Be Proactive In Keeping Ticks Away From Those You Love
No one would want to suffer from a tick-borne illness, let alone have anyone in their family go through the same. But when one of you falls sick after a tick bite, it would feel worse when you know you’d have avoided the problem altogether. It’s true, ticks often go unnoticed because of their small size. The good news, however, is that you’re not left without options. This post will explore some ideas you can try to repel these bugs from your yard.
Herbs
Yes, there are some plants that don’t auger well with ticks. You’ll do well to plant them in your yard.
We assume that because ticks seem to love hanging around in high grass and undergrowth, they love all plants, but that could not be further from the truth. There are many herbs and other plants that ticks absolutely cannot stand, many of which also repel mosquitoes and spiders. According to Common Sense Home, those tick-repelling herbs include lemongrass, citronella, eucalyptus, rue, wormwood, lavender, and pennyroyal. Read more at Green Matters
Some of these herbs will do more for you than just repel ticks. They’ll also keep other pesky bugs away and some can be welcome spices to your tea- read lemongrass.
Living creatures
Mother nature has a way of balancing out its organisms. So, if you are wondering how to use the food chain to eradicate ticks, this will excite you:
Nematodes are microscopic roundworms that live in the soil and kill problem bugs like ticks, ants, termites, grubs and other garden pests. They cause no harm to humans, pets, earthworms or beneficial bugs, like ladybugs, so they’re a great form of chemical-free pest control, and they’re readily available online. Just choose the right nematode for the job (S. Feltiae is the one that’ll take care of ticks), and apply it to your yard…
Free-range chickens are a great addition to any pest management system. They’ll eat grubs, grasshoppers, flies, and yes, ticks too. Set them loose in your yard, and they’ll go to work eating all those pest bugs for you. Pick a breed with good foraging abilities. To help your chickens do their best tick-hunting work, keep the grass clipped short so they can reach all the way to the ground. Read more at The Spruce
Try this out and you’ll be impressed.
For Your Skin
As much as you’ll try to keep the ticks away, you may also want to ensure they don’t find you a comfortable host when you go out on a hike. Here’s what you can do:
Cedar oil is a non-toxic, natural tick and insect repellent. It can be sprayed directly on clothing and skin. It is safe for use on humans and pets. Not only does cedar oil repel ticks and other irritating insects, but it kills them. Cedar oil spray can be purchased online and at most pet stores and big-box retailers…
Try this simple recipe. Just mix and apply to exposed skin before heading outdoors:
9 drops citronella essential oil
6 drops Tea Tree essential oil
6 drops Peppermint essential oils
1 tablespoon almond oil or jojoba oil Read more at Farmers Almanac
Also, ensure you wear long-sleeved clothes and trousers when going out to enjoy nature.
While all these are great ways to keep ticks away, they may be useful as a maintenance plan to a professional tick control plan. If perchance, you are experiencing an infestation, it would be best to get expert help and then supplement their work overtime with the aforementioned measures.
At Backyard Bug Patrol, we take no chances with tick issues. We have the skills, experience, and passion to keep your yard tick-free. Call us today to safeguard your family against known tick-borne illnesses.