How to Keep Ticks Out of Your Yard & Home

We all look forward to the summer. Warmer weather, blue skies, and spending time with friends and family out in the sun—you can’t ask for much more. One of the biggest things that spoils a great summer day, though, is finding a tick on your leg. It’s worrisome and discomforting, and more often than not, you have no idea where it came from. What’s worse, we are more likely to experience tick problems every year as average temperatures gradually increase.

If you want to avoid ticks in Vermont this summer, keep reading for advice from Vermont Pest Control. We are equipped to determine the reasons why ticks are on your property and get rid of them fast, so you can have a tick-free summer.

Preventing Ticks in Your Yard

You will often find ticks around densely vegetated areas, tightly-packed trees, or habitats crawling with small animals. If your yard looks like this, you will probably have to work to prevent ticks all summer long. To keep ticks out of your yard, follow these steps:

1. Tidy up your yard: Ticks can make temporary homes out of piles of clutter in your yard. Firewood, yard waste, and old furniture can all serve as tick hideouts.
2. Control wildlife: Squirrels, mice, rats, racoons, and more small animals are all common tick targets. Keeping them out of your yard will also reduce the number of ticks.
3. Trim trees: If you have tree branches hanging over your deck, patio, porch, or anywhere else you like to hang out, ticks will use them as a platform to make their way over to you.
4. Mow the lawn: Ticks like to hang out in tall grass to sneak up on unsuspecting animals. Mow your lawn once a week to keep ticks off of your lawn.

Keeping Ticks Out of the House

Ticks have a hard time living in most indoor spaces for more than a few days. However, if you have indoor areas that stay humid, like a shed, poorly ventilated bathroom, or a cabin, ticks can stay around for much longer. Most ticks get inside by stealthily clinging on to your leg or your dog’s back. You can prevent this from happening by:

• Limiting exposed skin: Wearing shorts and low socks outside makes you a great target for ticks. Wearing long socks and pants will prevent ticks from coming back inside with you.
• Applying bug spray: Using insect repellent on exposed skin can prevent ticks from hitching a ride indoors on your legs.
• Checking your pets: After letting your dog outside or taking them on a long walk, comb through their fur to look for ticks. Dog owners are much more likely to have ticks in the house.

Effective Tick Control in Vermont

If you need help getting rid of ticks in your house or in your yard this summer, tell your local pest control company about your problem. At Vermont Pest Control, we focus on Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies, meaning that we work to prevent tick problems before they start through pertinent pest control products and exclusion efforts. Contact us today for a free quote!