SERINO BILL TO SAFEGUARD HOMES AGAINST TICKS CLEARS SENATE

ALBANY, NY—Senator Sue Serino (R, C, I—Hyde Park) today announced that her bill to help safeguard homes against ticks and the diseases associated with them passed in the Senate.

“In order to adequately defend their homes and yards against ticks, homeowners need information they can trust,” said Senator Sue Serino who Chairs the Senate’s Taskforce on Lyme and Tick-Borne Diseases (TBDs). “This bill is about ensuring homeowners have information that they can rely on to treat their properties for ticks, the goal ultimately being to rid communities of the ticks that contribute to the tick-borne infections that have devastated so many families in our community.”
 
Because ticks are unable to fly, they have an affinity for shady, moist areas close to the ground. Bushes, shrubs, gardens, playsets and the like are often a safe haven for ticks making those who work or play in their lawns especially vulnerable to contracting Lyme and TBDs. Integrated pest management—because it targets the source—has the potential to help significantly reduce the spread of Lyme and TBDs.
 
After hearing reports of companies scamming residents into thinking they are protecting their lawns from ticks, Senator Serino recognized a need for a reliable source of information for homeowners to turn to when looking for answers.
 
Senator Serino’s bill (S. 5802a) would require the Department of Environmental Conservation to develop guidelines for best practices in treating residential properties to reduce exposure to ticks, helping to make homeowners aware of the registered Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) approved pesticides that are recommended for tick prevention, as well as methods they can incorporate to better protect both their families and their pets from exposure to ticks on their property.
 
“Like I always say, information is power when it comes to combating Lyme and TBDs and helping homeowners take a significant step in reducing the number of ticks in their yard is critical to combating their spread,” Serino concluded.

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