Stop Ticks NOW! Everything You Need To Stop Ticks This Summer.

By: Matthew Hersee

As the weather gets nicer and the summer starts to roll in, so do some unwelcome guests. Ticks begin to pop up towards the end of springtime and can be a source of significant harm in the summer. They carry many diseases such as Lyme disease, Q fever, Typhus, and many, many others. Once ticks enter your yard, the problem can grow exponentially as they begin to lay eggs regularly. They don’t seem to be going anywhere, so tick control is becoming more vital year after year. While you can’t stop these pests from coming into your area, you can take steps to keep them out of your yard!

With a few of the options discussed here, you won’t need to worry about your children and pets playing in the yard this year. There are several options to limit or eradicate ticks from your property, including sprays, dusts, and lawn applications. Tick removal and prevention techniques vary case by case, meaning that a solution that works for one person may not work best for another. It could take a combination of products and methods to eradicate your yard from the disease-carrying ticks.

Let’s take a look at the best techniques and products we’ve identified to prevent a future tick infestation or eradicate a current one.

Tick Control Tip – General Upkeep of Your Yard

Not every tick control method requires new products. The simplest and easiest way to start to fight ticks this year is to keep your yard in tip-top shape. Ticks prefer to hide in taller grasses or plants, so by keeping your lawn mowed, you can remove many hiding places for them. Mowing regularly not only improves the look of your lawn but can also play a significant role in keeping unwanted pests out. Likewise, keeping your yard free of weeds and controlling plants that are growing can keep ticks away from your house. This tick control method won’t eradicate ticks from your yard but will help in limiting the number of ticks that you do have, as well as keeping them further from your home.

In addition to keeping overgrowth away from your home, make sure you don’t have a mouse problem in your area. It’s actually the white-footed mouse that carries Lyme disease. A tick will bite the mouse, then carry the disease to its next host. So you may want to consider some of our rodent control options or even getting an outdoor cat! Interestingly, after a season where trees produce lots of acorns and seeds, the forest rodent population flourishes, and Lyme disease becomes more prevalent.

Tick Sprays

Sprays are a fundamental treatment for any insect problems. We sell tick repellent sprays just like you’re used to using for mosquitoes. We also sell several tick-killing liquids in concentrate, ready to spray hose end bottles, and concentrates you can mix in your pump sprayer. We also rent a backpack blower/sprayer for larger areas. Be sure to treat your entire property. Spot treating for ticks is not effective.

To spray on grass, just spray a thin, even layer over the grass, making sure not to miss any areas. For taller plants, such as flowers, trees, taller weeds, and bushes, more spray may be needed to get the job done. When spraying these plants, spray the tops and bottoms of leaves, and make sure to reach the inside of bushes or trees. Just spraying the outer layer of a plant may not be entirely effective, since ticks often find shelter in the inner-most part of a plant.

Spray Options

Dusts and Granules

Dusts and granules are products that can be very useful for tick control. Similar to sprays, dust and granules must be applied over an entire lawn to be truly effective. All you need to do is sprinkle the product in a very thin layer over the lawn to kill ticks and many other bothersome insects. For larger yards, you should use a spreader to get a nice, even layer. Dusts and granules are great to use on fruits and vegetables, since it is not damaging to the plant at all but does the trick for those ticks. A hesitation some people may have to using this method has to do with safety. Follow label instructions to maximize safety for children and pets. The Jonathan Green Organic Insect Control is explicitly labeled for use around children and pets.

Dust/Granules Options

Removing Ticks

If a tick does latch on to you, your child, or your pet, there is no need to panic. Stay calm and try to remove the tick as quickly as possible. First, get out a pair of clean tweezers. Once you have your tweezers, grab the tick as close to your skin as possible and pull straight up in a slow and steady motion. Do not jerk or twist the tick, and it will be harder to keep any arms or mouthparts attached. If any parts stay on you, just remove them with the tweezers as well. To dispose of the tick, suffocate it by wrapping it in tape, put it in alcohol, or flush it down the toilet. Avoid burning the tick off of your skin, because it could make the tick release more disease or pathogens into you. Tweezers are the safest way to remove ticks.

Wrap Up

Ticks present a significant problem for many people in the summertime. By finding the perfect method of tick control for your yard, or combining several methods, you can begin to combat these dangerous visitors. Come to any Koopman Lumber store to find any tick control products you need, or to just gain more information! Our friendly staff would be more than happy to help you kick the ticks this year!