Ticks can carry pathogens, such as viruses, bacteria, and parasites that may lead to various diseases. According to the Mayo Clinic, the number of people infected with tick-borne diseases has increased in the United States in the last few decades.
Tick transmitted diseases can include:
- Lyme disease
- Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
- Ehrlichiosis
- Babesiosis
- Anaplasmosis
In some cases, such as out in the wilderness, you cannot control whether ticks are present. But in other instances, such as in your yard, garden, or home playground, you can take steps to keep ticks out.
Although it may be impossible to prevent all ticks, there are several things you can do to decrease the presence of ticks. By keeping ticks out of your yard, you reduce your risk of acquiring a tick-borne disease.
The article below provides steps to take and ideas to keep ticks out of your garden, yard, and playground.
Steps to take to reduce ticks?
Making your yard, garden, and playground area less attractive to ticks is possible by making certain landscaping choices. Below are some tips and techniques that may help you decrease the tick population in your yard and garden.
Clear bushes around your home
Bushes, tall grass, and shrubs on the perimeter of your yard may make the perfect environment for ticks to live. If you or your pets walk by and brush against the shrubs or tall grass, a tick can latch on. Clear the greenery on the perimeter of your home to reduce tick risks.
Remove leaves from your yard
If you typically blow leaves to the edge of your property and let them break down, you may want to think twice. Research in the journal Entomological Society of America found that just blowing leaves into the immediate edge of your yard can actually cause a three-fold increase in black-legged ticks in that area the following spring.
Instead of just blowing leaves to the edge, blow, or rake leaves into a pile for collection, especially if you live in an area with a high tick population.
Maintain firewood in a dry area and stack it neatly
Ticks like to hide in a shady, moist area. What better hiding place in a yard than a pile of damp firewood? If you store firewood for your home, be sure to stack it neatly in a dry area, preferably in the sunlight away from your house.
Declutter your yard
Ticks may hide in areas of clutter in your yard. Keep your deck, patio, and yard as clutter-free as possible. Reduce possible tick breeding grounds by removing old patio furniture, junk, or other debris.
Put up a fence
Put a fence up around your garden to keep tick hosts out, such as deer, rabbits, and raccoons. Ticks may attach to these animals. If the animals come into your garden, they might bring ticks with them. A fence can help keep the animals out, reducing the presence of ticks.
Keep playground equipment, decks, and patios away from yard edges
If you have playground equipment, such as a sandbox or swing set, be sure to place it as far as possible from wooded areas on the edge of your yard. If possible, put these structures in a sunny location in the middle of the yard. The same thing goes for dog houses and gazebos.
Create a barrier around your property with wood chips
A physical barrier on the perimeter of your yard may help reduce the tick population. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends creating a 3-ft wide barrier of gravel or wood chips between wooded areas and your yard or garden. The buffer zone between the wooded area and your yard may prevent ticks from moving onto your property. The physical barrier may be hot and dry, which is an environment that discourages ticks.
If you use bark, be sure to avoid the damp, shredded type. This creates a damp, cool environment ticks like. Instead, use gravel or dry wood chips.
Keep the grass in your yard short
The taller the grass, the cooler the environment is. According to the Global Lyme Alliance, ticks thrive in shaded areas and long grass. Ticks may hide in tall grass. To create a less friendly tick yard, mow the grass often to keep it short.
Plant a natural tick repellant
You probably do not want to spray your yard with an insect repellent containing DEET to protect against ticks. However, growing certain plants may provide natural protection. Natural tick-repellant herbs and vegetables you may want to plant in your garden include:
- Garlic
- Sage
- Mint
- Rosemary
Additionally, growing plants and flowers with a strong odor may also repel ticks naturally, such as
- American beauty-berry bush
- Lavender
- Marigold
Additional tips
Ticks are found in all 50 states in both rural and urban areas. The closer you live to a wooded area, the bigger the tick problem you may have.
Besides the steps above, you can do some additional things to decrease your risk of developing a tick-borne illness. Consider the following:
Wear protective clothing like long-sleeved pants and shirts when working in your garden or yard.
Perform a tick check when you go inside. If you find a tick, remove it as soon as possible.
Check your pets for ticks. If your pets are romping in the yard, check them when they come inside.
Shower as soon as possible after hiking or working in the yard. Showering soon after spending time outside in a high tick area is associated with a decreased risk of getting a tick-bones illness.
By taking one or more of the steps above, you may decrease your exposure to ticks, which reduces your risk of a tick-borne disease. Remember, if you suspect you had a tick bite or notice symptoms of a tick-borne disease, it is essential to get tested as soon as possible to get appropriate treatment.
Sources
https://www.epa.gov/insect-repellents/tips-prevent-tick-bites#:~:text=Avoid%20Tick%20Habitats,may%20serve%20as%20tick%20habitat
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/alpha-gal-syndrome/in-depth/tick-species/art-20546861
https://projectlyme.org/resource/types-of-ticks/
https://www.globallymealliance.org/blog/4-tips-to-avoid-ticks-and-lyme-disease-in-the-garden
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/03/200318104411.htm
https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/prev/in_the_yard.html
https://www.consumerreports.org/health/insect-repellent/how-to-keep-mosquitoes-ticks-away-a1955635818/#:~:text=Ticks%3A%20When%20walking%20through%20wooded,your%20clothes%20and%20exposed%20skin.
https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/removing_a_tick.html
https://igenex.com/tick-test/
