7 Natural Ways To Make Ticks Stay Out Of Your Yard In Summer

Aug 09, 2018 by apost team

Lyme disease, which is carried by ticks, is a growing concern. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports a significant increase in areas where the disease has been found, and more than 300,000 Americans suffer from it each year.

Some of the symptoms of Lyme disease are body aches, fever, swollen lymph nodes, fatigue and sleep problems. One precaution you can take against Lyme disease is thoroughly checking yourself, your family and your pets after going outside. However, you can also take steps to prevent ticks from getting in your yard in the first place.

According to one study from Iowa State University, plans work better than insect repellent to keep unwanted pests out of your yard. The group of plants known as catmints, which includes catnip, are far more effective than DEET, which is the active ingredient in most insecticides.

There are other plants that repel bugs as well including mint, lavender, garlic and sage. If you have pets, make sure anything you plant will not harm them. For example, eucalyptus is a useful repellent but can also be dangerous to pets.

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This is not a chore anyone particularly enjoys, but because shade and humidity is an environment that ticks love, mowing your lawn regularly will make your yard an inhospitable environment for them. Keep the grass short. Most ticks hang out around the edges of the yard, so be sure to give that area plenty of attention. You can compost the clippings and use them to keep weeds down.

This won't work for everyone, but if you keep chickens, they can keep ticks out of your yard because they eat them. A more practical solution for some people might be to encourage birds like robins that eat ticks. You can set up a bird feeder and make sure your yard is attractive for birds. Be sure that you don't let debris build up under the bird feeder since this can be a place for ticks to gather.

Ticks love grass but dislike rough textures such as gravel and cedar chips since it hurts their legs. Putting cedar chips all along the border of your yard can keep ticks from coming into your yard from a paved area.

This is a great way to get rid of pests that won't be toxic to you or your pets. Food-grade diatomaceous earth dehydrates insects by absorbing liquid from their exoskeletons, and it also kills larvae. During tick season, you should apply it all around the edge of your yard whenever it rains or monthly.

In addition to leaves and tall grass, ticks love woodpiles. These tend to be damp, shady areas, so ticks thrive there. To make sure this isn't an attractive environment for them, you should keep your woodpile stacked neatly somewhere direct sunlight will hit it regularly.

Essential oils is another remedy you should be careful about if you have pets, so do your research carefully. However, if that is not an issue, you can mix a few drops of certain oils, such as geranium, cedarwood or lemongrass, with a cup of water, put it in a spray bottle, and spray your skin and clothing with them before you go outside.

Have you tried any of these remedies, and if so, did they work for you? Comment below to say how you keep ticks out of your yard and away from your family and pets.