planting: Start sequential sowing of crops like beans, radishes, lettuce, and spinach to create a longer harvest season. Set out tomatoes when the weather warms to at least 50°F at night. Wait a few weeks before setting out basil, eggplant or pepper transplants. Start seed for baby’s breath, cosmos, zinnias, salsify, eggplant, summer squash and winter squash. Direct sow snap, bush and pole beans, cantaloupe, melons, cucumbers, rhubarb, summer and winter squash. Continue sowing celeric, celery, cabbage, carrots, collards, bunching onions, onion sets, parsnips, and Swiss chard. Plant or pot up summer bulbs and tubers such as dahlias, cannas, calla lilies, and caladiums. Plant bare-root trees and shrubs. Make sure the soil is dry enough to work. Don’t dig or plant in mud. Buy annuals for containers, annual garden beds and to fill in bare spots in perennial or shrub beds. Follow your schedule for starting seeds. Check packets for instructions such as start indoors four weeks before last frost date.

Seasonal: As the weather warms, ease out your plants that wintered over inside. Start with an hour or so on a warm day and increase outdoor time until the nights are regularly in the 50°F range before leaving them out for the season. Visit nurseries as they open for inspiration as well as new plants. Shop for summer bulbs as well. Apply a top dressing of compost to lawns and beds. Test soil for new beds, Retest soil in poorly performing areas or those that haven’t been tested in the last 3-5 years. Cut back ornamental grasses. Divide when you see new green growth. Divide hostas and daylilies. Prune and divide perennials that bloom in late summer or fall. Prune back and clear out dead, diseased or unattractive stems from perennials and shrubs, but not those that flower in the spring. Please check proper pruning information for each plant and prune as needed and recommended. Apply spring and summer mulch, two to three inches deep and placed a few inches away from foundations, tree trunks and other plants. Fluff mulch and add more if necessary. Apply corn gluten-based weed control in the garden and establish a schedule for reapplication, usually at four to six-week intervals

Lawn: By mid-May, dethatch, seed or overseed lawns. Apply broadleaf weed control and complete sod projects. By mid-June, apply spring fertilizer treatments. Apply preemergent crabgrass control in the next few weeks. Fill in holes and low spots in lawn.

Chores: Water any recent plantings anytime the ground isn’t frozen and we experience a week with less than an inch of rain. Fix damaged screens and garden hoses. Note damaged caulking around doors and windows. Dump standing water and remove anything that may collect rainwater to help control mosquito populations. Provide deer, rabbit and groundhog protection for vulnerable plants. Reapply taste or scent deterrents. Clean and fill bird feeders regularly. Clean up spilled seed and empty hulls. Dump, scrub and refill birdbaths at least once a week. Consider setting out nesting materials if you have them.

Clear gutters and direct rainwater runoff away from house foundations.

Tools, equipment, and supplies: Store winter equipment and replace or repair as needed.

Check spring/summer equipment — repair or replace damaged or worn out tools. Check power tools and mowers and send for service if needed.

Safety: Clear lawns of debris before mowing and make sure pets, children and others are well away from the area being mown.

Store garden chemicals indoors away from pets and children. Discard outdated ones at local chemical collection events. Photograph storm damage before clearing or repairing for insurance claims and file promptly. Anytime you are outside and the temperatures are about 50°F or warmer watch for tick bites. Use an insect repellent containing Deet on the skin. Apply a permethrin product to clothing. Wear light-colored clothing, long sleeves, hats and long pants when working in the garden. Stay hydrated. Drink water or other non-caffeinated, nonalcoholic beverages. Even in cold weather, apply sunscreen, wear hats and limit exposure to sun. Wear closed-toe shoes and gloves; use eye protection; and use ear protection when using any loud power tools.