It’s springtime on Long Island, which means the return of prescribed fire season. The New York Department of Environmental Conservation plans burns in four heavily wooded areas in Suffolk County alone. These burns are required by law and are not subject to Long Island’s seasonal burn ban.

Prescribed fires are a critical part of forest management… one that can help prevent uncontrolled fires from occurring. Longtime residents may remember devastating wildfires that occurred in the East End’s Pine Barrens – scorching thousands of acres, injuring firefighters, spurring evacuations, and damaging homes in the area.

Controlled burns also aid in pest management. How? By reducing the number of pathogen-carrying species like the forest-dwelling ticks that bedevil so much of Long Island’s East End.

What Is the Habitat Preference of Ticks?

Ticks are most abundant in wooded areas, particularly those with a mix of deciduous and coniferous trees. Their optimal environment is one that provides year-round ground and canopy cover, with plentiful and accessible wildlife on which to feed. Ticks are also found in areas where there is tall grass or brush, in woodpiles, leaf litter, and ground-level plant cover.

What Are Fire-Dependent Ecosystems?

A fire-dependent ecosystem is a localized community of organisms that maintains wildlife and plant diversity through occasional burning. Without these burns, dead vegetation, fallen leaves, and pine needles build up on the forest floor, and small trees and shrubs grow too thickly. This prevents seed germination of other plants that are necessary for a healthy ecological balance.

If the forest is not properly managed with prescribed burns, excessive fuel may build up which could result in a potentially catastrophic fire later on. A prescribed fire reduces wildfire risk, allows native plants to thrive, lessens competition among wildlife species, and reduces dangerous and destructive insect populations.

Does Fire Reduce Tick Populations?

Ticks are among the insect populations reduced by prescribed burns. These fires kill ticks directly, but they also make ecosystems less hospitable to them by eliminating shelter and food resources.

Controlled burns reduce the shade canopy, causing increased sunlight penetration, higher temperatures, and less humidity – all of which are inhospitable to ticks. Fire also reduces the number of available hosts (both wild and human) removing potential blood meal sources.

Protecting You From Tick Threats for More Than Two Decades

As long as human safety needs override those of fire-dependent ecosystems, prescribed burns will be limited to specific areas and conditions. This means tick populations will continue to expand into populated areas, making pest control crucial. East End Tick and Mosquito Control® is your Long Island tick expert, and we have been protecting residents from tick threats for over two decades. If you have ticks on or near your property, contact us online for a free removal and prevention estimate. You may also call us at (631) 324-9700 in East Hampton; (631) 287-9700 in Southampton, or (631) 765-9700 in Southold.