We all know that you have to watch out for ticks. Checking the armpits, back of the knees and even the buttocks after a walk in the woods is already a standard routine for many people. But figures fromSignradar.nl show that we are often taken for a ride in our own garden. One in three tick bites just happen to people in the garden. Many of these cases happen while gardening. So be very careful if you work as a gardener. “A colleague has died of Lyme.”
According to Tick Radar, most tick bites are reported in the garden in Alphen-Chaam and Baarle-Nassau. “I sometimes get three in a day,” says Jan Willemse, owner of the company ‘Willemse horteniers.’ He mainly works in the area around Alphen, Baarle-Nassau, Tilburg and Breda.
Lyme disease
Willemse knows all too well that ticks are not only extremely annoying, but can also bring along the dangerous Lyme disease. “I had a colleague gardener, he was bitten by a tick. He got Lyme disease and died from it. He was 50 years old.” That is why Willemse now always warns his employees to watch out for ticks.
You have to be extra alert, especially with oak trees, long grass and red thistle flowers, according to Willemse. “If we have to prune there, you are always sure of ticks. I sometimes get three of them in a day. The ticks then fall into your shirt. You then have them on your stomach, the side of your back or at your arms. We often wear short sleeves, so they sometimes sit on your arms.”
“I have at least five tick bites every year,” says Willemse. Other than wearing long clothes, there’s not much you can do to stop them, according to the horticulturist. “We used to use remedies to lubricate. But that didn’t help. Wash your hands once and it was off again.”
Incidentally, not all gardeners have to deal with ticks that often. Gardener Martijn Rekkers has a different experience. “The last time was eight years ago. That evening I was sitting on the couch and felt some tingling, that was also a tick,” he recalls. “That was my only experience with ticks.”
Willemse mainly works in castle gardens. They are generally located near forests, where ticks are more common. Both gardeners mention that ticks are less common in residential gardens. But ticks in the garden, how do those bloodsucking critters survive there?
Trimmed grass
“They live on mammals such as mice, birds, dogs and cats. They simply hide in low vegetation, about 60 centimeters high,” explains forester Frans Kapteijns. Nevertheless, according to Kapteijns, it is not wise to millimeter your lawn. “Animals that eat ticks like birds can see them better if you let the grass grow.”
Although Willemse mainly warned about oak trees, tall grass and red thistle bushes, ticks can occur in all vegetation. It is therefore always a good idea to check for ticks. “Outside the armpits, back of the knees, arms and legs, don’t forget around your belt too!”, Kapteijns gives as a tip.