Summer time is officially here! Fun in the sun activities can put humans and pets in close proximity to ticks and the diseases they carry. According to the Center for Disease Control, most cases of Lyme disease are transmitted from May through July, when nymphal-stage ticks are active.

And research shows that about 90 percent of deer ticks on a property will be found in the ecotone areas. The ecotone (aka brush line) is the area between grass lawns and wooded areas. Backyard summer activities can put an unsuspecting person or pet in close proximity to a tick seeking its next meal.

Before heading out back, consider where your favorite summer time activities are taking place. The drier and sunnier parts of the yard are your best bet. Ticks do not like sunny, drier parts of the lawn.

Consider the following:

• Place sprinklers, slip and slides and kiddy pools in the sunshine and away from the brush line.
• When playing backyard games like freebie, catch and horseshoes, stay away from the brush line.
• When playing with children and pets do not throw ball into brush line.
• Place lawn furniture, hammocks, sandboxes and picnic tables on shorter grass or stone patios, away from the brush line and in the sunshine.
• When cleaning up the yard, place your brush pile far away from the lawns edge. Rodents like to hide in brush piles and they carry ticks.
• Fix leaky hoses and do not leave them turned on while attached to the hose. A drier environment is less inviting to ticks.
• Trim overgrown landscape and encourage air circulation. Remember, drier is better.

Playing and relaxing in the backyard are essential parts of summertime. By considering where your activities take place in proximity to the brush line, you can reduce your risk to tick bites.