President Signs Executive Order to Combat Lyme Disease and Tick Populations: How Keystone Tick & Mosquito Control Is Bringing Innovative Tick Control to Pennsylvania Homeowners
Published October 16, 2026
A new federal initiative is putting the growing threat of Lyme disease and tick-borne illnesses in the national spotlight. At Keystone Tick and Mosquito Control, we're taking that same focus on smarter, more targeted tick prevention and bringing it directly to homeowners throughout Southwestern Pennsylvania.
On September 29, 2026, President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 14433, titled Eliminating Disease-Carrying Pests and Restoring Enjoyment of the Great Outdoors.
The order marks a significant federal initiative to address the growing public health challenges associated with ticks, mosquitoes, and the diseases they transmit.
Among its goals: reducing tick populations in Washington, D.C., by 50% and invasive mosquito populations by 90% by 2028, while advancing innovative approaches that could eventually be expanded nationwide.
The initiative also calls for additional research into Lyme disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.
For families across Pennsylvania, where tick exposure and Lyme disease are longstanding concerns, this announcement reinforces an important message: Effective tick prevention requires more than simply reacting when ticks appear. It requires understanding and disrupting their life cycle.
And that's exactly the thinking behind Keystone Tick and Mosquito Control's newest service offering: the Tick Box Tick Control System.
A National Public Health Challenge Hits Close to Home
Lyme disease is the most commonly reported vector-borne illness in the United States, and Pennsylvania has consistently been among the states reporting substantial numbers of cases.
Transmitted primarily through the bite of infected blacklegged ticks, commonly called deer ticks, Lyme disease can cause fever, fatigue, headaches, and a characteristic expanding rash. When left untreated, infection can sometimes lead to serious complications involving the joints, nervous system, and heart.
For homeowners in Allegheny County, Butler County, and surrounding Pittsburgh communities, tick exposure is not limited to hiking trails or remote wooded areas.
Ticks can thrive in familiar backyard environments, including:
Wooded property boundaries and shaded landscaping
Leaf litter, brush piles, and overgrown vegetation
Stone walls, woodpiles, and areas frequented by small mammals
Transitional areas where maintained lawns meet natural vegetation
These environments create ideal conditions for ticks and the wildlife that support their life cycle.
The result? Your own backyard can become a potential source of exposure for your family and pets.
What the President's New Executive Order Means for Tick Prevention
The executive order signals a shift toward more comprehensive and innovative pest-management strategies.
Rather than relying exclusively on conventional pesticide applications, the federal initiative emphasizes understanding pest habitats, targeting the animals involved in disease transmission, and developing new technologies to reduce pest populations.
A particularly important provision directs federal agencies to address rodents and deer that help sustain tick populations and tick-borne diseases.
The initiative also prioritizes improved environmental management, targeted pest-control technologies, and research aimed at reducing disease transmission.
While the initial federal program focuses on Washington, D.C., the broader objective is to identify effective approaches that could be applied across the country.
At Keystone Tick and Mosquito Control, we believe this emphasis on strategic, science-informed prevention represents an important direction for the future of tick management.
It's also the philosophy behind our newest service.
Introducing the Tick Box Tick Control System: Targeting Ticks at Their Source
Traditional tick-control applications generally focus on reducing ticks within the treated landscape.
The Tick Box Tick Control System takes a different, complementary approach.
Instead of targeting only ticks already present in your yard, this innovative system targets ticks feeding on the small mammals that play a critical role in the Lyme disease transmission cycle.
One of the most important animals in that cycle is the white-footed mouse.
These mice frequently carry the bacteria responsible for Lyme disease. When immature blacklegged ticks feed on infected mice, they can acquire the bacteria and potentially transmit it during later blood meals.
By controlling ticks on these host animals, the Tick Box system is designed to help interrupt this cycle.
How does the Tick Box system work?
Step 1: Strategic placement
Specially designed, tamper-resistant Tick Boxes are professionally positioned in locations where mice and other small mammals naturally travel, particularly along wooded edges and areas of dense vegetation.
Step 2: Targeting the host
Mice and certain other small mammals enter the stations, attracted by a non-toxic food-based attractant. As they move through the box, they contact an applicator containing a small amount of the insecticide fipronil.
Step 3: Interrupting the tick life cycle
The treatment controls ticks feeding on the treated animals, helping reduce the number of ticks that survive and potentially acquire or transmit Lyme disease bacteria.
