Microstegium (bamboo grass) – Fewer Ticks
Q: Entomologist William L. Nicholson, Ph.D. writes
“It seems that there is finally a good use for the terrible weed that I’ve known as “bamboo grass”, Microstegium vimineum.
“A recent study published in the Journal of Medical Entomology showed that the grass can reduce tick habitat when it invades an area. It dramatically increased tick mortality for both the American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis) and the lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum). The study investigators predict that areas invaded by this weed will have less ticks and therefore reduced risk for disease transmission. “
A: Nature never ceases to amaze me!
However, my friend Shannon Pable says
“At the property where I teach outdoor skills in TN, it’s loaded with both ticks and microstegium. I see both the little ‘seed ticks’ and the larger dog ticks.
“I swore I’d never use deet
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