If you spend any time outside chances are you’ve had the unpleasant experience of running into a tick. Whether they’ve found their way onto you, your kids, or your pets, they’re never fun to deal with. They can even be carriers of very serious diseases. Rather than trying to fight them when you find them, let’s beat them at the source. Here are 5 tips to keep your property tick free.
1) Keep your property clean.
Taking away there hiding spots is one of the best things you can do to keep your property tick free. Just like us they like cozy warm spots to curl up in. Keeping piles of leaves, sticks, and other brush on your property will encourage the ticks to make a home there. By clearing them out with, say the Cyclone Rake, you’re leaving them with less places to hide. The same also applies to tall grass, keeping the grass short will limit hiding places for ticks.
2) Create physical barriers.
Just like back in the day with a moat around a castle, creating a barrier around your property can keep ticks out. Ticks will be less likely to migrate into your territory if you put down a strip of gravel or wood chips between your lawn and any wooded areas. Ticks have a hard time traveling over gravel and wood chips and can’t survive in it for long. Your “moat” should be at least three feet wide to be the most effective.
3) Sun is your friend!
Ticks are not fans of the sun, which means it’s a great natural tool for you to use to your advantage. Keeping things like play equipment, patio tables, and fire pits in the sun will reduce the possibility of you running into a tick. Just be sure to protect yourself from the sun as well while you’re out there.
4) Keep deer off your property.
Keeping deer off your property is a great step towards keeping your property tick free. Ticks like to hitch a ride on deer. The simplest way to keep deer off your property is to build a fence. Just like with ticks creating a physical barrier between your property and the deer will keep them at bay. There are also various deer repellent sprays on the market that can help keep the deer, and subsequently the ticks, away.
5) Try a different tactic.
You may find it’s time to spray your yard if other tactics aren’t ridding your property of ticks. The use of pesticides works similarly to the physical barriers we mentioned before. Spraying the perimeter of your property will make it harder to the ticks to cross over. Keep in mind that these are chemicals, so be sure to read any and all labels before use to make sure it’s right for your needs. You can also check in with your local health or agricultural officials to see what the best product and time to spray for your area is.
Check out the CDC’s page on Ticks for more information on the types of ticks, how to treat them, as well as a a ton of other helpful information.
