Tick bites—and the potential diseases they transmit—are usually a concern for those hiking through the wilderness, especially in New England. But while these pests are certainly attracted to the wild, they can often reside much closer to home. The team at Cape Cod Mosquito Squad in Cape Cod, MA, can spot hidden hazards in your yard. Consult the guide below to learn what draws ticks to the lawn and what you can do to help boost tick control around your home. 

Common Problem Areas for Ticks 

In general, ticks live in environments that are close to their hosts, including rodents, deer, dogs, cats, and birds. Often, they will reside in wooded or grassy areas, where they can easily attach to animals or people. In your yard, they will lay eggs in piles of old leaves and in damp, grassy areas that are soft and warm. As they grow, they can spread to live in low-hanging branches, tall grasses, brush, and shrubbery. The denser the foliage, the more likely they are to be present, such as near the forested edge of a yard. 

Ticks are attracted to areas that retain moisture, such as stone features, fallen branches, bird feeders, dog kennels, and woodpiles. The insects are also prone to live where they can hide safely without disruption, such as in the crevices of play equipment, trash piles, under decks, and outdoor furniture. 

How to Keep Ticks Out of Your Yard

Maintain the Landscape 

The best way to discourage tick infestations outdoors is to regularly maintain the landscape. You can minimize their potential dwelling spots by raking leaves, clearing away debris, mowing the grass, and trimming shrubbery, stacking wood into a dry pile.   

Establish Barriers 

Barriers of wood chips or gravel can keep ticks from migrating closer to your home and making their way inside. For optimal protection, create barriers that are three feet wide around the edges of your home, patio, and play equipment. 

Move Items Into Clear Areas 

Keeping items away from the forested edges of your yard will make it more difficult for ticks to create habitats. As such, it’s best to move outdoor furniture and play equipment into low-grass areas or onto the patio. Placing items in the sun will also discourage infestations. 

Invest in Professional Tick Control 

Pest control companies can apply natural tick sprays to kill off existing populations in your yard. Professionals may also place tubes of treated cotton around the yard where mice will collect it for bedding. When ticks try to feed on mice, they will be exposed to the treatment and die off.   

When you want to stay tough against ticks, turn to the trained technicians at Cape Cod Mosquito Squad. Serving homeowners around the Vineyard communities, this pest control company applies an effective mosquito spray that doubles as a tick control solution. They also offer cotton tick tube services to extend prevention efforts. For more details on their satisfaction-guaranteed* services, visit this specialist online. To schedule convenient treatment, call (508) 589-4994.