As the weather across Pennsylvania warms, birds, animals and insects reemerge to resume their usual routines. While many of those are beneficial creatures, there are some parasites among them, including ticks. Ticks are active through much of the year, and can spread disease with a single bite. A few simple tick control tips will help you avoid that possibility.
Prevent Deer from Visiting Your Yard
One of the more often overlooked methods for controlling ticks is to stop other animals from bringing them into your yard. While they can catch a ride on domestic dogs and cats, as well as other wild animals, deer are one of the most common sources of ticks in the suburban yard. You can put up physical barriers like fences or alter your landscape to make it less attractive to deer.
Make Your Yard Less Attractive
Ticks don’t jump, or fly. They crawl. This means that you can make your yard much less hospitable by removing tall grass from near your home, and apply wood mulch between lawn and recreational areas in your yard.
Control Ticks on Pets
If you have dogs or cats in your home, they may inadvertently bring ticks from outside inside with them. The most important tip you can follow here it so make sure you invest in a quality tick prevention product. Often, these also prevent fleas, so it’s an investment in your pet’s overall health.
Use the Right Repellent
If you’ll be outdoors for any amount of time, it’s important to protect yourself from ticks. You can do this in some ways, including wearing long pants and long-sleeved clothing. Of course, that is not always possible. You should also apply an insect repellent that contains at least 20% DEET or another highly-effective preventative, such as picaridin or IR3535.
Spray Your Yard
It may be necessary to take more aggressive action. Yard treatments can stop ticks and other insects (including mosquitoes, which can also spread disease) in their tracks. A yard-wide treatment helps ensure that unwanted pests are eradicated from your entire yard, allowing you and your family to enjoy your time outdoors more, and also helping to safeguard your pets if they venture outdoors.
If you’re ready to retake your yard and learn more about tick control for your home, we invite you to contact us at Viking Pest Control. Call us today at 888-481-8219.
