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If you have a backyard, you'll need to take steps to protect yourself and your pets against ticks. Ticks, which can transmit diseases like Lyme disease, thrive in grassy and wooded areas, but they're also found in common residential backyards, on hiking trails, sports fields, and other spots commonly trafficked by you, your family, and your pets. For the best insights on how to avoid ticks in your own backyard, we tapped Dr. Stephen Rich, a Microbiology Professor at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and Executive Director of the New England Center of Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases (NEWVEC). He's also a medical advisor to Bug Bite Thing, a company that produces a really, really good two-sided tick remover tool.
1. Use Perimeter Spray and Outdoor Treatments
First, you can kill ticks in your yard using a perimeter spray like Ortho® Home Defense® Insect Killer. While Dr. Rich that hiring a professional is a worthwhile effort, manufacturers do try to offer consumer-friendly sprayers.
How often do you need to apply perimeter sprays? "I’d recommend homeowners reapply their perimeter spray every 2 to 3 months outdoors, especially in high-pressure seasons like spring and summer," shared Ngan Nguyen Rawlings, Ph.D., Sr. Specialist, Global Controls at ScottsMiracle-Gro. "After particularly rainy stretches or if you notice a spike in pest activity, it’s a good idea to refresh the treated zones a bit sooner."
Thermacell challenged us to try Tick Control Tubes around our property, specifically in sheltered areas like wood piles, rock walls, and around our patio. Unlike sprays, these tubes contain cotton fiber soaked in permethrin, and they're designed to target mice. How? Mice are in search of fiber for their nests. When the treated cotton is used to line nests, the insecticide rubs off on the mice, and ticks feeding on the mice die. Two of our tubes have been emptied, so I suspect they're working towards the common goal.
Are natural sprays effective for tick control? Dr. Rich says no. "Natural products for your yard are not proven to be as effective and in some cases may be no 'safer' than synthetic products. Synthetic products, such as bifenthrin, effectively kill ticks in the leaf litter where they bide their time between blood meals."
2. Guard Your Clothing (and Shoes)
"In the case of personal protection, you can use your own clothing as a means of applying the pesticides to the tick," shares Dr. Rich. "This is accomplished by treating clothing with a compound like permethrin. The pesticide impregnates the fabrics and when ticks crawl across the fabric they absorb pesticide through their legs and are killed."
3. Use a Skin Repellant
A skin repellant isn't going to kill ticks the same way as permethrin, but it helps to prevent bites. "Insect repellents, like DEET or Picaridin, don’t kill ticks but they do deter them," notes Dr. Rich. "When applied to the skin, these compounds repel tick bites."
Grand Tongo is a Picaridin 20% spray we've been testing this spring, and it works (at least, no ticks have been found yet after our daily hikes). You'd probably like it too — it's lightweight, not sticky, and it doesn't smell like your typical bug spray.
4. Cover Up
"One major caveat to consider is that killing ticks in your yard will have no bearing on tick exposures during hikes through tall grass, trips to the beach, or other recreational activities away from your home," warns Dr. Rich. That's why covering up your skin (and opting for light-colored clothing when you do) is an easy solution if you're venturing through a tick habitat. "Consider wearing long-sleeved shirts and tucking pant legs into socks so that ticks crawling up (most start close to the ground) are less likely to get under your clothing and onto your skin." Change out of your clothing as soon as you're back from outdoor activities, and launder the garments in the washer and dryer to get rid of any ticks stuck to the fibers.
5. Check Your Body for Ticks — Everyday
"Regardless of how you decide to protect your yard or yourself, you should always make a entire body tick check is part of your daily routine when you are outside during tick season," reminds Dr. Rich. "Ticks found early after the encounter (and removed) pose little threat." Speaking from experience, it's also important to get in the habit of feeling for ticks in areas that are out of sight, especially around the ears, belly button, and in the hairline. Initially, they can be as small as poppy seeds and hard to feel, but if you teach your children to feel behind their ears and in their hair everyday, you might be surprised how often they let you know they have an engorged adult tick attached to their skin. (Yes, and yikes.)
How to Remove a Tick From Your Skin
Prompt and proper tick removal can prevent Lyme and other tick-borne diseases. Dr. Rich recommends using fine-tipped tweezers, like the Bug Bite Thing Tick Remover, to grip the tick close to the skin and pull steadily. This tool is effective for both people and pets and can reduce the risk of infection by capturing the head and mouth of the tick.
After removal, wash your hands, clean the bite area, and sterilize the tool. Monitor the bite for infection and watch for flu-like symptoms like a stiff neck, circular rash, and other signs of infection or illness. If any issues arise, seek medical attention.
FAQ
Are there any natural scents that ticks hate?
Horticulturalists recommend strongly scented herbs like sage, rosemary, mint, and lavender, as well as marigold flowers and garlic to offer extra protection against ticks. Planting these items around the perimeter of your outdoor living areas can help deter ticks, but be mindful of the fact that there's no guaranteed way to eliminate them from your yard.
Will birds eat ticks in my yard?
Yes! Ducks, geese, and wild turkeys eat all kinds of insects off the ground, including ticks. Add some chickens and guineafowl to your backyard farm, and you've got a natural solution that can help curb your tick population.
Can you avoid ticks when you're on a hike?
Applying permethrin to your clothing is a great protective measure. Also, intentionally staying in the center of trails during your hike is the best way to avoid coming into contact with them. You can also apply this spray to backpacks, shoes, camping gear, and other outdoor gear and equipment exposed to ticks in the wild. Remember to always check pets for ticks after they spend time outdoors, especially after rolling around in blades of grass.
