The Introduction of Tick-Resistant Gardening Practices Whilst Protecting the Environment

Abstract

Lyme disease is a vector-borne infectious disease from the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi (B. burgdorferi), which is typically transmitted by ticks. In recent years, Lyme disease has been on the rise in Canada, particularly in Eastern Ontario. As the incidence of Lyme infection is steadily increasing, there is an urgent need for an initiative to help quell the spread by reducing transmission from pathogen-carrying ticks to humans and non-human animals. The challenge lies in implementing an initiative that effectively prevents Lyme transmission without harming the human population, ticks and other non-human animals, or the environment. The proposed solution involves an information booth at a local community market and a gardening initiative that teaches residents the benefits of, as well as how to construct, a tick-repellant backyard in their Kingston, Ontario, neighbourhood, as this region has been identified as a hotspot for Lyme disease. By educating residents with respect to transmission reduction through personal protective strategies and promoting tick-resistant landscaping practices, the hope is that Kingston and the surrounding area will see a reduction in the incidence of Lyme disease.