> What? That's just absurd. I live in a house with tall grass that gets mowed only once, in fall, and there is a absolutely no pest problem. Jest a sea of colorful flowers ans beautiful insects doing their thing minding their own business.

You're right, your sample of one clearly proves the absurdity of it.

At this point that is more data than you have provided.

I'd bet you don't live in the northeast, where deer ticks about this size: . carry Lyme and other dangerous diseases. Untamed wilderness is a beautiful and precious thing -- one which bears little relation to your back yard (let alone an urban lot in Detroit).

As somebody who abhors yard maintenance and considers that a real perk of renting, I gotta ask... why once a year and not less?

(But also I'm with the sibling comments here -- lyme's is no joke and I'm terrified to know that it's been migrating west)

its moved once a year to prevent bushes and trees from appearing. Maybe to simulate the wild fire that would briefly sweep over the meadow and clear the small dry plants in fall.

The house I lived at previously, if I didn't mow regularly, the dog would come in covered in ticks.