Step 4: Long-term tick management
Through strategic placement and seasonal servicing, the system is designed to reduce tick populations over time as part of a comprehensive property-specific prevention strategy.
Unlike broad-area spraying, Tick Boxes deliver their active ingredient through a contained, targeted application to small mammal hosts.
Although the system does use an insecticide, its targeted delivery approach fits within the broader philosophy of addressing tick populations at critical points in their life cycle.
A Science-Based Approach With Promising Results
The Tick Box Tick Control System is built on research into host-targeted tick management.
Research and field trials described by the manufacturer have demonstrated substantial reductions in tick populations under certain conditions, including reported reductions approaching 88% after one year and 97% after two years in selected trials.
These results are promising, but actual performance can vary based on property conditions, wildlife activity, installation, and other environmental factors.
Importantly, reducing tick populations does not guarantee prevention of Lyme disease or eliminate the need for personal tick-bite precautions.
The objective is to add another effective layer to a comprehensive tick-management program.
Homeowners can learn more about the technology at Tick Box Tick Control System.
Why This Matters for Pennsylvania Homeowners
Southwestern Pennsylvania offers beautiful outdoor environments, from wooded residential properties to neighborhoods surrounded by mature trees and natural vegetation.
Unfortunately, these same features can provide habitat for ticks and the animals that carry them.
For families who enjoy spending time outdoors, protecting their property requires understanding where ticks live and how they spread.
The Tick Box system is particularly worth evaluating for properties with:
Wooded boundaries and established tree lines
Frequent mouse or chipmunk activity
Heavy vegetation or natural landscaping
Recurring tick encounters
A desire to complement existing tick-control applications with a host-targeted approach
Because every property is different, a professional evaluation is essential to determine whether Tick Boxes are appropriate and where they should be installed.
Keystone's New Tick Control Box Consultation and Management Service
At Keystone Tick and Mosquito Control, we're excited to introduce our Tick Control Box Evaluation, Consultation, and Management Service to homeowners throughout select areas of Southwestern Pennsylvania.
Our goal is to help customers move beyond a one-size-fits-all approach to tick prevention.
Through this service, our team evaluates your property's unique characteristics and develops a targeted strategy for incorporating the Tick Box Tick Control System into your overall tick-management program.
Our approach includes evaluating tick-prone areas, identifying potential rodent habitats and travel routes, determining appropriate placement opportunities, and recommending a seasonal service strategy based on the property's needs.
For some properties, Tick Boxes may serve as a valuable complement to our existing professional tick-control applications. For others, a different combination of prevention measures may be more appropriate.
The objective isn't simply to treat your property. It's to develop a smarter strategy for managing ticks over time.
A Smarter Future for Tick Prevention Starts in Your Own Backyard
The president's recent executive order recognizes what pest-management professionals and public health researchers have understood for years: controlling disease-carrying ticks requires a coordinated approach that addresses habitats, wildlife hosts, and the biological factors that allow tick populations to thrive.
While the federal initiative focuses on national research and a demonstration program in Washington, D.C., homeowners don't have to wait for a nationwide rollout to explore targeted tick-management solutions.
With the addition of the Tick Box Tick Control System, Keystone Tick and Mosquito Control is expanding the options available to families across the Pittsburgh region.
As a locally owned, family-operated company specializing in ticks and mosquitoes, we're committed to helping our neighbors enjoy their outdoor spaces with greater confidence.
Take Back Your Yard With Keystone Tick and Mosquito Control
National attention is focused on the growing threat of tick-borne disease. Now is the time to take a closer look at your own backyard.
Whether you're experiencing frequent tick activity, live near wooded areas, or simply want to explore more advanced tick-control options, Keystone Tick and Mosquito Control can help you develop a strategy tailored to your property.
Contact us today to learn more about our new Tick Control Box Evaluation and Consultation Service and discover how this innovative technology may fit into your property's tick-prevention plan.
Protect Your Family. Protect Your Pets. Take Back Your Yard.
Keystone Tick and Mosquito Control, LLC
Family-Owned | Mars, Pennsylvania | Serving Select Areas of Southwestern Pennsylvania
Visit KeystoneTick.comNo tick-control method eliminates all ticks or guarantees prevention of tick-borne disease. Continue using EPA-registered personal repellents as directed, conducting regular tick checks, and following veterinary recommendations for pet tick prevention.