Ticks can carry dangerous diseases, such as Lyme’s disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and many more. Ticks are parasites that spread disease by burrowing themselves into the host’s skin and feeding on blood.
It’s vital that you keep ticks out of your yard, and away from yourself, your family, and your pets. Let’s explore some tick control methods you can use to rid your yard of ticks and keep your family and pets safe.
Remove Places Where Ticks Can Breed and Hide
The first step in tick control is to make your yard an inhospitable place for ticks. Ticks love to hide in tall grasses, where they will hitch a ride on a passing person or animal and attach themselves. You can employ some simple landscaping ideas to reduce ticks in your yard.
Remove all leaf litter.
Mow and trim your lawn frequently.
Clear away tall grasses and brush from around your home and yard.
Get rid of any old furniture or trash around the yard that may hide ticks.
Fence your yard to keep deer, stray dogs, and other animals that may have ticks out of your yard.
Put a 3-foot wide barrier of gravel or wood chips between your lawn and wilderness areas to keep ticks out. However, opossums are known to eat ticks.
Applying Pesticides for Tick Control
If you already have a serious tick infestation, you may have to use pesticides to get rid of them. Using pesticides can reduce the number of ticks in your yard, but you shouldn’t only rely on spraying; also use the landscaping tips above to keep them from coming back in the future.
While you can certainly spray pesticides for ticks yourself, the best bet is to contact a professional, such as Viking Pest Control. We will know the exact pesticide to use, as well as the safest ways to apply it.
