Willingness to pay for residential property-based and community-based tick control methods in Lyme disease-endemic areas of the Upper Midwest, United States

Abstract

Ticks and tickborne diseases are of increasing concern in the United States, and the burden is high in certain focal areas. While the acceptability of various tick control and disease prevention methods has been studied, the public's willingness to pay for environmental interventions at the individual or community level is less well described. Using data collected as part of a larger survey, we performed an additional analysis of residents of Lyme disease-endemic counties of Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin to assess their willingness to support and pay annually for various methods of property-based tick control and examined demographic characteristics that might influence willingness to pay. Seventy-nine percent of respondents were willing to perform some form of tick control on their property, with most preferring self-application. Landscaping and natural pesticide application were the most popular options, with people willing to pay an estimated $78 and $61 annually, respectively. High income, a high perceived prevalence of disease, and a high perceived likelihood of disease were all associated with a willingness to pay more. When asked about a community control option, 97 % of respondents indicated interest, with respondents being willing to pay $52/year for a community-based program regardless of household characteristics. These results suggest a moderate demand in the Upper Midwest for tick control efforts at both the individual property level and for local, publicly funded, community-based programs. These findings provide a starting point for assessing community characteristics, cost structure, environmental attributes, and efficacy needed to generate net benefits for community-based tick control programs.

Keywords: Control; Lyme disease; Tickborne diseases; Ticks; Upper Midwest; Willingness to pay.