Syracuse residents are optimistic that a growing deer and tick population can be brought under control with the latest plans from city officials.
Nina Andon-Mclane lives near Nottingham High School on Syracuse’s Eastside. She looks forward to tending to her garden this time of year, but ever since a herd of seven deer moved into her back yard, not much is left.
"The tulips are gone. The hostas are gone. Our vegetable garden is no more," said Andon-Mclane.
More importantly, the deer leave behind thousands of ticks, which carry Lyme disease.
"My husband got Lyme disease in our backyard. I personally know five people with Lyme disease. That seems rather high," she said. "And it’s only going to get worse, because the deer population is increasing by about 30% a year."
Andon-Mclane and other Eastside neighbors are hoping new actions announced by the Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh and the Common Council put a dent in that number. Walsh has proposed $75,000 that will fund a plan created by a new Tick and Deer Management Advisory Group. Common Councilor Joe Driscoll said all options are on the table.
"We are looking at culling, we are looking at tick tubes, we are looking at sterilization methods, and four post feeders, which basically as deer come to eat, they’re covered with a kind of insecticide that rids them of the ticks."
The group will get input from experts and neighbors and is charged with producing a state Department of Environmental Conservation approved plan by June 1. University-area resident Ken Garno is ready for action.
"Our group has been working on this for two years. And only in the last month with what the city is doing now, do we have hope that something is going to happen."
