Waking at 2 a.m. with hives and dizziness after a steak dinner isn’t food
poisoning—it could be alpha-gal syndrome, a tick-triggered allergy that turns
red meat into a health hazard. Cases have climbed so fast that Virginia began
mandatory reporting on 1 July 2025. While labs race for a Lyme vaccine, no shot
exists for alpha-gal, leaving yard vigilance as your best defense.
Why Lone Star Ticks Love Your Shrubs
Lone star ticks thrive in shady, humid pockets where deer linger. Dense shrubs,
brush piles, and low branches trap moisture and provide hiding spots for the
rodents that carry larvae. Pruning to let midday sunlight dapple the ground
dries out those micro-habitats and makes your garden feel bigger.
Plant Smart, Repel Deer
Swap hostas and daylilies for rosemary, lavender, yarrow, switchgrass, or
catmint—ornamentals deer ignore. Fewer deer mean fewer adult ticks laying eggs
near patios where children play. For bonus protection, edge beds with
chrysanthemums; their natural pyrethrins repel both mosquitoes and ticks.
Timing Matters
A two-round calendar—permethrin tick tubes in April and August, cedar-oil
sprays after each May and September mowing—catches larvae and nymphs when
they’re most vulnerable without harming pollinators. Add weekly grass cuts and
nightly tick checks, and the odds of an alpha-gal surprise drop sharply.
Don’t wait for a sunrise ambulance ride. Learn how simple
yard upgrades interrupt the chain of events that starts with a bite.
Read the full article → https://medium.com/@mowcowva/tick-time-ticking-earlier-yard-strategies-to-dodge-rising-alpha-gal-lyme-cases-4d816715608e
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