Ticking Time Bombs: Effective Pest Control Strategies to Combat Ticks in Your Yard

Parasite: (noun) An organism that lives on or in a host organism and derives its nutrients, shelter, or other benefits at the host’s expense. Just the definition is enough to make your skin crawl. Knowing that creatures exist simply to live off your flesh is an unsettling thought. Throw in the fact that they can kill their host or at the least make them very sick and it’s a double yuck factor.

The exact origin of ticks is unknown but they are believed to have begun their existence on the continent of Africa. They are believed to be a species that is around 90 million years old. When you think about it in those terms, humans are a relatively new item on their menu in that our species is thought to be about 300,000 years old. But these parasites have been a problem for all animals, including humans, from their earliest existence.

If you study wildlife which engages in social behaviors you are sure to see a grooming behavior at some point. In fact, some evolutionary scientists believe that the symbiotic relationship of picking parasites off one another is how we developed such a desire for physical affection. When you are cuddling with your loved one next time just think that this behavior may have all started as a survival technique.

Ticks in the United States can carry various diseases including Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and a bacteria which causes Alpha-gal syndrome, a disorder which basically makes you highly allergic to red meat. Keeping these these parasites outside of your home and yard is paramount.

Keeping Ticks Out

Some tips to keep ticks from being a mainstay in your yard include:

1. Mow and Maintain Your Lawn – ticks use long grass and weeds as shelter and as a mechanism to latch onto their victim.
2. Clear Debris – This removes a source of shelter and water which may entice ticks to try to make your yard their home base.
3. Add Barrier to Yard – Having a 3-foot-wide barrier of gravel or woodchips surrounding your home can work wonders for keeping ticks at bay.
4. Keep Woodpiles Away from Home – All kinds of nasty critters, including ticks, love piles of cut wood. Keeping it away from your home is the best idea when it comes to preventing pest infiltration.
5. Natural Options: Apply cedar oil, diatomaceous earth, or essential oil sprays (like eucalyptus or peppermint) around your yard. These can repel ticks without synthetic chemicals.
6. Call Your Pest Control Company – They can place an invisible pest repellant around your home and the edges of your lawn which will basically tell pests that they are not welcome.

Call today for lawn pest service in the Brevard County area of Florida