How Do You Get Rid of Ticks?
They seem to be everywhere this year. We have never had a problem with them in our yard until this Summer. What’s causing this increase of these nasty little creatures?
Well, truth be told, I’m not sure, but it could be the weather this past Spring/early Summer, which was really quite a bit colder than normal where I live.
Ticks do not like heat I’ve noticed. In my experience it has been very rare to find a tick anywhere in the hot sun.
Days that are rather mild, or even cool, are ones to watch out for ticks a lot more.
However, it’s always a good idea to check your dog over before going in the house if you can, and don’t forget to check yourself too. They often catch a ride in on clothing.
Steps to Take to Keep Ticks Out of Your Yard
- Keep the grass short
- Remove dead leaves
- Create a natural barrier with either gravel or wood chips between your lawn and wooded areas
- Prune any trees or bushes in yard
- Insect/tick repellents and pesticides. There are also natural products that kill ticks and other pests in both your yard and home.
These steps should help to keep ticks out of your yard and off your dog and you, but of course there may always be an exception. So, keep on the lookout for ticks no matter what. Just to be safe. Although not all ticks carry the dreaded Lyme disease, I know I’d rather not have one stuck to my dog, me, or anyone for that matter.
Ticks love wooded areas, but then again, so do we. It’s so fun to take the dogs camping with us in the Summer. It’s best to avoid wooded areas if you can do so, especially in the late Spring and early Summer, which is usually when ticks are out in full force, but there are some ways to keep ticks at bay…at least to a point.
How to Keep Ticks Off
- Use appropriate tick repellent for your dog and don’t forget tick repellent for you
-follow the directions on the label!
- Wear light-colored clothing
- Long-sleeved shirts
- Hat
- Wear pants and tuck bottom cuffs into socks – sure, it may look a little silly, but who’s gonna be laughing at you? Your dog won’t, and even if it does think you look silly, it’ll love you anyways.
- Again, always check your dog and yourself for ticks before going indoors. It’s much easier to remove them before they get too attached to you.
Hope this helps you to keep them out of your yard and off of you and your dog. Have any suggestions, questions, or comments? Please do so in the comments box below.
Need more info on removing a tick from you dog?
Then check out my post “Remove a Tick from Dog.”
Want to find out more about a natural tick repellent?
Check out this post “What is the Best Tick Repellent for Dogs? Natural or Chemical?”
I use 2 natural products to keep my yard and dogs tick free.
In the back yard, I have let my mint, specifically pennyroyal, go wild. It is quite good at keeping Ticks and other biting insects at bay. Smells nice when you step on it too. It can be a bit invasive though just like most mints.
When we go out training or on a search, I wear gaiters to keep the critters from crawling up my pants but even so, I spray my legs and feet with Neem oil. The dog gets a dose too. Not the best smelling stuff but it is amazingly effective at keeping the ticks off the dog. They absolutely hate the stuff.
Hi Labman,
Great hearing from you! Thanks for the advice for keeping these nasty critters away! I never knew that pennyroyal mint plants keep them away, I’ll have to try that in our yard too. Besides, mint always smells nice. I know there’s mint plants that grow wild up here, but not sure what kind they are. I’ll have to look those up and see if I can find those kind around here. I’ve also not heard of Neem oil either. I’ll have to check that out, although I don’t think I’ve come across it in the stores up here, sounds like something to try out!
Thanks again for reading and commenting, I really appreciate it! Now, I’ve learned a couple new things to try too and I do hope to hear from you again sometime soon. 🙂
Best wishes to you!
-Sherry
Hi Sherry very good details information for dog owner. Have share on FB and G+ to let other dog owner aware. Keep it up.
Hi Cena,
Thank you for visiting and commenting! I really appreciate it and I also must say thank you too for sharing it on FB and G+! I do hope it helps others out with their tick problems, I hate those things so much. Especially when you don’t even realize it when they are crawling on you until it’s too late and they’re already stuck on.
Hope to hear from you again sometime! 🙂
Best wishes!
-Sherry