Tips for Elimating Ticks From Your Yard
We all want a beautiful, green outdoor space to hang out in. We imagine inviting the neighbors over, having friends and family come around to celebrate events and holidays and for our yard to be the hangout spot to enjoy the sunshine. But no one wants to come over if your yard is also tick central. With the warmer weather, the bugs follow. To keep these bugs out of your yard so no one feels scared to enjoy your outdoor space, here is how to keep ticks away.
Ticks and other bugs love certain conditions to create the ultimate hangout spot for them. They look for warm, moist hidey holes and plenty of shade. They love unkept grass, wild trees and greenery and plenty of cool spots to hide in. Ticks also like to take a ride on deer, mice and other critters and make a pit stop in your yard.
This means the way to keep them away from your yard is to eliminate all of these possibilities. Here are the best ways to keep these bugs and other critters out of your yard.
Start With Your YardIf you think of mowing your yard as exercise and a chance to get Vitamin D, it becomes more of an experience than a chore. But keeping your grass tidy and regularly cut is the first step in keeping bugs away from your yard. Tall grass is a breeding ground for ticks, mosquitoes and other bugs.
You also want to pay attention to any other greenery in your yard. If you have trees, keep the branches trimmed. If you have bushes, make sure to keep them neat. Any debris or brush that you collect from taking care of your yard should be disposed of properly.
Ticks like to hide in dark and moist areas, so get out in your yard and look for any spots that need to be cleaned up. Piles of leaves and haphazard stacks of wood can be a hideout for ticks. Mice also like these places, and ticks get Lyme disease from mice, so you don't want them in your yard.
Create Barriers- Gravel
- Cedar chips
- Bark
- Diatomaceous earth
If you have woods as a neighbor, you will need to take a few extra precautions to keep ticks out of your yard. You want to spread gravel, bark or cedar chips around the perimeter, because cedar chips contain an oil that ticks do not like. If you have the space, you want the barrier to be at least three feet. Diatomaceous earth contains glass shells of algae, which is a natural tick treatment that will dehydrate the ticks. Give that a sprinkle to keep the ticks busy.
To keep deer and other animals out that could carry ticks into your yard, think about whether a fence would be worth it.
Keep Your Yard Free of DebrisWe all have that chair we use to throw clothes on that aren't quite ready for the washer but don't deserve a spot in the closet. And it always grows by the day. If you have a section like that in your yard, clean it up. Old furniture, piles of junk you've been meaning to get to, old gardening stuff and anything else that has been sitting in your yard needs to be cleared out. Then go back and take care of that chair.
Watch Where You Put the Playground and Other EquipmentIf you have little ones, where you put the playground is important in more ways than one. When it comes to ticks and other bugs, you want to keep the playground away from the edge of the yard and away from any side that is lined with woods or trees.
The same goes for your patio, gazebo and other yard equipment. You want to watch the placement of it to make sure it isn't too close to trees or the edge of your yard.
To keep ticks away from your yard and give your outdoor space some life, plant certain greenery ticks do not like. Rosemary, lavender, mint, sage and garlic are just some plants and herbs that would deter ticks from entering your yard while giving you a gorgeous array of herbs and plants to use around the house.
Try NematodesThere is a tiny worm called a nematode that is a natural way to take on certain pests, like ticks, grubs and slugs. Talk with a professional about how to use these worms to help get rid of a lot of different pests, because you have to have the correct kind, and they need to be applied a certain way to work.
if you have a fireplace, you have a stack of firewood somewhere. If you keep the wood stack outside, keep it piled neatly and keep it dry. Mice and other critters love a messy pile of wood, so maintain it as best as you can.
Check Yourself and Your PetsWhen you and your pet get back from a nice little walk, check yourself and your pets for ticks. Look behind the ears, in elbows, behind the knees and around the neck. On pets, check the toe beans and around and under the collar. Pets can get tick-transmitted diseases, too, so keep them safe.
There are many ways ticks can get into your yard, and you have to fight them all to keep your yard clear. Having an outdoor space is a privilege, so if you have one, keep it free of pests like ticks with these tips. Most of them are simple and easy enough to do without the need for a lot of tools or complicated steps. Your yard can remain the oasis you have always wanted when you don't have to worry about ticks or other bugs and the diseases they can transmit.
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