There’s nothing worse than enjoying a leisurely hike in the spring, only to find that you are covered in ticks when it ends. Perhaps the only thing more horrifying is finding out that these pests are in your yard – waiting for your pets or you to get nearby. Tick-borne illnesses and Lyme disease are skyrocketing across the United States. They can have various unpleasant symptoms, including rashes, dizziness, headaches, and joint or muscle pain.
Although the idea of a tick bite may seem scary, several things can be done to prevent them. In most states, ticks are highly active from March through November, only taking a short break throughout the winter months. For this reason, homeowners need to be vigilant for much of the year to reduce tick populations and eliminate typical habitats for these blood-sucking pests that may be in their yard or around their home.
Creating a Tick-Free Landscaping Plan for Your Yard
One of the best ways to eliminate the chances of ticks using your blood or your pet’s blood for dinner is to make changes to your landscaping that deter them in the first place. As a leading provider of pest control services in the Tulsa metropolitan and Oklahoma City areas, Emtec can assist homeowners in tick removal and prevention. However, some of the critical steps that homeowners need to take for a tick-free landscape include:
Maintaining a Tidy Lawn
Reducing ticks around a home is often as simple as routine landscaping maintenance. This includes cutting brush and grass to an appropriate level, raking leaves and compost, and taking the time to perform general updates that make a yard less welcoming to ticks.
Invest in New Fencing
While most suburban homes already have some form of fencing around their property, many homes across Oklahoma do not have this luxury. One of the most important ways to eliminate ticks is to keep other traveling animals like raccoons, deer, or stray dogs from entering the property. A new fence can keep these animals out, as well as the ticks they are transporting.
Build Some Barriers
Anyone that lives in an area known for ticks, like a forested area or woods, should take specific steps to keep ticks from arriving on their property. Often, a simple three-foot barrier of wooden mulch or gravel between a lawn and areas known for ticks can prevent their travel into your yard. In essence, this creates a physical roadblock they are unlikely to pass.
Use Tick Control Tubes
While working with a pest control professional on a preventative plan is a great idea, some products may help ensure your plan is successful. Tick control tubes are stuffed with cotton and permethrin – an insecticide known for its ability to kill ticks and deter them. With these products, mice steal the cotton in the tube for nesting and, in turn, directly affect ticks that they may be carrying or transporting.
At Emtec Pest Control, we are committed to safe and responsible pest control. We understand that your family’s safety is your number one priority, so we make it our priority, too.
If you have any other questions about any of these pests or pest control for your home or business, contact your Oklahoma pest control experts at Emtec Pest Control by calling us or by filling out our online contact form.