Pasture Burning and Tick Control

Smoke fills the air this week, as many producers across Greenwood County have begun the annual spring burning of our native pasture. Burning pastures in the Flint Hills can significantly reduce tick populations with burning early in the spring while ticks are still overwintering being the most effective (Salazar et al., 2024). The impact of burning is immediate, with reduced tick numbers lasting the growing season after the burn.

Female ticks lay thousands of eggs and tick populations can rebound very quickly if burning isn’t maintained. When burning, pay special attention to thickets and areas of dense plant growth. Eastern Red Cedars are a tick hot spot (Noden et al., 2021).