WHO KNEW that Deer Ticks Just Love Japanese Barberry Plants?

Barberry, once popular in landscape plantings, is a non-native species that is now illegal to sell in New Hampshire. Birds and other animals spread its seeds far and wide; deer won't eat its prickly branches. Tolerating shade and lacking insect predators, barberry can form woodland thickets so dense as to have forced the relocation of a section of the Appalachian Trail in Connecticut.

Barberry has been shown to inhibit forest regeneration, cause soil nitrification, and harbor non-native worms. As if that weren't enough, researchers in Connecticut have discovered that it provides a haven for deer ticks--the vector of Lyme disease.

The growth habit of barberry, with protective foliage beginning close to the ground, preserves humidity, which deer ticks like, and shelters deer mice, from which immature ticks suck blood and ingest Lyme-disease bacteria.

On average, the habitat under barberry hosts 12 times the number of deer ticks than in the forest at large. The concentration is highest in dry weather. While juvenile ticks enjoy the shade and feast, adults may climb taller plants and hope to catch a ride on passing deer or people for a final blood meal.

To remove barberry and reduce deer tick density on your land, you can dig out smaller plants, being sure to get the root crown. On larger plants, you can cut back the plant to prevent flowering and seeds. But digging the dense root system is difficult, and you might need a mattock. Alternatively, you can cut the stalks and then treat the re-sprouts with a herbicide in the fall. Be sure to keep herbicides on your own land, away from any bodies of water. For photos and more information, visit: https://vtinvasives.org/invasive/barberry-japanese.