"Hey, you got any honeysucke?"

RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—The fragrant blossoms of honeysuckle herald the coming of spring and warmer temperatures. But these pretty flowers herald the coming of deer, as well, which are highly attracted to honeysuckle. And deer are notorious for hosting the ticks that carry Lyme disease and other illnesses, so keeping them away is a key tick prevention strategy. A new study from Washington University in St. Louis finds that eliminating Asian Bush honeysuckle from densely vegetated areas (fall is a perfect time to do so) can lead to a significant decline in the number of disease-carrying ticks.

THE DETAILS: The researchers surveyed nine areas across Missouri where Amur honeysuckle (also called Asian Bush honeysuckle), an invasive form of the weed native to Asia, is particularly problematic, as is the ubiquitous Lone Star tick, which can carry Lyme disease as well as an infectious bacteria called Ehrlichia. These ticks also happen to be particularly fond of white-tailed deer.

The study authors found large numbers of ticks in wooded areas that had been invaded by the honeysuckle—roughly 10 times more than in wooded areas without honeysuckle. No surprise, white-tailed deer populations were five times higher in the honeysuckle-infested wooded areas than in non-honeysuckle areas.

To test whether eliminating the honeysuckle would reduce tick and deer populations, the researchers removed it completely from one area and left a nearby area untouched. Sure enough, tick and deer populations remained significantly higher in the plot with honeysuckle than in the plot where it had been removed.

WHAT IT MEANS: There are several reasons why deer prefer honeysuckle-invaded areas, the study authors write. Deer feed on the roots and flowers of the plant, and use the dense vegetation as shelter. Honeysuckle also produces flowers earlier in the year than native plants, and continues to produce them longer than native plants do, so they’re a long-lasting food source for the deer.