Lyme and Other Tickborne Diseases Prevention Studies (LTDPS)

Study participants needed!

The Emerging Infections Programs of the Connecticut, Maryland, and New York Departments of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are conducting a study to determine if tickborne diseases can be prevented with a single, targeted pesticide application to yards.

What is the study?

Half of the study participants will receive a single application of bifenthrin (an EPA-registered, commercially available pesticide) to their property edges. The other half will receive a single application of water (the study placebo). Participants will be surveyed throughout the summer and fall to determine if they have been bitten by ticks or diagnosed with tickborne disease.

We are seeking participants who:

• Are at least 18 years of age
• Have a freestanding home with a yard between 1/2 acre and 3 acres
• Do not have water within 100 feet of their property edges
• Have 3 or more people living in their home
• Will allow a single, no-cost pesticide application to their yard
• Will complete short surveys about ticks and their yard
• Live in one of our study towns or zip codes:
  • Connecticut--Brookfield, Easton, Monroe, New Canaan, New Milford, Oxford, Redding, Seymour, Sherman, Shelton, Southbury, Trumbull, and Woodbury
  • Maryland--20759, 20777, 21029, 21042, 21036, 21738, 21784, 21014, 21047, 21050, 21030, 21057, 21093, 21117, 21128, 21131, 21136, 21048
  • New York--All areas in Dutchess County

Why should I join the study?

• To learn more about tickborne diseases and how to prevent them
• To help scientists find better ways to prevent Lyme disease and other tickborne infections in your area

How can I learn more or sign-up?

If you'd like to register or learn more, please contact your state coordinator, listed below. Let them know you're interested and how they can best contact you (phone numbers, email addresses, mailing address, preferred contact method, and times of day that are convenient).

Connecticut

Telephone: 888-668-1856 (toll-free study line)

Maryland

Telephone: 888-668-1856 (toll-free study line)
March 21, 2012--The Maryland Health Department is experiencing system-wide email disturbances. Please call for more information about enrolling. If you have emailed the state regarding enrollment but have not heard back, please call the number above to reconfirm your interest. Your call will be returned as quickly as possible. We appreciate your patience.

New York

Telephone: 888-668-1856 (toll-free study line)
Email: betickfree@health.state.ny.us

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Lyme and Other Tickborne Diseases Prevention Study (LTDPS): Information for Those Considering Participation in the Study

Information about Bifenthrin

• LTDPS will use a U.S. EPA-registered widely available pesticide, bifenthrin (trade name: Talstar Professional, manufactured by FMC Corporation) in the form of a liquid diluted for spraying.
• When used in commercial application, there is only a small diluted amount being applied. (Diluted spray mixture may contain up to a total of 0.06% of the active ingredient, bifenthrin.)
• Bifenthrin is a pyrethroid pesticide; it is an insecticide and acaricide.
• Bifenthrin's half-life in soil, the amount of time it takes to degrade to half of its original concentration, is up to 8 months depending on the soil type and the amount of air in the soil.
• Bifenthrin has been shown to be effective at killing ticks if applied during peak nymphal tick season (June - July), with lasting effects through the start of the next tick season (May).

Note: Seasonal emergence of ticks can vary depending upon weather and location.

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Frequently asked study questions/concerns/answers:

Q: Is this study testing the safety and efficacy of a new pesticide on the market?

A: No. Talstar Professional (bifenthrin) is a product registered for "unrestricted use" by the U.S. EPA. This product is labeled to control pests indoors and outdoors on residential, institutional, public, commercial, and industrial buildings, greenhouses, food handling establishments, and lawns, ornamentals, parks, recreational areas and athletic fields. For more information, the FMC fact sheet and Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) on Talstar Professional can be found here:

• Talstar Product Information Sheet [PDF - 1 page]
• MSDS Talstar Professional: http://msds.fmc.com/msds/100000014552-MSDS_US-E.pdf [PDF - 11 pages]

Q: Will my yard be sprayed with bifenthrin?

A: Half of participants will receive a single application of bifenthrin to their yard and the other half of participants will receive a single application of water (the study placebo) to their yard.

Q: When will my yard be sprayed and how do I arrange this treatment?

A: All treatment applications for this study will be applied during the period of April 15 - May 31. We want to ensure that your property is treated before peak tick season. A commercial pest control operator will contact you to arrange for your treatment to occur at a time that will be convenient for you. You do not need to be home at the time of your yard treatment.

Q: What portion of my yard will be sprayed?

A: A commercial pest control operator will spray your yard where lawn meets brushy/wooded areas, of both your front and back yards. It is standard to treat 10 feet into your lawn and 20 feet into the brushy/wooded areas.

Q: What do I need to do in order to prepare for my property treatment?

A: We will send you a property treatment postcard with your enrollment packet. This will include a pre- and post-treatment checklist. To prepare for your property treatment, please take the following steps if needed:

1. Unlock all gates.
2. Remove pet food, water bowls, bedding, toys and children's toys (these items may be repositioned after 24 hours).
3. Move all pets off your lawn.
4. Empty your bird bath and/or bird feeder.
5. Close all windows.
6. Turn off sprinklers.
7. Do not schedule outdoor activities (e.g., barbeque, lawn party etc.) on the day of treatment.
8. Plan to remain off your lawn during your treatment.

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Q: Should I turn off my sprinkler system before and after the pesticide is applied?

A: Yes, please turn off sprinkler system 24 hours before and after spraying in order to ensure maximum effectiveness and to avoid run off.

