If you’ve discovered tick bites on yourself or your pets and have seen other traces of ticks in your yard, take immediate action, as ticks are bearers of Lyme disease and other health risks. Whether you’re dealing with a full-blown tick infestation or want to employ a few tick prevention strategies, this guide will explain how to get rid of ticks from your yard so you can protect family members and pets.

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What Are Ticks?

Ticks are small arachnids that feed on the blood of humans and animals. They’re common in many parts of the United States and have small, round bodies and long, spindly legs. They can live all year but are most prevalent in the summer and early fall.

You can find ticks in tall grass and heavily wooded areas. They typically latch on to carriers, such as deer, dogs, and mice, and they can live in almost any type of climate but prefer warm environments. They’re also resistant to many pesticides.

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How to Identify Ticks

Due to the prevalence of tick-borne illness in many parts of the world, it’s important to identify ticks as soon as possible. While nearly 90 species of ticks are in North America alone, a few varieties are especially common. The deer tick, American dog tick, lone Star tick, and brown dog tick all carry diseases and are typically the primary source of a tick infestation.

• American dog tick: The smallest species of tick in North America, the American dog tick is about the size of a sesame seed. These ticks can be hard to see with the naked eye and have a black head, eight legs, and a tear-shaped body.
• Brown dog tick: You can find brown dog ticks on domestic dogs. They’re reddish-brown but can take on a grayish appearance when engorged with blood. Brown dog ticks have flat bodies and mouthparts visible to the naked eye.
• Deer tick (black-legged tick): Deer ticks, also known as black-legged ticks, are very common and get their name from feeding on deer as well as dogs, raccoons, and mice. Deer ticks are about the size of a sesame seed and have eight legs that extend from a bulb-shaped abdomen.
• Lone star tick: With four pairs of legs and no antennae, the lone star tick is notable for the white, star-shaped dot located on the back of young adult females. Male lone star ticks don’t have a white dot on their body but instead have white spots or streaks around the outer edge of their body.

Any of these varieties of ticks can transmit diseases to humans or pets. If you see ticks in your yard or anywhere on your property, try to identify the type of tick so you can start tick prevention and tick treatments immediately.

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Tick-Borne Diseases

Tick-borne illnesses can run the gamut from serious conditions requiring ongoing monitoring by a healthcare professional to issues that can be resolved relatively quickly with medication and proper treatment. Here are a few of the most common tick-borne illnesses and their symptoms:

• Anaplasmosis: Anaplasmosis causes flu-like symptoms and is similar to ehrlichiosis. It spreads through black-legged ticks.
• Babesiosis: A condition transmitted by black-legged ticks, babesiosis can cause hemolytic anemia, a condition that destroys red blood cells. Babesiosis is especially devastating to people with lowered immune systems, including those fighting cancer or elderly individuals. Symptoms include fever, nausea, chills, and fatigue.
• Ehrlichiosis: Ehrlichiosis is an infection spread by lone star ticks and black-legged ticks. Common symptoms include headache, nausea, vomiting, chills, and stomach pain.
• Lyme disease: This infection is caused by the bacteria left behind by a tick and can cause a variety of flu-like symptoms, including fever, headache, chills, and swollen lymph nodes. If you have Lyme disease, you might notice a red, bullseye-shaped rash at the location where the tick bit you.
• Rocky Mountain spotted fever: Often transmitted by the American dog tick, this bacterial disease is difficult to detect in its early stages since the rash associated with it doesn’t develop until several days after the infection starts. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), symptoms of Rocky Mountain spotted fever include stomach pain, headache, loss of appetite, nausea, and vomiting.

If you notice a tick bite on you and suspect you have one of these conditions, seek medical attention immediately.

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How to Inspect Your Yard for Ticks

If you suspect you might have ticks or find a tick on yourself or a pet, perform a thorough inspection of your yard. Check common tick habitats, including tall grass, wooded areas, and brushy spots. You can use a white cloth or white piece of paper and slowly drag it across the vegetation to reveal any ticks. Additionally, check children or pets for ticks after they spend time in the yard and don’t forget to check yourself before returning indoors.

Always inspect play areas and outdoor play equipment for signs of a tick infestation. While ticks don’t build nests, you might find areas where immature ticks, such as larvae and nymphs, group together. Keep track of any ticks you find and mark their appearance so you can better track the infestation and take the appropriate steps to remove them.

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Tick Removal Methods

The best way to get rid of ticks is by utilizing a variety of methods. Do-it-yourself (DIY) and professional strategies can help you get rid of a tick infestation and restore your yard to normal.

DIY Tick Removal

One effective DIY tick removal strategy is to spray a tick pesticide that reduces the tick population in your yard. Always read the manufacturer’s instructions thoroughly before spraying, and keep the pesticide away from children and pets.

You can also apply a layer of food-grade diatomaceous earth around your yard perimeter. This is typically safe to use around people and pets, but it’s still important to follow the label instructions carefully. Additionally, treating tick hosts can kill ticks on a much smaller scale. For this method, you can set up tick box control systems that kill mice, which are common carriers for ticks. You can also use a deer feeding station covered in permethrin, a powerful tick-killing agent.

Professional Tick Removal

Professional tick removal is an effective solution that’s best for large-scale tick infestations. If you don’t have the time to devote to DIY methods or want to quickly get rid of ticks on your property, this is the best option. Professional tick removal grants you access to commercial-grade products, treatments that come with a warranty, and guaranteed results.

Professional pest control and removal is more expensive than DIY methods, but the overall cost will depend on the size of your yard, the size of the tick infestation, and the treatments used.

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How to Prevent Ticks in Your Yard

After treating ticks around your property, you can use a few prevention methods to keep ticks at bay. Here are a few ways to prevent ticks in your yard:

• Check your pets for ticks when they come inside after spending time in the yard. If you find a tick, remove it with tweezers.
• Keep a tidy landscape by removing brush piles, dead leaves, and other debris around your yard.
• Make sure your pets are up-to-date on their parasite prevention medication, and ensure that the medication protects against fleas and ticks. Talk to your veterinarian about what kind of medication is best for your pet.
• Place tick-repelling plants around your yard. Many of these plants, including lavender, eucalyptus, and lemongrass, smell wonderful and are excellent additions to any yard or landscaping design.
• Regularly weed flower beds and garden areas.
• Use tick repellent whenever you venture outside.

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Our Recommendation

Ticks can cause a variety of health issues in both humans and pets. If you find a tick on yourself, in your yard, or on a pet, identify what type it is and use a few different pest control methods to remove ticks from your property and prevent the spread of disease. A combination of DIY and professional methods typically yields the best results. After treatment, employ prevention methods to prevent tick infestations and enjoy a safe, comfortable outdoor space.

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