How does restricting deer access to a yard help reduce tick exposure risk?

• A. It reduces the number of vertebrate hosts for ticks, lowering tick populations.
• B. It has no effect on ticks.
• C. It increases leaf litter, providing more habitat.
• D. It attracts more deer to the yard.

Answer: (A)

Restricting deer access lowers tick exposure because deer are a key host for adult ticks. In the tick life cycle, adult females require a blood meal from a large mammal to reproduce. When deer are present in a yard, more adult ticks successfully feed, survive, and lay eggs nearby, which increases the local tick population. Fewer deer mean fewer opportunities for adult ticks to reproduce, so the tick population drops and the chance of tick bites for people and pets decreases.

The other ideas don’t fit because simply restricting access doesn’t create more leaf litter or habitat, and it doesn’t attract more deer. Instead, it reduces the number of vertebrate hosts available to support tick reproduction. This is most effective when combined with other tick-control practices like yard maintenance to minimize tick-friendly habitat.