How can you protect your home from ticks? - briefly
Maintain a tidy yard by mowing grass frequently, trimming shrubs, and clearing leaf litter to eliminate tick habitats. Apply an approved acaricide to perimeter areas or use a certified natural repellent for added protection.
How can you protect your home from ticks? - in detail
Ticks thrive in humid, shaded environments where they can attach to passing hosts. Reducing suitable habitats around a dwelling lowers the likelihood of infestation.
- Keep grass trimmed to a maximum of 3 inches; mow regularly.
- Remove leaf litter, tall weeds, and brush piles that retain moisture.
- Create a 3‑foot gravel or wood-chip barrier between lawn and wooded areas to discourage tick migration.
- Prune low-hanging branches to increase sunlight exposure on the ground.
Apply targeted acaricides to treat high‑risk zones. Use products labeled for tick control, following label directions for concentration and re‑application intervals. Tick tubes—plastic containers filled with treated cotton—provide rodents with a source of acaricide, reducing tick populations on their fur.
Control wildlife that serves as tick hosts. Install fencing to limit deer access; use deer‑deterrent plants or motion‑activated lights. Secure bird feeders to prevent rodents from congregating. Employ snap traps or live‑catch traps for mice, then treat captured animals with approved acaricides.
Inside the home, maintain cleanliness to remove ticks that may hitchhike on clothing or pets. Vacuum carpets and upholstery weekly; discard vacuum bags promptly. Wash pet bedding, blankets, and human linens in hot water (> 130 °F) after outdoor exposure. Treat dogs and cats with veterinarian‑approved tick preventatives, checking them daily for attached specimens.
When entering the yard, wear long sleeves and pants, tucking pants into socks. Apply EPA‑registered repellents containing DEET, picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus to exposed skin. Perform a full‑body tick check within 30 minutes of return; remove any attached ticks with fine‑tipped tweezers, grasping close to the skin and pulling steadily.
Maintain a log of tick‑control actions, noting dates of landscaping work, chemical applications, and wildlife management measures. Review the record each season to adjust strategies, ensuring continuous protection against tick incursions.