Your initial line of protection against ticks is to keep them away. Build a fence to help keep deer, a well-known host, away from your lawn. Use repellent and traps to keep smaller rodents, including mice or chipmunks, off your property. If you can, install a two- or three-foot concrete, gravel, or bark walkway between all woods or shrubs and your yard, play areas, and residence. Ticks must have water and as a consequence these drier regions make them dry and therefore prevent them from crossing. Always keep grassy areas and shrubbery trimmed away from paths where you and your pets could rub against them and also remove any fallen foliage or grass clippings. Rim sprinklers used in May or June may be successful in heavily populated locations. Popular natural tick applications for your home or backyard are Wondercide Yard And Garden Spray, Wondercide Home Spray, and Vet’s Best Home Spray. Inorganic products include products like Vet Chem or Adams Plus Yard Spray. For those who do not choose to add chemical compounds to their gardens, experiment by treating the garden with diatomaceous earth. Diatomaceous earth works as a desiccant and can be very effective.
Trying to keep animals tick-free doesn’t have to be a full-time occupation. For starters, prohibit your pet from entering tall vegetation or playing in foliage and similar tick hides. Then use a tick poison or tick repellent. There are tons of natural oils that get rid of ticks, including geranium, eucalyptus, peppermint, clove, neem, citrus, and the first shield against leeches, garlic. These repellents can be rubbed directly on your pet; a few drops behind the skull, as well as a drop or two on the lower back before exiting. Any of these natural oils can easily be made into a spray in your own home.
A couple of great herbal products available on the market are Terra Pet Naturals Drops or Spray and Pure Neem Oil. Many very good chemical-type external solutions can be found. Frontline Plus or K9 Advantix II are recommended. Tick collars will also be effective coverage in the longer term. Seresto collars for dogs and cats are very effective. You may want to try an oral tick killer like NexGard. NexGard is easy to use, just feed your pup the tasty treat once a month. Wash animals frequently with a tick repellent or tick-removing shampoo. Ovitrol can be especially effective for dogs and cats or alternatively use Wondercide shampoo bar or Wally’s natural shampoo. Don’t forget to brush after washing to remove any loose ticks before they have a chance to re-attach.
Just a few drops of your favorite all-natural tick repellent around your cuffs before you head out on a hike should do ample protection for most of us. Tuck your pants into your socks or use alligators to help keep ticks off your clothing. Full strength DEET repellents will also work effectively against ticks. Spraying clothing with a permethrin application will eradicate ticks on contact. You should not use permethrins directly on the skin. There are actually insect and tick resistant clothing for sale and DIY clothing apps as well. These products appeal to many people, however their capabilities will gradually fade over time.
In short, create a hostile environment for ticks in your home. Apply repellents or poison to yourself, your pets, and your yard or home. Use tick shampoo to kill existing ticks on your pets. Apply more repellent. With these simple steps, you should be well on your way to a healthy, tick-free home!