Mississippi’s Got Lots of Ticks!
If you enjoy spending time outdoors, working in your garden, hiking, or simply enjoying the beauty of
Mississippi, chances are you have encountered a tick—or two. But how much do we really know
about these tiny creatures?
The Lafayette County Master Gardeners will explore that question during their Fall Lecture on
Saturday, October 3, from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. at the Lafayette County Extension Office, 70 F.D.
Buddy East Parkway, Oxford, MS.
The featured speaker will be Timothy Menzel, Ph.D., Instructional Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Mississippi. His presentation, appropriately titled “Mississippi’s Got Lots of Ticks!”, will take a closer look at one of the state’s most familiar, and sometimes unwelcome, outdoor companions. Dr. Menzel will discuss what ticks are, what they do, and how they live, including the fascinating life history of these small but important members of the ecosystem. He will also introduce participants to the different kinds of ticks found in Mississippi and explain the diseases that ticks can transmit. Perhaps most importantly for gardeners and other outdoor enthusiasts, Dr. Menzel will offer practical information about living with ticks and ways we can better understand and manage our encounters with them.
Dr. Menzel earned his Ph.D. in Agricultural Life Sciences, with an emphasis in Entomology, from
Mississippi State University in 2006. He then spent two years as a research scientist at the University
of Mississippi studying insect behavior before moving to Georgia, where he spent 15 years as a
professor of Biology at Piedmont College (now Piedmont University). In 2023, Dr. Menzel returned to
Mississippi and joined the University of Mississippi faculty. He currently teaches general biology,
spatial ecology, and entomology while conducting research in spatial ecology and entomology.
A nd in a bit of fun that proves even entomologists must make choices, Dr. Menzel is a fan of both Mississippi State and Ole Miss- “which is only a problem for me once a year,” he says. The Lafayette County Master Gardeners invite gardeners, nature lovers, outdoor enthusiasts, and anyone curious about the ticks we encounter in Mississippi to attend this informative and timely program.
Registration and refreshments begin at 9:30 am. The program is FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. If you have any questions, contact the Lafayette County Master Gardeners at lcmga38@gmail.com.
With recent concerns about water in Oxford, there are steps every homeowner can take to improve
water availability and quality. This information is taken from the Mississippi State Extension
Publication P3146, Water Conservation in Your Landscape.
Here are a few steps you can take to minimize water quality impacts in your area:
-Use fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides sparingly and only where necessary for spot control.
-Avoid excessive irrigation that causes water to run off into street drains.
-Use alternative, permeable paving types in place of traditional concrete and asphalt materials.
-Brick, gravel, or pavers set on sand (instead of mortared joints) for sidewalks, patios, and
driveways will allow better soil infiltration and reduce water runoff.
-Capture and store valuable rainwater in cisterns and rain barrels and reuse it to water your
plants.
-Capture and treat property runoff with rain gardens.
-Mulch areas underneath trees to absorb rainwater.
-Avoid excessive soil compaction from vehicles and heavy equipment on lawn areas.
-Capture water runoff from animal pens, barns, and corrals in a water detention area that will
allow for soil infiltration and cleaning.
-Ensure that septic systems are inspected professionally every 3–5 years to check for leaks
and proper drain-field operation.
Two rain barrels can be linked so that, as one fills, any overflow goes into the other container.
It is important to provide sturdy bases so that the barrels won’t topple over.
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