tree diseases and the symptoms to watch for

Tall Trees, Lush Lawns -- And Ticks? Keeping Your Backyard Safe From Parasites

3 June 2015

Wesley Perry

Nothing can put a damper on a fun backyard barbecue more quickly than the discovery that your party site is swarming with tiny six-legged parasites --  deer ticks. As well as simply being shudder-inducing (particularly if they're not discovered until they've become engorged from feeding), these ticks can carry harmful diseases that can impact the health of both you and your pets. If you've recently discovered such an infestation in your own yard, you're likely reluctant to spend much time outside until this problem has been resolved. Read on to learn more about how you can discourage ticks (and their larger hosts) from moving in, as well as some ways to quickly eradicate these ticks once they've been discovered. 

Tick-prevention methods

Even if you know ticks have already taken up residence in your yard, it's important to take a few preventive steps before exterminating these ticks to ensure that they won't have a safe haven to which they can return. If deer ticks are your primary problem, you'll need to take measures to make your property less attractive to both the ticks themselves and their hosts -- generally white-tailed deer or smaller rodents. 

This means removing tempting plants from the borders of your property and securing any fruit or veggie gardens from would-be grazers. You'll also want to make sure that any outdoor food sources, like bird feeders or pet dishes, are regularly cleaned, to discourage rodents from venturing near your home (and potentially dropping off a tick or two along the way). 

To tackle the ticks themselves, you'll want to rake away any brush piles or debris from areas that tend to be damp (such as under your porch). Because ticks are attracted to dark, moist areas, making your lawn as bright and well-ventilated as possible will go a long way toward encouraging your unwanted guests to mosey on along.

Tick eradication methods

Once you've identified (and, to the extent possible, eliminated) the places your ticks are most likely to hide, you'll be able to target your treatment to be as effective as possible. 

Most commercial tick poisons operate by interrupting the tick's life cycle. By eliminating a tick's ability to lay or fertilize eggs, you'll eliminate all future generations. These treatments are often more effective long-term when compared to other insecticides that kill ticks at only one specific point during a life cycle. For example, a spray that kills only adult ticks may need to be reapplied a few weeks later to take care of any eggs or larvae that had not yet matured at the time of the initial application. Contact a company like Greenwood Tree Experts for more information about tick control.

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