Barberry Plants Linked to Lyme Disease

The Milford Garden Club's November meeting was yesterday. It was good to see so many members there especially after the devastating effects of Hurricane Sandy. One of our club members brought in some very interesting information concerning Barberry plants.  Many of you will be needed to do landscaping over again after the storm and picking the right plant can make a huge difference in the reduction of Lyme disease.  Sounds weird right?  But its true.  

Barberry plants are "nurseries" for the tick that causes lyme disease.  The plant is highly invasive and forms a dense canopie in the forest . The environment is cool and moist providing a good spot for ticks to breed and survive.  There is a study connecting the relationship between barberry , the ticks that carry Lyme disease and deer overpopulation. 

So if you want to learn more check out this link and consider carefully what plants you replace your lost shrubs with.  

http://today.uconn.edu/blog/2012/02/controlling-japanese-barberry-helps-...