Keeping Your Family Safe from Ticks

Keeping Your Family Safe from Ticks

There are few things more frustrating than worrying about whether your family is going to be bothered by ticks. While you might think of ticks mostly as pests that bite your pets, they are disease carriers for both people and animals. Because they carry diseases such as Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, it’s important to make sure that your family takes protective measures.

The most effective mosquito control products also work well at eliminating ticks. These barrier sprays help kill common pests before they get to you. When combined with tick tubes, you will find that these sprays keep the bothersome pests out of your yard.

Tick tubes work effectively by enticing mice with treated cotton. When the mice use the cotton for bedding, the ticks, which feed on blood from the mice, are exposed to the insecticide used on the cotton. This method is a very effective one if you want to keep your yard pest-free.

You are more likely to find ticks in areas that are both moist and shady. Make sure any debris from your trees and lawn, like fallen leaves and grass clippings, is cleared away quickly. Use gravel or wood chips to separate your compost piles from other areas with more traffic.

Keep your yard regularly mowed. Ticks, mosquitoes and other pests thrive in areas with a lot of overgrowth. Use a weed trimmer in areas that you can’t reach with a lawnmower that easily.

Many people don’t realize how much of a role that deer play in spreading ticks on a property. Certain plants smell and taste attractive to deer, which makes it necessary for people with gardens to do some very careful planning. Using deer-proof fencing or plants that repel deer will help keep ticks out of your yard.

Use tick products recommended by veterinarians on dogs and cats that spend time outside. Commercial sprays, drops and collars work well for most pets. If you’re concerned about some of the chemicals found in such products, natural options are available. Make sure you check your pets for ticks when they come indoors.