Prevent Ticks In Your Yard

04/28/2016

Biting Insects    Mosquitoes    Ticks   

Over 90% of Lyme disease cases occur in the Mid-Atlantic region, including Maryland. It is estimated that 75 percent of reported Lyme disease cases are contracted in residential backyards. Use these tips to prevent ticks in yard and keep your family safe.

1.  Cedar Mulch & Cedar Oil
Did you know that by using Cedar mulch you can naturally repel ticks and other biting pests from the perimeter of your home? Add two inches of cedar mulch around the exterior foundation of your home and around trees and boundary areas in your yard--in an effort to help keep ticks at bay.

You can also use cedar oil. Cedar oil is known to cause ticks and other insects to die by dehydration. It also liquefies their bodily fats and interferes with the pheromones responsible for attracting a mate. You can use an empty bottle-sprayer specifically for gardens and mix cedar oil with distilled water as an effective repellent. It lasts about 2 weeks, depending on rain and weather conditions. While this is a DIY treatment option, it takes a lot of work, will have to be applied regularly, and will prove to not be as effective as a yard spray from American Pest

2.  Create a Barrier
Create at least a three-foot wide (and 2 inches thick) barrier around your property using wood chips, preferably cedar, gravel, or yard spray from American Pest. You can also just put a barrier around your patios or play equipment. This will help to restrict ticks from migrating into recreational areas where your family and friends hang out and where children play. Maryland, Virginia, and DC are known for their wooded areas and beautiful, lush, yards backing up to woods. This is a mindful tip if you are near a wooded area or where deer often frequent.

3.  Keep Firewood Dry
Ticks, especially larvae and nymphs (which are more likely to transport Lyme disease due to their small size), love to feed on rodents. Organize your yard to keep those tick transporters away. Keep your firewood neatly stacked in a dry area, preferably in sunlight, off the ground, and away from the home.

4.  Designate a Dry Area for Hangout Spots
Deer Ticks and other ticks that carry Lyme disease love to harbor in damp, shady areas around your yard. Keep your child's playground equipment, decks, and patios as far away from yard edges and trees as these areas are most likely to be moist and dark. Whenever possible, place outdoor play equipment in a sunny location that is away from tall grass, brush, and foliage.

5.   Keep it Free and Clear
Remove any old furniture, garden equipment, or trash from the yard that may give ticks a place to hide. Ticks love shady, moist areas, so mow the lawn to keep it short and keep leaves raked. Clear tall grasses and brush around homes and at the edge of lawns.

6.  Grow Plants that Deter Ticks
Consider growing these plants that are known as natural deterrents of ticks and other pests such as fleas and mosquitoes. While these plants are believed to deter ticks, they will only keep them out of the immediate area, so this should be used in combination with other tick control methods like American Pest.

·         Lavender

·         Garlic

·         Pennyroyal

·         Pyrethrum (type of chrysanthemum)

·         Sage

·         Beautyberry

·         Eucalyptus      

·         Mint

7.  Consider a Professional Pest Control Plan
Ticks begin to thrive in early May. Maryland, DC, and Virginia are becoming a hot spot for Lyme disease. Treating your yard once a month can make a tremendous difference in keeping these pests at bay. At American Pest, we offer proven pest control services to help residents of D.C., Maryland, and Virginia to get rid of ticks around the yard—keeping you and your family active outdoors!  With superior long-term protection from biting insect pests, American Pest is the ideal solution to protect the ones you love.  Read about our Mosquito & Tick Control Program and contact us for more information.

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