Rid Your Yard of Pesky Ticks With These Easy Methods

What Are Ticks?

Belonging to the arachnid family and being a relative of spiders, ticks have eight legs and flat bodies and measure about five millimeters in length. These arachnids are parasitic.

What Are Ticks? (Cont.)

They survive by feeding off of the blood of animals, such as mammals, birds, and even reptiles. They locate their potential hosts by sensing body heat, odor, moisture, and vibrations.

Tick Distribution

These creatures have been around for 100 million years and have a wide distribution across the world, especially in warm, humid climates. And they need a certain level of moisture to undergo metamorphosis. However, their range is expanding due to warming temperatures. Ticks prefer habitats where yards meet the forest.

Tick Distribution (Cont.)

You are likely to find them in edge habitats, where forests and woodlands transition into open areas. They thrive in unmaintained areas filled with leaf litter, brush, and weeds. In the spring, you can potentially find them in moist, shady areas with tree or shrub overstory, which is a preferred place for them to deposit eggs.

How Are Ticks Dangerous?

Ticks can be carriers of bacteria, viruses, and parasites, which spread to animals and humans when a tick latches onto the skin. Some of the most common tick-borne diseases include Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and tularemia.

How Are Ticks Dangerous? (Cont.)

For removal on humans, use a pair of clean, fine-tipped tweezers to grab the tick as close to the skin as possible and steadily pull it upwards. For bite treatment, sanitize the bite area and your hands with soap and water or rubbing alcohol.

Get rid of the tick by flushing it down the toilet or bring it to your doctor for identification by putting it in rubbing alcohol or in a sealed bag or container. For prevention of bites, shower within two hours of coming in from the outdoors. Examine clothes and backpacks. If the clothes need to be washed, use hot water. Otherwise, tumble them dry on high heat for 10 minutes to kill them.

What Attracts Ticks to Your Yard?

If you happen to have a yard that backs up to a forested or wooded area, you are more likely to encounter ticks. Ticks love the outer portions of lawns, especially if there is a presence of thick grass, weeds, leaf piles, moist ground litter, low tree branches, and damp soil. Not only does this environment attract these parasites, but it allows them a perfect spot to deposit their eggs and quickly reproduce.

What Attracts Ticks to Your Yard? (Cont.)

Along with a suitable edge habitat, ticks can find their way to your property by hitching rides on deer and small rodents. Other areas that can attract ticks are any semi-dark and humid areas with dense vegetation.

The Most Effective Ways to Get Rid of Ticks in Your Yard

1. Spray Permethrin Around Your Yard

Flea and tick yard spray contains permethrin insecticide that can kill everything from ticks and fleas to spiders and ants. Permethrin is a non-toxic to moderately toxic pesticide that is generally safe to use around humans and pets.

The Most Effective Ways to Get Rid of Ticks in Your Yard (Cont.)

However, it’s a good idea to leave the area for several days, especially for those with sensitive skin and breathing problems. You can find this spray at major retailers in-store and online. Be sure to closely follow the instructions on the container.

2. Use a Yard Fogger

Alternatively, you can use a yard tick fogger that instantly kills ticks and other insects. You can use the fogger in bushes, trees, shrubs, and grassy areas.

2. Use a Yard Fogger (Cont.)

Like the permethrin spray, you can find EPA-registered yard foggers at major retailers.

3. Use Safe and Natural Products to Combat Ticks

If you have pets and children, you may wonder if harsh chemicals are the way to go. Thankfully, there are other options if you don’t want to spray chemicals. You can try diatomaceous earth powder, which is safe and natural while being effective at getting rid of many common pests. The powder consists of fossilized diatoms that immediately dehydrate ticks and kill them. You can sprinkle DE around your yard, especially around the edges.

3. Use Safe and Natural Products to Combat Ticks (Cont.)

You should reapply the powder every few weeks. Along with DE, you can use oils, like cedar, eucalyptus, and neem, to repel ticks on your property. Place the essential oils in a spray bottle mixed with purified water and carrier oil and spray everywhere you want to rid your property of ticks and other pests.

4. Use Stronger Insecticides

If all else fails, try more potent chemicals to kill ticks fast. You can try Acaricides, controlled-release insecticides, or insect growth regulators. Please note that these are harmful chemicals that are dangerous to use around children and pets. You will need to use PPE and follow all safety requirements when applying to the affected area. But, ideally, you should consult a professionally licensed pest control company to administer the treatment.

How to Keep Ticks Out of Your Yard

• Mow your yard frequently and keep leaves raked
• Clear brush and tall grass from around the edge of your lawn
• Keep firewood stacked in a dry area

How to Keep Ticks Out of Your Yard

• Place a barrier of wood chips or gravel between your yard and any wooded areas
• Keep playground equipment in sunny areas away from yard edges
• Ensure your property is clean, organized, and free from any trash and clutter