A Fairfield-based company has developed a natural pesticide made from a fungus that could help control the tick population, according to the Connecticut Post.
The product, named Tick-Ex, is based on field trials performed by the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station and will be available to the public in 2014.
The strain of Metarhizium anisopliae fungus used in the product is deadly to the black-legged tick, but won't harm other insect like synthetic pesticides do. The fungus is found naturally in soil and after being tested on residential properties in northwestern Connecticut, 74 percent fewer ticks were found.
Researchers in Maine are encouraged by the news, particularly since it could be used as an alternative to pesticides, according to a report on the Main Public Broadcasting Network.
The Connecticut Post article reported that Connecticut has the highest number of Lyme disease cases in the U.S. and has been rising steadily due to the high deer population. "Local Voices" blogger , who is the executive director of Stamford-based Time for Lyme, warned readers last month that the .
For more information on Lyme disease:
- Lyme Disease Education Web page at the University of Connecticut website
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control Web page on Lyme Disease
