Woodchips on trails reduce tick populations, Ottawa researchers find – CBC
Woodchips sprayed with pesticide reduced tick population by 99 per cent
May 24, 2026
Applying woodchips to trails in the woods can significantly reduce local tick populations, a study published this month by researchers at the University of Ottawa has found.
The study suggests that a relatively low-tech solution could reduce the incidence of tick bites — and the associated risk of Lyme disease — for walkers in the woods.
The team chose two sites in Ottawa’s Greenbelt: the Mer Bleue sector in the east and the Stony Swamp sector in the west.
On 20 sections of trail, each 50 metres long, the team applied either untreated woodchips or woodchips treated with the pesticide deltamethrin.
