Indeed. We've brought this on ourselves, though, by pushing out predator species that eat the mice that carry the ticks and expanding their range with climate change.

Also agree. While insects stings are part of growing up, I think I only had a tick on me once as a child. Now the "tick check" is part of the bath routine for my kids... even when they stay in the mowed area of our lawn (out of the adjoining woods). I'm in Central PA, for reference.

That said, I chipped a big portion of the lawn for a berry patch/orchard and maintain the wild black raspberry and wineberry outside the wire. Current status: strawberry overload!

Nice!! I think I'm ~2 weeks out from strawberry time.

Depending on your zone, growing bamboo or letting the grassland to grow tall enough will attract them back.

Or, have something that will eat the ticks, like chickens. They come with their own problems, but they will also pay their way with pasture-raised eggs that are better than the cage-free stuff you get from stores.

You get them in the mowed areas as well.

Backyard chickens will love to eat tasty ticks.