Tips for Tick Control

Ticks are wingless and tiny parasites that are famous for sucking the blood of humans, wildlife, and pets, there are reported to be hundreds of ticks worldwide, but the good news is not all species are a threat to humans. But how do these blood-sucking pests find their way into our yards? ticks are introduced to our yards by the presence of wildlife for example rodents, deer, squirrels, foxes, birds, raccoons, etc… in other words, they are hitchhikers and are transported by wildlife paying our landscapes and gardens unexpected visits.

Ticks are attracted by tall grasses, fallen leaves that are left unraked, overgrown plants, brush piles, shaded areas, wood, and debris, ticks are also attracted to warm moist environments, and areas with trash. Therefore one of the first steps to tick control is to give your landscapes and gardens a good spring cleaning. The presence of ticks just doesn’t stop with our gardens and landscapes, they will seek to make their way indoors either by hitchhiking on dogs, cats, rats, and mice, even by family members that may be spending time outside in an area that is tick infested.

What Disease Do Ticks Transfer?

Because ticks are disease-carrying insects we should put a plan a place to get rid of them immediately, here is a list of diseases that ticks transfer.

• Lyme Disease
• Anaplasmosis
• Borrelia mayonii
• Bourbon virus
• Borrelia miyamotoi
• Babesiosis
• Colorado tick fever
• Ehrlichiosis
• Heartland virus
• Powassan disease
• Rocky Mountain spotted fever
• Rickettsia parkeri rickettsiosis
• 364D rickettsiosis
• STARI (Southern tick-associated rash illness)
• Tickborne relapsing fever (TBRF)
• Tularemia

How to Control Tick Outdoors

Below are simple but effective tips that can help to control ticks outdoors.

• Give your landscapes and gardens a spring cleaning doing so will remove hiding places or harbourages where ticks take refuge.
• Rake up all fallen leaves and other debris and dispose of them.
• Trim back overgrown plants and remove brush piles.
• Clear away tall grasses and bushes from the edge of lawn areas and from around your home.
• Mow your lawn frequently
• Clean underneath bird feeders thoroughly and regularly since ticks can nest under bird feeders undisturbed.
• Place a 3-ft wide barrier of gravel or wood chips between wooded areas and lawns and around patios and play equipment. This will discourage or restrict tick migration into recreational areas.
• If there is old furniture lying around the yard for example sofas, chairs, a mattresses remove and discard them.
• Stacking firewood neatly in a dry corner will discourage rodents that feed on ticks.
• Keep playground equipment, patios, and decks from trees and the edge of the yard and transport them to a sunny location if possible.
• Again leaf removal is so important, especially during the fall months when there are a lot of fallen leaves on the soil surface.  If leaves are not removed ticks will overwinter in leaf litter from the protection of winter and emerge in the spring or when the weather warms up to do their damage.
• Put up a tall fence to keep wild animals off your property since ticks hitchhike to get in your yard.

Note: It is best to consider calling first a professional company to do the job for you.

How to Control Ticks with Pesticides.

A great way to bring a sudden end to tick infestation is with pesticides and while this may be good news caution however should be taken when using these products, before applying pesticides read and follow the directions for the best results. Here are a few effective brands.

• A great product to use is American Brand Bifenthrin Granules for tick control, once the granule is applied over the lawn’s surface go ahead and make a water application to water into active granules.
• Eliminator Fire Ants Killer Plus Granules is another product that will eliminate fleas once applied, water in the granules for the product to take effect.
• Another effective way to tick control is the use of an insecticide (Permethrin SER) to kill the adult ticks and an insect growth regulator (IGR) to stop the immature ticks from developing into adults.
• Triazicide insect killer for lawns is another effective granular product that can be used for tick control, once the granules have been applied wet your lawn to water the granules in. For branches and the edges of the property use triazicide liquid insecticide as a premier application to keep ticks at bay. Before application shake the bottle to mix the insecticide liquid now attach the bottle to a hose release the safety pin to engage and begin to spray. Spray from the bottom of the branches to 4-5 ft in the air. Spray in an upward and downward position or parten as you move along trees and shrubs. This application will last from 3-4 months.

How to Control Tick Indoors

But what if ticks get indoors or how can I discourage them from seeking shelter in my home what can I do to bring control? I am so glad that you asked, here is what to do.

• Vacuum and sweep your floors, furniture, and animal bedding regularly to get rid of ticks that may be hiding in cracks and crevices.
• Keep your home tidy, and free of clutter, tick love clutter where they can hide but a clutter-free environment is a tick-free environment.
• Don’t keep dirty laundry on the floor.
• Wash your bed linens and clothing in hot water to kill ticks that may be attached to them.

Other Ways to Control Indoor Ticks

• Use a Growth regulator like PreCor 2000 Plus Premise spray, and spray along all the baseboards including the legs of coaches tables and chairs, etc…
• Once your home and floor are clean sprinkle your furniture and floors with a boric acid-based pesticide, to eliminate any remaining tick eggs and larvae.
• To kill adult ticks apply a pyrethrin-based pesticide along the baseboard but a word of caution pyrethrin is toxic to cats.

Keep all pesticides out of the reach of children and pets, and store pesticides in a dry area that has good ventilation.

 Bonus Points Just for You

• To determine if you have a heavy tick infestation in your yard, attach a white piece of cloth to a rod or a long stick. Now drag the cloth over the suspected areas. The ticks usually will climb onto the towel and help you to locate where they are heavily concentrated or where the infestation is.
• Never spot treat for ticks but rather treat the entire area for tick control, also spray areas that have mulch, and make sure and apply insecticides to tall dense brush because ticks may be hiding in those areas. When spraying do a thorough application by getting both the top and the undersides of the foliage down to the lower leaves.
• If you have a high tick population or infestation you may have to apply spray applications every month through the spring until the first frost.
• When going hiking apply a tick repellent that is labeled for humans and a repellent that is labeled for pets.

Conclusion

Controlling ticks can be a daunting task but the good news is knowing how to discourage and control ticks can work in your favor, all it takes is getting the right information and applying it. You have come to the right place, this guide will help to bring tick control. If you’re still not sure when it comes to tick elimination contact us so we can put a plan in place that will not only kill off these blood-sucking disease-carrying pests but will ensure that you have a tick-free environment.