Q: Can my pet(s) be in the yard after it has been sprayed?

A: It is recommended that pets remain off the treated areas of your yard for 24 hours after treatment. If you pet(s) must remain outdoors, they can be kept in the center of your yard (away from lawn edges) or another location where the product was not applied, until the product has dried.

Q. I have a well on my property. Can my yard still be sprayed and is the pesticide application safe under this circumstance?

A: Bifenthrin has a strong affinity for soil and organic matter, which means its pesticide leaching potential (PLP) into groundwater is very low. If you do have a well along your yard edges (the area which will be treated), the commercial pest control operator will not spray within 5 feet of your wellhead. This is to ensure that bifenthrin is not directly applied to your wellhead in case there is a cracked casing or other flaw in the well's construction.

Q: What are the potential health risks of bifenthrin? Is bifenthrin also safe for children, pregnant women, and pets?

A: If a person (including a young child or a pregnant woman) or animal were to swallow, breathe or touch the chemical, the individual or animal is not likely to become ill. If the chemical comes into contact with the skin or eyes before it has dried, some individuals may have short term irritation that will likely disappear within 12 hours. There are no studies that indicate bifenthrin exposure risks in humans are increased for children or women who are pregnant.

At the beginning of the study, you will receive a bifenthrin product information sheet about how to clean skin, flush eyes, and if you should seek medical attention for yourself or pets in case this occurs.

If you think you may have become sick during the study, please contact your doctor. CDC and your State Health Department cannot offer referrals, treatment, or compensation if you are injured (or experience a temporary side effect from exposure to bifenthrin) from being in this study.

Q: I use flea and tick medication (such as Frontline) on my pets. Will this pesticide impose too great a chemical load when used with flea and tick medication?

A: No, if your pets are treated with a topical flea and tick preventive, you can still have your yard treated. We recommend that your pets remain off of the treated edges of your yard for 24 hours. There is very little to no risk to your pet after the chemical is dry.

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Q: What are the possible negative environmental hazards of bifenthrin?

A: When this pesticide is used properly by a professional, there are negligible risks to animal wildlife. However, the chemical can be toxic to fish and aquatic invertebrates, thus the pesticide control professionals will actively avoid applying the chemical near ponds or streams. This chemical is not mobile in soil meaning that there is very little potential for it to enter the ground water.

Q: On my property, I have a pond/stream with fish. Is bifenthrin safe for aquatic animals?

A: Bifenthrin bioconcentrates in aquatic sediments and is highly toxic to fish and aquatic invertebrates. For this reason, study personnel will ask potential participants whether they have any water bodies on or close to their property. Potential participants will be ineligible if they have a water body within 100 feet of where the pest control company will be spraying. Therefore, aquatic animals will not be affected by the treatment.

Q: Will this pesticide kill bees or my beehive?

A: Bifenthrin is toxic to bees and other pollinating insects. Pesticide applicators will not directly spray blooming plants (located along your yard edges, where the treatment will be applied), as specified by the law and indicated on the pesticide label. Additionally, if bifenthrin were to be sprayed near blooming plants, it will not travel up the plant from roots to flowers after spraying (bifenthrin is not systemic). Further, bifenthrin does not readily evaporate (it is non-volatile), and therefore actively pollinating bees will not have a direct way of coming into contact with the spray.

Q: I have a vegetable garden and/or fruit-bearing vegetation on my property. Will my produce be affected by the treatment?

A: We will only treat all accessible yard edges on your property. If your vegetable garden and/or fruit-bearing vegetation is located along one of your yard edges, we will not treat this area to insure that your produce is not affected by the treatment. Further, if bifenthrin were to be sprayed near fruit-bearing plants, shrubs, or trees, it will not travel up the plant from the roots after spraying.

Q: I am a chemically sensitive/hypersensitive person. Should I take extra precautions?

A: If you believe you may be affected by the spraying more than the average person, stay away from the treated area for 24 hours in order to ensure complete safety. For those persons who have registered with a State's Pesticide Sensitive Individual Notification Program or a Pre-notification Pesticide Registry, the study's pest control company will notify you 24-48 hours in advance of pesticide applications made to properties adjacent or contiguous to your residence. You will be notified by phone, email, or letter and a minimum of two contact attempts will be made to reach you.

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Q: Why will the study use a single springtime application of bifenthrin as opposed to an integrated pest management (IPM) approach?

A: The prevention of tickborne diseases is complex, and requires many different approaches, including tick checks, mulch barriers, protective clothing, and other mechanisms. We know that many people are already applying pesticides in an effort to reduce tickborne disease. Given this widespread use, it is important to know whether targeted pesticide use (an IPM approach) actually prevents human illness. The purpose of this study is to determine whether tickborne diseases can be prevented by a single application of bifenthrin to tick habitat (only at yard edges) during spring. More detailed information on IPM can be accessed from this web page, http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/factsheets/ipm.htm.

Q: How does this pesticide interrupt the tick life cycle? Does it work for both dog and deer ticks?

A: Bifenthrin will be applied during the spring, prior to peak tick season when nymphal ticks emerge and are seeking blood hosts. The risk of humans acquiring a tickborne disease from the bite of an infected tick is greatest during late spring and summer. Bifenthrin is an insecticide and acaricide which affects the nervous system and causes paralysis in insects, quickly killing all tick species including dog and deer ticks. For more detailed information on tick species and the tick life cycle, please visit the CDC ticks page.

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